Sound Mind, Sound Body: My Collaboration with ASICS
The Handpan is the back up to the bowls, if the bowls don’t do it, the handpan certainly will.
Full Circle with ASICS
When I first got the email to see if I would be up for hosting some sound baths at Ducie Street Warehouse for ASICS. It was an instant yes.
Why? Because I know their philosophy, their philosophy always spoke volumes to me. Back in 2017 I actually produced a sound scape for Manchester creative Ste Wing on behalf of ASICS. Strangely enough, that small project actually helped me understand the importance of branding and scoring a sound scape to match powerful visuals was really fun.
So to be back full circle now in a sound bath capacity was perfect alignment for me. When these opportunities present themselves, I am always grateful because it shows you how aligned you are on your path, when things come to you and offer no resistance, this is the way to move without hesitation.
Sound Minds - Two brands align
Creating Stillness in the Heart of Manchester
As I approached Ducie Street Warehouse, I realised it appeared to be somewhere I had not been yet. As I walked in, I instantly loved the vibe. It looked like it would be a great place to grab a coffee and do some remote work from. I could see the Asics banners in the distance and headed over to introduce myself. The team were all very welcoming, I know how much effort goes into events like this, having experience in the fashion space, so it was great to be a part of it from the wellness perspective. The events room in which I was going to be hosting the sound baths over the next two days was beautiful. The aesthetic of that place is amazing. They also had a private cinema room which Asics had hired out and I couldn’t believe how quiet it was in there compared to the main area just on the other side of the door. Asics really chose a great venue for their event, all I had to do is set up and create a space and deliver 4 amazing sound bath sessions over two days, to around 80 people.
I’m not just saying it, that is one comfy trainer
Sound, Movement and Mindfulness | A Collaboration That Makes Sense
The slogan of Asics is Sound Mind, Sound Body
The slogan of Life Is Sound is Sound Mind, Sound Life, Sound You
So this just made total sense.
The plan was to have two groups each day do a sound bath and a run both in alternate order. The first sound bath group certainly drew the short straw as I certainly would not want to run after a Life Is Sound sound bath. I could definitely tell the second group in the afternoon had been on a run first, they were super chilled out by the end of the sound bath. The great thing was all 4 groups had never experienced a sound bath before. I love it when this happens, because you can see the skepticism on some peoples faces. There is a different feeling in the air when people haven’t booked onto your own event because they want to come to a sound bath. It is the unexpected, not quite sure what is about to happen. A slight nervous energy. I had to remember that everyone was not familiar with sound bath protocols like simply laying down on their mats, so I gently guided each group to get comfortable on their mats, before I began to guide each session.
On the second day it was majority male, probably the most men I have ever seen in a sound bath to be fair. This is a rare opportunity for me and the response was great. Men can often have a resistance to this space, whether they don’t want to be vulnerable in front of other people and get too relaxed, it is a common theme I witnessed time and time again. It is typically a 90-10% female to male, ratio at my sound bath sessions in Manchester. The great thing was at the end of each session seeing how long it took people to come back round and hear the “wows” from the participants. Their first experience, one thing I know for sure is I will deliver a solid experience for them.
The Trainer That Carries Intention | ASICS Gel-Kayano 32
The Kayano 32
When I started to set up my equipment I was also kindly gifted a pair of the Asics Kayano 32’s, and wow, they are comfortable. I instantly wanted to spray some protection on them with the light colour way, but for the next two days I really got to get a feel of them. Their cushioning is great and the fabric of the trainer, you can tell, is high quality. (I am not being paid to say this, by the way.) It is definitely a trainer I would work out in or use for some treadmill work. They also really work for the wellness aesthetic, I caught myself thinking, this could be my new sound bath trainer. They are very comfortable and you can see how much design and effort has gone not only into the shoe but the overall ethos of the Asics brand.
Taking Wellness Further, One Step at a Time
When a brand is interested in a wellness integration into their event day, it should be taken seriously, not just a cliché tick box to appear as though they care about people. It should be met with great research and alignment with their brand and their ethos. Asics did just that. They enabled 80+ people to engage in a wellness experience that they had never experienced before in their own lives.
Sound Mind, Sound Body - The Asics Way
Everyone could understand the idea of pushing their bodies physically, but were only just arriving at truly relaxing their minds, which in turn helps the body repair on a cellular level. It was great to see the runners with smartwatches comparing what their heart rates dropped to during the sound bath. I said, “Hey, this is the type of research I could actually use.” They were all smiles. It was great to see how they navigated a new experience by integrating their regular exercise tools as a point of reference.
The wellness world is many things. As we integrate various modalities into the equation, it only elevates us in other areas. So not only is a day like this beneficial to the participants, it really does help push wellness forward in new ways and makes sessions such as mine accessible to people who may not have tried it otherwise. This is how we keep pushing the status quo outside of conventional norms of how the wellness space has to operate.
A sound bath doesn’t need rituals or spiritual symbolism to have an impact. While those elements can hold meaning for some, sound alone carries enough power to shift something within. When it is shared with care and intention, it becomes accessible to anyone. That is where the magic is, creating a space where all are welcome and stillness speaks for itself.
Singing Bowls filling the beautiful space at Ducie Street Warehouse
Redefining Wellness in Real Time
There are always the doubters, people’s faces and energy will tell you that they have already made their minds up that this is not for them. Truth is some people may have already made their minds up on me, the way I look, the way I talk, I wouldn’t say I am your typical sound bath archetype. I welcome this, because it is always about the sound, to which I am a conveyor, I am not a healer, that is the job of the sound, frequency, vibration at its finest. I am a guide, as simple as that. I guide you through a session of deep relaxation and slowly bring you back to your body in a safe way.
I have probably served coming up to around 1,500 people in the past 18 months and it never gets tiring to see a newcomer, gently waking up, trying to make sense of the level of relaxation they gracefully managed to drop into, especially if they were sceptical to begin with.
I truly hope everyone who attended the Asics event had a great time, I know I did with a great team. Thank you to Fergus from We Are Blood for making this a reality for me, you can check out their branded creative work here. http://www.weareblood.co.uk/
Collaborate with Purpose | Partnering with Life Is Sound
Having stepped into this space and truly enjoyed the experience, if you feel your brand aligns with what we are building at Life Is Sound, I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch, and let’s explore how we could create something meaningful together.
This collaboration was more than just a wellness session. It was a moment to connect, to reflect, and to share something real with others.
I managed to capture some moments from the two days. If you would like to watch, click the YouTube video below. And if you want to go one step further, show some love and hit that subscribe button over on our channel.
I’m so glad you found your way here. And if you’ve been part of the journey for a while, you already know… the best is always yet to come.
We’ll be returning to Victoria Baths for a few more magical sessions this summer before we move into the next season of sound. You can check upcoming dates and secure your place here:
I also captured some of the handpan moments from Manchester Cathedral, which you can watch below if you want to revisit that feeling or experience it for the first time, you will also find all my other handpan recordings here.
🎥 Watch the Handpan Performance
If you're drawn to take the practice deeper…
Try the Life Is Sound Daily Wellness Journal, available at all events and online. It's a powerful companion to the work we do in each session:
And if you're interested in future events, behind-the-scenes content, and reflections like this one…
Thank you again for being here, it means more than you know.
With deep gratitude,
James
Life Is Sound
