Despite how long I’ve lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, I still hadn’t been to Grace Cathedral into recently.
It’s no secret that I’m a lover or music and believe in the power of music and sound for healing. If you’ve never heard of sound meditation before, think of it as a deeper meditation experience through both sound and music.
Sound Healing Symphonies at Grace Cathedral
Recently, Chase and I headed to Grace Cathedral to experience a sound healing experience. Sound Meditation San Francisco puts on concerts and performances in the area, including Grace Cathedral. If you’ve never experienced it, I’d suggest you check out their schedule of events — sound meditation and healing can be so transformative.
Inside Grace Cathedral for sound healing
Let’s face it, for thousands of years, sound has been used in ancient cultures to ease anxiety and promote a sense of well being.
And, as we’ve written about before in our review of gongs and singing bowls, cultures have used sound as a tradition in many ceremonies, whether that be religious ceremonies or traditional ones.
For centuries, music has helped yogis, meditators and practitioners more easily get into trance and meditative states.
This is one of the reasons Kirtan has become so popular — listening to chimes, gospel, harps, bells, singing bowls, chants and more can all be a gift to the Soul.
Sound Meditation SF particularly praises and follows the tradition of Nada Yoga, an ancient Indian system of philosophy, medicine and yoga that focuses on sound vibrations. So in this process, they focus on ancient Tibetan instruments, particularly gongs and crystal singing bowls.
They apparently also incorporate shamanic drums, hang drums, ocean drums, koshi chimes, tingshe chimes, harps, Native American Flutes and more.
We loved our experience at Grace Cathedral, which has such a beautiful space inside and out. They say that within an hour of sound meditation, participants can come closer to a state of peacefulness than if they were to sit for a weekend of silence.
If you’re suffering from anxiety or depression, or frankly just over stimuli from work or home life, sound meditation can be really relaxing.
Next time you’re in San Francisco, head on over to Grace Cathedral for not just sound meditation or sound healing evenings, but also for other musical artists you can hear on their premises as well.
Grace Cathedral is an Episcopal cathedral located on on Nob Hill and is the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of California.
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Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
