A Preston yogi has launched a unique soundbath experience in the city centre.
Emma Lowther-Wright has created what’s thought to be England’s only dedicated sound lounge of its kind at The Mandala Preston.
It’s the latest milestone in the years-long transformation of the city centre space from a simple yoga studio to a hub of wellbeing and community.
At the heart of it all is Yorkshire-born Emma, who has put her heart and soul into revamping both the building and the services within it.
We caught up with Emma, 48, for a tour of the studio and to find out more.
“We knocked down walls, redid the bathrooms, stripped things out and then changed our minds – and then we’ve gone again,” says Emma. “It was just about making the space really work for the community, you know, making it feel right.”
The pandemic provided the opportunity to refurbish the studio, but work continued until this year. “It has gone quite smoothly overall, but there have been times where we’d uncover one problem and realise there was a bigger job underneath.”
As we sit on the sound lounge’s recliners, gentle music plays in the background. The calm surroundings are inspired by the Integratron in the Mojave Desert, where Emma first experienced a soundbath. “I can’t bring the desert, but I can bring in the desert vibe,” she says.
Key to the sound lounge are the singing bowls, which are used to ‘bathe’ attendees in sound. Each bowl produces a pure tone, played at different musical intervals used to create specific emotional and physical effects.
Emma explains why she created the space, which is one of only a handful in the world designed this way. “For most soundbaths, people lie on the floor. That doesn’t work for everyone, whereas the recliners are accessible and just super comfy. And being in this room as well, it feels like a little cocoon.”
With just ten recliners in the space, it makes for an exclusive experience. “We have tea, chocolate and a chat after each soundbath, and it feels so cosy with the small group.”
So what are the benefits of a soundbath?
“As adults, we tend to either be alert or asleep. Even when people have downtime, they’re often scrolling on their phones – rarely completely relaxing and just being. A soundbath takes you into a theta brainwave state, which is an awake dream-like state. Your whole body and mind are really relaxed, but you’re aware of it. It’s weird and beautiful.”
Emma says, aches, pains and anxieties slow down, and that it’s like “putting the brake on in the car.” From that place of relaxation and safety, we can access intuition, creativity, and problem-solving – something Emma has experienced first-hand.
“It was actually during my training with the British Academy of Sound Therapy that I finally broke through my fear of quitting my corporate job. It gave me clarity – the fear I had wasn’t founded in reality, it was just one of society’s stories.”
Upstair is another innovative offering: aerial soundbaths. “The idea came from my aerial yoga students who had been to the traditional soundbaths and thought it would be a nice crossover. Basically they just want an excuse to lie in a hammock for an hour!”
The Mandala also offers a range of other services. There’s various styles of yoga, of course, including the free 18-week course of yoga for chronic conditions, a massage nest, counsellors based on site, and a monthly drum circle (“we don’t teach people to drum because we know how to drum – it’s about connection”). Prana breathwork classes are also on the way.
Several free offerings extend beyond the studio, including a meditative arts and crafts class designed for contentment not competition, trauma-sensitive massage at The Foxton Centre, and yoga at the women’s support service, Sahara Project.
Emma’s dedication to the community hasn’t gone unnoticed. She’s a finalist in the Health & Fitness category of the national SheInspires Awards, in recognition of her work inspiring people to prioritise their physical and mental health and for widening access to yoga and creative wellbeing.
Class attendees travel from near and far to practice yoga with Emma, who trained under Sting and Trudie Styler’s teachers, John Scott and Lucy Crawford. “Because I’m an Ashtanga lineage teacher, and there aren’t very many of us, people come from Morecambe, Lancaster, Cheshire, and Yorkshire. We also have students popping in between trips to countries such as Japan, Bahrain and Canada.
Emma always encourages visitors to explore the city. “Preston’s got that lovely multicultural vibe, and The Mandala reflects that, which I feel is wonderful. I give people little recommendations of what to do for the day. I send them off into the city for lunch and dinner.”
Thought originally from Leeds, Emma has made Preston home. “I always thought my husband and I would move back there or maybe go to Manchester or Liverpool, but we stayed. It’s just such a vibrant place, isn’t it?
“People often think the grass is greener elsewhere – you know, busier or wealthier places – but I love the mix of nature and culture in the city. Combined with the people and sense of community, you can’t beat it.”
Emma has plenty of recommendations that she’s eager to share. “I’m a huge music fan, and I love going to gigs at the likes of The Ferret, Vinyl Tap and Chew’s Yard. I’ve been visiting Action Records since I was 12, and Gordon still looks after me.
“I sent one of my students to Thai Orchid. She’s travelled all over the world, but said it was the best food she’s ever eaten. She booked to go again a couple of days later! Then there’s NIKO, I cannot go home on a night out without going there. It’s their wine, the people, the vibe, it’s just feels good. And that’s the thing, isn’t it? Places feel good in Preston.”
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Emma is certainly doing her part to make that true. For anyone considering a visit to The Mandala, she has this advice: “Come, know that you’ll be warmly welcomed. It’s a really gentle experience, all self-care and self-knowing.”
As one soundbath attendee once told her: “I always leave feeling at peace with the world.”
To find out more, visit The Mandala Preston website.
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