Your first sound bath

Arrive ten minutes early, take off your shoes and coat, and have a cup of herbal tea in the Den. Then go down to the studio, where your mat, bolster, blanket and eye mask are ready. The lights go low and the practitioner leads a short guided meditation, then plays: gongs, crystal and Tibetan bowls, chimes, sometimes their voice. You lie still and listen. After fifty minutes the sound fades to quiet.

No. You lie on a mat and listen. There's nothing to learn, say or join in with, and you don't need any experience.

Whatever you're comfortable lying down in. You don't need gym kit. Layers help, because you'll be still for a while; blankets are there too.

Nothing: we have everything you need. Mats, bolsters, blankets and eye masks are provided, so there's no need to bring your own yoga mat. There are pegs for coats, cubbies for shoes and lockers for valuables.

There are no changing rooms or showers, but you can change in the ground-floor toilet.

A sound bath is the easiest first class. Other classes suit a first visit too, depending on what you like; each class title says if it adds reiki, breathwork, movement or a card reading. Trying a couple is how you find out.

You don't need to believe anything. It's fifty minutes of lying down and listening to live instruments.

Not in the first trimester. After that you're welcome: tell the practitioner before the class, and take a mat at the back, a little further from the instruments.

Regular classes are for ages 16 and over. Children's classes and workshops are for ages 6 and over.

If this is your first purchase with us, your first two classes are £45 (two single classes would be £58). It's for one person, and both classes are used within a month of the first. Choose any class on the weekly schedule (workshops aren't included): press Book on a class and choose the New Client 2 Class Pack. That class is booked and the second is ready when you are. Momence, our booking system, asks you to set a password; use it to book your second class.

Yes, and they book their own place. If it's their first booking with us, they get their own two classes for £45. A pack can't be shared, because everyone signs their own waiver.

It's best to: there are fourteen mats a class, and Saturdays fill first. If there's space, you're welcome to walk in and book at the desk.

Please arrive ten minutes before the class starts, so you have time to take off your shoes and coat, have a cup of tea and settle, rather than rushing in. The door closes when the class begins, because a late arrival disturbs everyone already lying down, and nobody can come in after that. If you arrive late, it counts as a no-show: the class is used and isn't refunded. The same goes for workshops.

Most people simply lie on a mat and listen. Sound baths aren't recommended in the first trimester of pregnancy. If you have epilepsy, are sensitive to loud sound or have a medical condition you're unsure about, check with your GP before you book, and tell us when you do.

Some classes include hands-on reiki: the practitioner asks at the start if anyone would rather not be touched.

People often tell us they feel calm or a little lighter. Some feel spacey or emotional for a while, and a few cry. Nobody minds. Sit up slowly and take your time before you head out.

Then you rest. It happens often, and nobody minds.

Before you leave, if you can: with the pack, it's already paid for, and you have a month from your first class.

28 New Kings Road, London SW6 4ST, about five minutes' walk from Parsons Green station (District line). The practice room is downstairs, down a flight of stairs; if stairs are difficult, get in touch before you book. Full directions: Finding the studio.

Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the shop, and reception will look after them while you're in class. Pets can't come into the studio.

We're cash free: you pay by card, online or at the desk.

Yes, if it is 12 hours or more before the class. Sign in on Momence with the email and password you made when you paid, and cancel the class: you get it back to book another day (no money back). If you cancel later, or you don't come, you lose the class. Workshops can't be refunded. If we ever cancel a class, it goes back on your account.

We describe what happens and let people say how they found it; for what research has looked at, read our journal piece.