Earth Tunings
Most everybody knows the famous opening sounds of the Beatles’ high water-mark 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: an orchestra tunes up, with random voices, that eventually give way to the opening rock song. Longing for the album,? Shop for it here.
That orchestra – and modern orchestras in general – usually tune to a tone called A 440, as a standardizer. Not only is it the key of A, but a specific tuning in that key.
Sound Bathing Behind the Scenes
Since Bex launched sound baths in the fall of 2023, which have been popular, customers have asked about the specifics of how it works. “I tune the musical bowls I play to two tunings: 432 hertz, and 528 hertz,” explains Peace By Kate, who leads the baths. Hertz is used to describe waveforms, musical tones, and even the energy in photons (light molecules). “The 432 hertz tone is supposed to be connected to earth tones, while the 528 is associated with love and emotional well-being,” Kate reveals.
East Meets West
We live in an age of increased attention on our five senses: ASMR, audio-processing disorders, overstimulation, and the shift from analog media to digital. Some folks find the austere quietude of traditional meditation uncomfortable, so sound bathing provides some of the same aspects of meditation – focus, relaxation, being present, and scanning one’s body – while filling the air with pleasing tones. The nice thing about Eastern practices in America is that they run the gamut from the most hardcore Zen practices (silence, wall-facing, 4-hourlong sits, a crack to the shoulders with a stick if your posture sags!) to sound baths to mindfulness spaces at work or in public places. You can jump in anywhere on the spectrum and explore.
The Thinking Behind the Tones 
“The tones I use are also specifically geared toward the human endocrine system: the organs that regulate hormones and glands and connect to the circulatory system,” says Kate. We all know how powerful hormones can be if you’ve ever dealt with an angsty teen or seen hot flashes in menopausal women. “The endocrine system gets riled up with stress, and those stress chemicals are hard on the whole body,” Kate explains. “They lead, over time, to inflammation, body problems, and a general unwell feeling. Some people are skeptical of the whole chakra/Indian subcontinent body philosophy, which is fine, so you can just look at it as a power nap that is guided. If you’re into the whole crunchy, mystical, eastern system, you can delve into that, too. It’s a flexible enough system. Eastern practices have much to offer the West, and vice-versa.” Yoga mats are provided for comfort, if you prefer to explore your own, we recommend this one.
Holistic Health
“Chef Becky knows that eating well is only part of the equation: you should keep your body limber, balanced, and strong, and the sound baths are great for mental health. Chef Becky approaches individuals and communities holistically, and genuinely cares,” Kate notes. Want to learn more about the Practice of Mindfulness? Check out our choice for a good read here.
As Nietzsche said, life would be unbearable without music. Music is a big part of being human, and sound bath tones are here for you!
Any questions? Contact: inquiries@bexkitchen.com
