Maggie Lile, features editor

Two weeks ago, when walking through the dimly lit halls of Foss, you might have come across a peculiar scene; behind the closed doors of the chapel, students were scattered throughout the space, lying down on the ground with their eyes closed as an ambient sound filled the room. While it may seem odd from the outside, these students were actually participating in a sound healing event offered through the Center for Wellness and Counseling (CWC). 

“Sound healing is a mindfulness and meditative experience that utilizes carefully crafted rhythms and sounds designed to promote connection to the body, present focus, and relaxation,” said Dr. Ellie Olson, the director of the CWC, in an interview. Hoping to offer an opportunity to promote self-connection and wellness support outside of a therapist’s office, Olson added that sound healing encourages students to be in the present and disconnect from our thoughts, our phones, the past and the future, saying, “This is designed to pull us out of that and into the present.”

The sound healing session was conducted by a musician and Buddhist practitioner, Marc Anderson. With a lot of experience in his craft, Anderson uses rhythm bowls, wind chimes and a few other percussive instruments to create the sound healing. He connected with the CWC back in 2023 in hopes of expanding his outreach, with a goal of connecting young people, especially students, to meditation and other mindfulness practices. Olson responded positively to his outreach, adding that “these events were a great fit with my goal to bring a variety of healing and wellness practices to our campus.” 

After about half an hour of the sound healing event, a free dinner was also offered to the students. The table was decorated with an array of options from a local Indian restaurant, Spice and Tonic. “Sharing a meal together is a connecting and community-building experience,” Olson stated. “I think there is value in connecting students to culturally and ethnically diverse dining options. Given that sound healing is a non-western approach to health and wellness, we wanted to offer exposure to non-American food options as well,” she added, further emphasizing the importance of diverse experiences and approaches to self-care.

Has this event piqued your interest? Then you’re in luck! The CWC plans to host another sound healing event later on in the semester, which is planned to be in November. Keep an eye out for the date, as it is not 100% set in stone yet. In the spring semester, the CWC hopes to host a few more sound healing events. The CWC Instagram page, Auggie Life, and the A-mail will include information about these upcoming events. “Most students who attend really enjoy it and report feeling more relaxed and centered than they have felt in a long time,” Olson said. “We hope more students will join us at future offerings!”