Close your eyes and soak up the acquistic vibrations of Tibetan Himalaya singing bowl, descending into deep, silent savasana with a supersonic state of mindfulness. It promises to heal the mind, body and soul as Samuel Mcmillan, 39, from New Zealand, teaches sound meditation to the people interested in listening to a certain kind of music, coming out with a sense of renewal, deep relaxation and oneness. 
Community recently caught up with Samuel to run a gamut over his rich journey and what inspires him to delve into the mantra of sound meditation, the new ‘it’ thing for millennials. 


Tell us about yourself.
I was born in New Zealand. I’m a graduate in psychology and religion. Initially I worked with local government in New Zealand for creating awareness about health prevention using different mediums of communication. Later on, I moved to UK for a job.
I have been living in Qatar for three years and teaching sound meditation, healing people through different music instruments.


How were you attracted towards sound meditation?
In 1998, I was working in London when I started thinking about certain sort of questions concerning the real purpose of life. Well, that led me to the concept of spirituality. I started learning about it, gradually taking an interest in yoga, meditation and sound meditation. 
One day, I was in a ‘spiritual’ shop, looking for different kind of books and CDS when I came across a CD about Himalaya singing bowl. I took the CD home and I enjoyed listening to it. Since then, the sound of the bowl has been helping me for sound meditation.


How have you learnt playing Himalaya singing bowl? Who has been your biggest inspiration?
Mostly, it has been self-learning. I watched videos on Internet and kept my self-abreast of different sound meditation techniques. For the singing bowl, I mainly followed Frank Perry, an expert in Himalaya singing bowl in UK. I got his CDs and learnt a great deal from him, watching him play. I also got a training course in sound meditation in Qatar two years ago.


How do people enjoy the sound of the singing bowl?
The listeners are fascinated by its unique sound. It gives a different kind of sensation. When you close your eyes, you hear the deep sound of the music; giving an immense pleasure and enjoyment.
The sound of the bowl is very beautiful, mystic and unworldly. Its sound is not for singing. It is personal. It transports the listeners to a totally different space, away from everyday life.


Has sound meditation changed your life in a certain way?
Absolutely, it has transformed me into a better person. I play the bowl for my meditation. It has increased my concentration level with all positive energy. I concentrate on my prayers and positive things. It is a form of stress releaser for me.


What kind of people often attends your meditation sessions?
I take regular sessions at Yama Yoga Studio every week. I also arrange meditation sessions and play music at home, when people invite me.
People from all walks of life tend to attend my sessions. Expatriates from different countries also take interest in this sort of music. Many local Qatari people also attend the sessions. People come and enjoy the music and meditation irrespective of their religion or culture.
People come to me and share their problems concerning stress and anxiety. They also tell that how the sound meditation has affected them in a better way.
Tell us about your future plans.
I will continue sharing my experience and expertise with people, helping them in with releasing stress by enjoying the music.
Recently I have shared my personal music videos on Internet for others to follow. I plan on bringing out more material on digital and in-print about sound meditation.


How do you experience life in Qatar?
I love being in Qatar. It is a beautiful place full of opportunities. It is good to see diverse cultures in the country. I also got a chance to learn more about the local culture. I am happy to meet different kind of people and have multiple experience.