What is a Gong Bath?
What is a Gong Bath (meditation)? And What does a Gong Bath do? These are also called Sound Baths. This must be one of the most frequently asked questions. Arrive at least 15mins before the start of the session, some people bring their beds! you need something soft to lay on, or a chair that reclines, blanket and pillow. The gongs start off producing sounds which increase, change and alter throughout the session. There is no exercise involved, you just lay down and let the gong vibrations wash over you. It is the easiest way to get into meditation. The gongs will play for about 50 mins and then a few different grounding sounds take place such as bamboo and chimes and then silence…….
I advise people to drink water and just to ground themselves and check into what has gone on within the session for them.
There are many different players out there, the gong can be used in many ways. I use it in a Psychotherapeutic way and so tend to focus on creating entrainment to produce sound frequencies that people have affect from and noticeable change. I think people are becoming aware of the power of sound, voice work, drumming work…. a great tool for being in the here and now, there are noticeable changes to how people are feeling.
There are times when the gongs are not suitable for people such as people that are very sensitive to noise and people who have experienced certain types of trauma (e.g. war veterans, war victims etc) this is in group sessions. In one on one sessions dramatic advances can be made with the gongs in helping acknowledge the core essence and vital information for a person to move from a traumatic loop cycle to one of acknowledged here and now. Please contact me for more information for Psychotheraputic work with the gong.
Also if you are in your first trimester of pregnancy it is advised to not partake in sound therapy.
What does a Gong Bath do?
Gong Therapy is a natural, non invasive, drug free therapy that omits extremely low frequency acoustically (ELF) which permeates the body and has been reported to create a natural pain relief process. Clients do not have to do anything just lay down or sit and absorb the soothing ELF acoustic waves. ELF’s are usually below the human threshold of hearing. Animals also benefit from the gong, I do animal group sessions and also individual sessions for pet and owner.
When the gongs play together they entrain creating a third sound, our brains are aware of this third sound even if we cannot hear it. Our body cells take this in and it can be felt as vibration, pulsed rhythm. It was discovered by Sharry Edwards under laboratory conditions that an ELF of 10 Hz has the effect of lowering blood pressure and we can speculate with info coming from Gong clients that other ELF’s no doubt have similar physical results for pain relief and affect on body and brain.
it is a fact that if we produce ELF’s which are in the range of 4 to 13Hz, we are making sounds which help to induce a natural state of mediation on the listener. ELF’s of between 8 and 13Hz will produce alpha brainwaves, and ELF’s of 4 to 7Hz will produce mainly theta brainwaves. Lower ELF’s of 1 to 3Hz are likely to induce sleep (Delta brainwaves) so the above is what the Gongs do when the entrainment process begins.
Gongs at Poole Pain Clinic
How that happened was a regular gong bath person had gone into Poole Pain clinic and told them that after trying everything for 4 years that she had stumbled upon something that had given her pain relief. So the department had called me up and wanted to find out more. I had the whole of the Pain clinic department experiencing a Gong Session.
what the clients say: People that have come to the Gong Sessions have reported reduced inflammation and improved circulation. People with sciatica pain, joint pain, rheumatoid/osteoarthritis, cardio-vascular problems, migraines, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and many other pain related problems have been reported to improve after a Gong Bath.
What was noticed
Clients noticed that during the session the area of pain or injury was noticed, in some cases got quite uncomfortable “but just like a switch” one lady said, “Pain left my body, not for good but the longest amount of time in 4 years”. Fibromyalgia clients noticed that there was a considerable change in pain symptoms after the session and for the following days.
CD’s and Downloads of a Gong Bath
You can buy CDs and downloads of my gong baths in my shop. Just put on your head phones, put a do not disturb sign on the door and have an hour of DIY sounds. This is never as good as the real thing but sure will do the trick if you body has experienced the sounds of Gongs and has muscle memory of them.