The Bathers: Vol. 02 Meiyan — Capybara Bathing Singapore
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
The Bathers: Vol. 02
Meiyan Cheong-Lawrence — Capybara Bathing Singapore
For Meiyan, ritual is not separate from her work - it is the work. As Capybara Bathing Singapore's Studio Manager and a facilitator of both sound bathing and Aufguss, her practice sits at the intersection of movement, music, heat, and stillness. A space where sensory elements are not just experienced, but carefully composed.
Between sessions, you’ll often find her moving through the bathhouse herself. Soaking, plunging, and returning to the rhythm she guides others through.
“If I’m soaking in the morning, I’ll end with a cold plunge - it helps me stay alert and present. If it’s the end of the day, I spend more time in the hot mineral pool, then head to the lounge to read before ending my session.”
For Meiyan, these transitions are both physical and internal. A shift from outward energy to inward awareness, marked as much by atmosphere as by action. The darker, quieter space signals a slowing - a cue to turn inward. Her ritual adapts to the time of day: cold to awaken, heat to soften, stillness to close.
I see both sound bathing and Aufguss as a way of guiding people to a state of peace. Sometimes silence can feel difficult, so having something to focus on - sound, scent, breath - makes it easier to arrive.
At Capybara Bathing, Meiyan approaches both sound bathing and Aufguss as forms of meditation. Practices that offer structure, but lead toward ease.
Drawing from yoga philosophy, her sessions move through a quiet progression, from concentration into effortlessness. Within a communal bathhouse, this creates a shared shift. Guests begin to move slower. To stay in stillness longer. To linger between moments, rather than rushing through them.
That contrast - from activity to rest - becomes part of the experience itself.
Each session is built through layers of sound, scent, rhythm, and heat.
In Aufguss, music and essential oils rise and fall with intention, guiding the energy of the room. In sound bathing, instruments follow a similar arc - from sustained tones into melody, before returning to stillness. “I’ve always worked with music in a really intentional way, matching it to movement and energy. I do the same with Aufguss now. Each song represents a different phase of the experience.”
Her background in movement and performance is felt in this sequencing. Where sound and heat are not just experienced, but carefully timed.
While each session is structured, it remains responsive. Meiyan works closely with the room - observing breath, movement, and energy, and adjusting accordingly. The experience is never fixed, but shaped in real time.
The role of the facilitator becomes one of holding space - creating an environment where each person can arrive in their own way, and feel safe, seen, and grounded.
Over time, the sessions Meiyan holds for others have become her own ritual in return. Something that supports not just the guests, but the team behind the space.
“These weekly practice sessions have actually become a ritual for me. Since I am Capy’s Studio Manager, I oversee the front of house, guest experience and feedback, and work closely with our Singapore owners and Sydney partners to ensure everything runs smoothly. Like any other job in Singapore, it gets stressful at times, but each session I guide leaves me feeling refreshed and renewed with purpose. I remind our team to also make time for their own soaks and personal rituals - because it is what has helped keep us in our best state of mind: productive, but also clear and grounded.”
When asked where she would take her practice, Meiyan speaks not just of place, but of feeling drawn to landscapes shaped by water, heat, and time.
“There’s this book in our lounge - Thermal by Lindsey Bro - and during our pre-opening phase I was drawn to it when we were setting up the studio. It’s got the most beautiful pictures and writeups of saunas, hot springs and baths all around the world. One that really stuck with me was Grutas de Tolantongo in Mexico, which is a stunning collection of natural hot springs, caves, and waterfalls, and a beautiful blue river. It would be a dream to host a sound bath there.
The Capy team knows I’m not great with long travel, though, so to be able to lead these experiences in such a unique setting in Singapore is something I’m really grateful for. It’s the most meaningful culmination of all my past work experiences and passions, and I truly believe in this experience.”
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