Time Out Talks: 3 Healers of Shanghai on Holistic Health

My journey began at Just Yoga Shala, where I was exploring ancient practices to deepen my understanding of yoga.

The resonance of sound, particularly through Nada Yoga, captivated me with its ability to bring immediate calm and clarity. I realised that sounds have a unique power.

Witnessing its transformative effects on my students. After incorporating Tibetan singing bowls and Vedic chants into my classes, I observed how sounds did more than deepen their yoga practice; they also help them to manage stress and find emotional balance. I merge ancient techniques with modern wellness needs, and am making it my mission to share this powerful tool with a broader audience.

Whether it’s the release of emotional blockages or the quieting of a restless mind, the immediate and tangible effects of sound are profound. Seeing individuals leave a session feeling more centred, peaceful, and connected to their inner selves is incredibly fulfilling.

The following three, sometimes individually, sometimes combined, based on the specific needs of the session: 

- Tibetan singing bowls are ideal for grounding and balancing energy.

- Crystal bowls offer clarity and resonance that penetrate deeply into the body.

- Gongs, with their powerful vibrations, are used to stimulate profound states of meditation and release.

The instrument depends on the desired healing outcome for each individual or group. I personally resonate most with Tibetan singing bowls, which are made with Panchaloha (an alloy of five metals of sacred significance, typically used to carve idols in Hindu temples).

The mental struggle was real during Shanghai’s 60-day lockdown in 2022 and I didn’t cope well. A friend introduced me to singing bowl sound baths via Cliff Von Edge, a holistic healer in Shanghai who, at the time, was offering once-a-week, virtual meditation sessions that were open to everyone and at no charge. It was such a gift, and became the only way to quiet my mind. Discovering this form of meditative experience changed my life.

I have been hustling as a writer and editor across Shanghai’s media and bar industry for nine years. After being laid off during Covid and finally having five minutes to myself, I realised I had no hobbies or things I did for joy’s sake — I loved my job, but it was my whole life and identity, and there are other ways to live. I started my freelance career and explored hobbies while beginning to focus on my physical health and prioritising my overall wellbeing — sound healing and meditation are big parts of that for me.

With such big lifestyle changes over the past few years, my career ambitions started shifting too. Eventually I was like, ‘I love sound healing, maybe I should explore that.’ I shared this with Cliff and he offered to train me — I was very touched and honoured, as he seldom takes on students. The whole experience has been wild. It felt like a calling from the first time I struck a note, and that was both surprising and invigorating. It’s been a journey!

As a recovering workaholic, I know how difficult it can be to disconnect. I once had a yoga instructor who said at the start of class: ‘This is one hour that you’re giving only to yourself,’ and I really took it to heart. When someone does trust me with that one hour of their day, week or month, I invite them to take a leap and let go.

Singing bowl frequencies and vibrations do facilitate physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual healing, but a sound bath meditation is also a deeply relaxing experience. You might float somewhere between sleeping and waking, enter a trance-like state, or take a seriously great nap. Everyone is different, but you’ll get out of it what you need most. Surrendering is cathartic, and seeing it happen as a result of my practice is incredibly fulfilling.

I enjoy all types of sound baths but find crystal singing bowls to be the most powerful. I mean that quite literally, as in the sounds are loud, intense and penetrating — the way they resonate in a space makes you feel fully immersed in 360 degrees of sound. It’s hauntingly beautiful.

My training is in symphonic sound healing, which is a unique style. I’m still a newbie, so I keep it simple. I use my principle set of seven crystal bowls, plus Tibetan prayer bells and bamboo chimes.

There was a time when I gave away my energy freely. I had no boundaries and was easily affected by others' energy and absorb it, regardless of whether it was helpful or harmful. This drained me considerably, and made me physically and mentally ill. Burned out, I suffered from anxiety attacks, and started searching for something to strengthen my core energy. 

I learned from some women in my ‘Wolf Tribe’ course, led by my now-mentor Maria Souza, about Reiki: a palm healing, energy transfer modality. They said Reiki could replenish and restore my energy and balance any chakra (our energy centres) imbalances.

I was intrigued by the encounter with the women and began asking them more questions. One offered me a session, as she needed to practice. On a physical level, the experience was awakening — the energy sent a shock through my body, similar to shaking out a blanket. Emotionally, I also felt awakened and understood some part of myself more clearly. After, I felt rested and calm in a way I hadn't experienced in a long time. Even without fully understanding Reiki after that first encounter, I knew it was what I wanted to learn and share with others.

People often share how relaxed and calm they feel after a session. It's especially gratifying when they report gaining clarity about their life or current situations. These moments of subtle shifts are truly fulfilling.

For your information, as a reiki practitioner, I work merely as a vessel for the energy to reach you. The energy you receive comes from a universal field, so it’s not from me, nor do I take any from you. Each person’s reiki experience is different and may even differ from time to time, whatever you receive and whatever you feel is what you need in this given moment and nothing more.

Yes, it does. This is often referred to as distance healing.

When people come in person, I invite them to lie down on a massage bed. During the treatment, with the client fully clothed, I place my palms on their seven major chakras: crown (head), third eye (forehead), throat, heart (chest), solar plexus (upper abdomen), sacral (lower abdomen), and root (hips, knees, and feet).

When clients can't visit me in person, I use a doll or a cushion as a proxy. Energy is boundless — all I need is a set time, their permission, and sometimes a recent selfie to gauge their current aura and energy before I begin. If you find this concept abstract, think of it as Wi-Fi: it works without physical connection.