If you get the chance to experience a gong bath, take it! You’ll be amazed by the wonderful feelings of relaxation gained by immersing yourself in the musical vibrations of the gong. Many people report feelings of well-being that last for several days after their treatment. Some people fall asleep during the session, and almost everyone reports feeling completely freed from tension and anxiety. The soothing, healing effects of sound immersion like this cannot be underestimated.
A gong bath provides you with a total immersion in a “bath” of sound. The vibrations travel all around and through you. In effect, the sound waves literally block all other feelings and thoughts, inducing a deep and healthy state of total relaxation on a physical and emotional level. The sound waves create a resonance in the body that is beneficial for a whole host of conditions and problems.
We tend to regard stress as a modern phenomenon, but this is perhaps misleading. Our predecessors experienced many of the situations that we now label as “stressful” such as the loss of a loved one, the prospect of food shortages as well as dangers and threats of a physical kind. They naturally made use of anything available to them to alleviate discomfort and pain, including sound. The human voice is a powerful, versatile tool, while music of varying types can lift the spirits. Sound is also a way of building community. The gong bath is simply another kind of music. However, because you undertake it consciously, it becomes a more powerful tool for altering your mood or state of consciousness.
Typically, a gong bath entails being pampered and cosseted! You lie down or sit on a chair during the treatment, and may have blankets, pillows and eye masks to help you feel warm and comfortable. All you need to do is be open to the experience and let the sounds wash over and through you. Visualising a positive outcome will definitely enhance the experience, and allowing yourself to let go, relax and enjoy it will ensure that you reap maximum benefits.
In the West, these days, we are almost conditioned to believe that unless something hurts us, or causes fear and discomfort, it cannot be effective. Remember the old saying about the taste of medicine? The nastier it is the more good it is doing you? No doubt that belief served its purpose for a time, but a bit of common sense to see that shows it must actually be nonsense. A gong bath makes you feel wonderful and can achieve truly wonderful things for you if you let it! Give it a try and I guarantee you’ll be back for more.