Taxidermy sound bath? How an unconventional idea works at the Natural History Museum

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Set us as preferred I lay on my back and stared at a bright blue painted sky, dappled with puffy clouds.As my mind drifted, the sound of a breeze, created by handheld fans, filled the room.

Then came a symphony of chimes, crystal bowls, wave drums and rain sticks.To my right, a black bear cub eyed me curiously.Soon a thunderous crescendo of gongs arose.

I looked to my left, where two endangered polar bears stood on a sheet of ice, ocean looming behind them.The noises softened and went still.With a resounding clap from participants around the room, I came back to reality.I wasn’t in a forest, nor the Arctic.

And no, I had not recently taken any psychedelic substances.I was at a sound bath in the North American Mammal Hall at L.A.’s Natural History Museum, surrounded by dioramas of taxidermy, meditative instruments and sound healers from the Oso Sound Healing Studio.Hosted earlier this month, the sound bath was the first of two events in the museum’s new Mindfulness Mornings at the Museum series, where guests can experience a meditative practice in the iconic gallery before opening hours.

A nearly sold-out yoga session led by SoulPlay Yoga will take place on Sept.13, and museum organizers hope to host more events after that, said Joel Quizon, the manager of public programs.The Natural History Museum always looks for ways to “activate the museum space,” Quizon said.

Ahead of the sound bath, Oso Sound Healing Studio founder Avery Whitmore said the unconventional space would invite a childlike energy, a deeper connection to animals and introspection.Lifestyle Inside L.A.’s new wellness trend of super restful sound baths, where the beds are plush and the snoring is a compliment.“Just seeing these older animals, it takes you into another place,” Whitmore said.

“It could invite you into a deeper meditation about...