it seems to be the new craze to zen out at a sound healing ceremony. what does it mean to zen out and how does sound healing accomplish this? surprising to most people, there is more science behind sound healing than meets the eye. sound healer and yoga teacher nina gan breaks down her thoughts about sound healing and specifically the power of the gong.
what is the role of the gong in a sound healing ceremony?
for me the gong is the power, the main instrument, it envelopes the body mind and spirit transporting you on a journey that allows you to access deeper states of consciousness.
what other instruments do you use and why?
i use singing bowls and crystal bowls to begin the soundscape and sometimes also a tongue drum, rain stick, ocean drum, rattles and chimes after the gong to lift the client out of the deep state produced by the gong
how does the sound healer curate a journey from beginning to end? in terms of what instruments do you use to start, during the crescendo and near the end? do they serve a different purpose?
when clients come to a session they are very much alert and possibly tense and to expect them to lie down and instantly be in a place to receive and relax is unreasonable. so i like to do an exercise to loosen up the body physically and then some breathing to slow down the right hand side of the brain, slow down the thoughts so they are more responsive to allowing rather than doing.
i play the crystal or singing bowls whilst encouraging them to relax physically, the direct clean sounds start to ease the mind out of the beta level and whilst the mind may still be active and questioning the sounds slowly start to unwind the thoughts, i would say it's preparing the mind and body for the gong.
after the gong and a bit of silence, i will gently introduce either a gentle circling on the crystal bowl or the way was tube or tongue drum to slowly lift the client out of the deep state induced by the gong and follow up with the rattle, rainstick or ocean drum to further raise up the level of consciousness for a few minutes.
finally, i finish with the chimes because the pure crystal tones are so light and uplifting that it's the perfect way to finish and the client is then prepared to be brought back.
so the bowls are the gentle introduction to the soundscape, the flumes on the gong introduce the sounds of the gong without being overpowering, then the gentle low beat or drone with the mallets on the gong slow down the brainwaves and slowly open the gongs to release the various harmonics and tones, bringing you down into a deep relaxing state.
why curate sound healing under different moons or equinoxes or holidays?
the various moon phases have an effect on most of us, especially women, as our emotions are heightened and it can lead to hyper sensitivity. a sound bath can help balance emotions and bring the body and mind back to its natural state of harmony. certainly everything is heightened at these times so the sound experience is also intensified .
are there any extra bits included in a sound healing ceremony? why do you include those particular elements?
as i've mentioned, for me, connecting with the body is important and so i like to do a bit of physical movement and breath work because apart from easing out tension they make you connect your mind to your body and vice a versa, and quite often these two are very disconnected!
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