" The Gong is the spirit song. It is the primal whisper of the soul. Its sounds are the echo of the Original Word that created the world, the sound within all sounds. Listen with outer and inner ears.
Feel its pulsations and let the millions of vibrations dance and flow through your senses. You will become fearless, relaxed and awakened.
The ancients sought this experience on the tops of mountains and at the sacred places. The voice of God would thunder in, spectacular strokes of lightning.
The clap of thunder (...) stopped all thought, stripped away pretense, shook loose the deepest fears, and rejuvenated the nervous system.
It created strength, peace and healing.
The Gong is that sound. It is the flash of inner light.
The mallet is the will of the infinite, the gong, the creation, and the sound is the spirit song, the heartbeat of the soul."
Yogi Bhajan, Master of Kundalini Yoga
"Sound will be the future of medicine." Edgar Cayce
An ancient art for the modern world
Many spiritual traditions speak of sound as the primary creative impulse behind the organisation of particles into matter. “In the beginning was The Word”, is the opening statement of probably the best known example in the West. More recent scientific studies (especially those exploring Cymatics*) have confirmed that idea by proving that sound is capable of producing structured geometric shapes that resemble organisms found in nature.
For thousands of years , spiritual practices around the world have tapped into the principle of sound as a tool to stimulate healing of the body, mind, and spirit.
Today, healing with gongs is an ancient art reinvented for the modern world.
Most people now know that the human body is up to 70% water: the image on the left demonstrates the effect on water of sound vibrating at 432hz.
What to expect from a Gong Bath/ Sound Massage
“It was a great experience which Alicia facilitated with her heart. It was deep, relaxing, relevant and nurturing – and being surrounded and engulfed by the sea sound of the Gong had an extraordinary lasting impact that bought me closer to myself. Highly recommended!” Doug Manuel, Director, Sewa Beats
The sound of the gong is primordial. During a Gong Bath, sounds can be as quiet as a whisper or a roar of intense, primal power that can be felt by the recipient travelling in and around the body. The constantly shifting frequencies and rhythms of the gong rapidly lead the brain into a deeply meditative state, and are said to stimulate cellular and emotional healing by releasing stresses caused by trauma, illness or unsupportive lifestyles.
All that is required to take part in a Gong Bath (also known as a Sound Massage or Sound Meditation), is to show up, lie down, and relax! Occasionally, people report having seen colours when they close their eyes; others feel the vibrations of the gong travelling around the body, and some feel their connection to the Cosmos. Sometimes, people relax so completely that they fall asleep! Conscious participation is not essential during a Gong Bath, though many people find that actively engaging with the process has a deeply profound effect.
Sessions usually last for one hour, during which there will be some guided meditation and other healing instruments used as well as a selection of gongs.
Why 'Earth Song' Sound Healing"?
Indigenous peoples around the world know instinctively how to live in harmony with our home planet, respecting her ebb and flow and all the creatures that share the land, water, and air. 21st Century humans, however - especially those who live in urban environments,- are more and more disconnected from nature. Earth Song Sound Healing sessions are based around the sound of the Earth gong , part of Paiste's Planet Gong ** series . Paiste's Earth gong is hand- tuned to our planets' fundamental resonant frequency, to which all humans instinctively respond - whether consciously or otherwise. By focusing on this particular gong, Earth Song Sound Healing hopes to try and restore that feeling of connection to Earth, so that nature is no longer seen as just a separate place we choose to visit , but the acknowledged source of life itself, to which we are all as inextricably linked as to our parents DNA.
"Thank you Alicia for a most enlightening experience. I felt a powerful, deep emotional resonance, the effects of which I am still experiencing hours afterwards."
About me:
The Gong Bath/Sound Massage sessions are conducted by Alicia Davies, a practising professional musician, artist and writer who was drawn to sound healing after having suffered some major life traumas of her own, and the effects of her first gong bath left no doubt that this was, indeed, ‘something else’. Feeling the vibrations of the gong travelling over her body- even at some considerable distance from the gong master - was intriguing enough to seek out further experiences of it, and ultimately, to train as a practitioner of sound healing with gongs. Alicia trained with Mark Swan, the established ‘Gong Guru’ and Kundalini Yoga master who conducted her first Gong Bath experience.
What to bring to a Gong Bath
Bring a bottle of water. Wear loose, comfortable clothes: layers are best, and bring a pillow if you think you will need it. You may also want to bring a blanket and socks, as body temperatures drop quickly when in a state of relaxation.. Yoga mats are provided at Zen Yoga:: for all other locations, please check with Alicia first.
* Cymatics: the scientific study of the geometry created by the application of sound to matter.
** Paiste Planet Gongs are hand made and tuned in Germany to produce certain root frequencies, as calculated by scientist Hans Cousto on the basis of the mass, speed of rotation, and orbit of the planetary bodies in the Solar System, including several significant moons and asteroids. The Earth gong represents our connection to our home planet, and the original, creative sound of Aum. Gong pitch: C# (136.1 Hz - 32nd octave) Rules: Earth's Yearly Seasonal Cycle Character: Midlife, grounding, balance Chakra: Heart and Throat Key Words Nature, nurturing, healing, grounding, material gain, creativity, concentration, remembrance, birth, youth, midlife, wisdom, and experience.
The blue image is a Cymatic Pentagon created by sound. Photo by Erik Larson