Gong Therapy: “massage” for the times we live in

As we slowly transition from quarantine, you may be considering wellness treatments but still want to practice social distancing. You’re not alone. High-end spas are already beginning to offer gong sound therapy to meet the needs of their clients. With a sound massage, there is no physical contact between the practitioner and the client. You are only touched by the vibration of the gong. It can also be offered outdoors.

Regardless of your fitness level or flexibility, this zero-effort approach simply requires you to lie or sit down and allow the vibrations of the gong to wash over your skin and into your body. As you allow control of your mind to soften during a session, the gong is also a supportive way to be more present in the moment. As your mind quiets, you can more easily become aware of your thoughts and the energy in your body.

Although you can always just come down on your mat or chair and tune in to the gong, did you know that you can deepen your experience and take it the next level?

Secrets to a Deeper Gong Session

Intention - thoughts have vibration. So before the gong is played, silently repeat an affirmation 3 times to yourself to release the intention into the room. An affirmation is a simple and effective tool to change negative self-talk. One example would be to complete the sentence, “I am” with whatever state of mind you want to shift towards - happy, successful, content, etc.

Mudras - there are thousands of mudras. The most common one to any yogi or yogini is gyan mudra. Touch the tip of the index finger to the tip of the thumb with about 2 pounds of pressure and rest hands at your side.  This mudra is very supportive of the nervous system and reduces mental tension. 

Pranayam - Ratio breathing can help either elevate your mood or  bring deeper relaxation. For a more calming experience, exhale longer than you inhale. Silently count from 1 to 4 on your inhale and from 8 to 1 on your exhale. 

Eye Focus - most of us just close our eyes during a gong session. Focusing on a drishti/meditation point, directs prana/energy to that part of yourself. Focus at the brow point, for example, supports increased intuition as the optic nerves cross over the pituitary gland. 

Mantra - if you are working with a particular mantra as part of your regular meditation practice, you can mentally vibrate it during your gong session by silently chanting it. You can also apply one of the bija mantras for the 7 chakras  (Lam, Vam, Ram, Yam, Ham, Ksham, Om in ascending order).

Next Steps

So next time you try gong sound meditation, apply one of these 5 techniques to deepen the benefit of your session. Start slowly and apply one technique at a time. You don’t want to defeat the purpose of the experience by concentrating on too many things at once. The goal is for you to clear your mind and help you feel restored. If you journal, take note of your experience so that as you continue to explore the different techniques in future classes, you will begin to increase your sense of self awareness and self-care.  

Always remember that moving energy is an opportunity to release something that doesn’t serve you. Be compassionate with yourself. Also have your support system available so if a memory or nagging thought comes up, even days later, you are well supported to process and release it.