Tech workers in San Francisco are turning to meditative 'sound baths' to unplug — here's what it's like by Melia Robinson on Feb 6, 2018, 12:45 PM Advertisement
 In San Francisco, seas of people staring down at their phones are as much a fixture of the city as trolley cars and fog. But a few nights out of the year, 1,300 people put away their digital devices and sprawl across the floor of Grace Cathedral church for a meditative "sound bath." The crowd lies on yoga mats and blankets, as a small orchestra of instruments — gongs, crystal bowls, a harp, and a didgeridoo — provides a 90-minute soundtrack for meditation. The idea is that the sounds give participants something to focus on, allowing any racing thoughts to peter out. Sound Meditation SF has organized six events in the city since 2016, and each sold out. I recently attended a Sound Healing Symphony, organized by Sound Meditation SF, to see what the buzz is about. Here's what it was like. SEE ALSO: I tried 'forest bathing' — the Japanese ritual that science suggests could reduce stress I don't practice meditation regularly. I don't even have Headspace on my phone.  My colleague, Rich Feloni, tried Headspace, the meditation app loved by Wall Streeters and Olympic athletes, daily for the eight months, and now he "can't imagine life without it" »
But I arrived at Grace Cathedral on a Friday night with an open mind. Simona Asinovski, a former tech worker and cofounder of Sound Meditation SF, told me not to be intimidated.  Asinovski said she practiced yoga for at least six years before she was able to meditate for even 10 minutes. "Meditation is very challenging," Asinovski said. "It's just fundamentally hard to be still and be present with what is — which is usually a lot of stuff."
But a sound meditation helps beginners tap into a meditative state by allowing them to focus on the music instead of the "little stories that we tell ourselves," Asinovski said. 
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