Some evenings leave a lasting impression. And this one, under the stars in a geodesic dome, was one of them. Over the past two weeks, we’ve found ourselves drawn again and again to sound baths. Not for the novelty, but because each one seems to offer something slightly different, slightly deeper.
This latest experience brought us to a familiar and beloved place: Butterfly Mountain.
A Special Place in Topanga
Butterfly Mountain is a retreat center tucked into the folds of Topanga Canyon. It’s of those places that feels like it holds its own frequency. We’ve been before, and it always leaves an imprint.
Unlike the more private retreat setting we live in, Butterfly Mountain hosts regular public events. These open-hearted gatherings center around healing, music, and cultural connection. Their Mother Earth Day celebration earlier this year was a highlight of our season: a beautiful weaving of indigenous practices, live music, and community intention-setting.
The Dome, the Sound, and the Stars
This sound bath was held in their geodesic dome, a sacred-feeling space that naturally amplifies acoustics and energy. But what made this one truly unique was the number of sound practitioners. There were over a dozen—from crystal bowl players to harpists, didgeridoo players, vocalists, and chime artists. Each brought a different energy, texture, and tradition to the experience.
The setup was immersive. There were nearly as many facilitators as there were participants. Katy and I were nestled into a corner with four sound healers directly adjacent to us. The harp player, whose gentle playing felt like wind moving through a forest, was stationed just behind our heads.
As we laid back and looked up through the transparent panels of the dome, stars scattered across the night sky above us. The air was crisp. The sounds rippled. And for a while, it felt like we were floating in some other layer of reality, one stitched together with sound and stillness.
A Portal Between Seasons
Beyond relaxation, there was something symbolic about the experience. It felt like a portal. A ceremonial threshold between summer and fall.
You could feel it in the air. The warmth of the day fading into a cooler breeze. The music mirroring the shift: from vibrant and celebratory to soft, inward, and reflective.
That night helped us tune into the subtle signals nature always offers, if we’re quiet enough to notice. The early darkening of the sky, the scent of dry leaves, the slower rhythm that calls us inward.
Tuning Ourselves to the Moment
There’s something about sound baths that gently disarms the thinking mind. You don’t have to try. You just have to be still. Let the sound carry you.
We’re carrying the resonance of that night with us. Still vibrating in our cells, still remembering to listen.
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