Post by Julie Klutinoty
Stepping into a softly lit room, I remove my shoes and place them in the cubed shelves against the wall. I reach for a blanket an eye pillow and find a space in the room that feels safe and nurturing. Once my mat is unrolled, I find my way down to the earth to prepare myself for ‘transport’. There is a beautiful flow of bodies entering the room, making their way to their chosen space. I can see the soft swaying shadows from the candles surrounding the perimeter of the room and I become aware of relaxing music playing in the background.
Most everyone is quiet and keeping to themselves though there is an unspoken acknowledgment that we are all here for the same thing, or perhaps we are all wanting to have our own unique ‘experience’. After a brief introduction from the Instructor, we are guided through small, seated movements used as a warm up to prepare our bodies to lie down for the duration of the class. We are instructed to ‘wriggle’ around and get comfortable. Blankets, cushions, bolsters and eye pillows are all used to create ease in our bodies while lying down on the wood floor.
As a class, we are encouraged to ‘set our intention’ for the Gong Sound Bath we are entering into. What wishes would we like to have granted through this Gong sound alchemy experience? As the most fundamental sound in a Universe powered by sound, What power would a piece of metal have that could call in my wishes, my intentions?
At the base of all creation is sound, music, and vibration. And, in the Universe where we live, the sound and frequency of the Gong is at its’ core. Electrical Engineer and Inventor of the early 1900’s, Nikola Tesla said, “If you want to know the secrets of the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.” A tool that can actually vibrate space, the Gong was created over 4,000 years ago. During the time of Buddha, families throughout Asia saw the gong as a status symbol. Secrets were kept, among the families, with regard to materials and craftsmanship. The gongs were hammered by hand and made from a mixture of metals; mostly copper and brass. On the authentic gongs, two Mandarin characters would be inscribed meaning, ‘happiness has arrived.’ The Family Gong secrets were held close and the Gong was considered Sacred.
Today, known for its’ use in yoga classes and classical music, the gong is gaining popularity in the West in the realm of Sound Therapy Treatment. Used to ease pain in cancer patients in hospitals, the benefits of bathing one’s self in the healing frequencies and vibrations of a Gong are expansive. When asked about the Gong, Kundalini Yoga Teacher, Harijiwan said, “The mind was created out of sound: it is like the father and the mother together.”
As more and more science supports what the ancients and mystics have been teaching for years, there is a fascination in experiencing what our Universe is capable of. Imagine being brought into this world in a bubble. All of your needs and desires are taken care of… perhaps even anticipated. So much so, that your own unique ‘thirst’ for life doesn’t have an opportunity to express itself. And the days go by and the years pass and you never really got to explore your original pulsation for life… your inquisitiveness. After a time, your signature gets buried. What lies over the top are layers upon layers of programmed thoughts and feelings.
Some of the benefits of the Gong have to do with its’ ability to raise one’s awareness and increase levels of consciousness. Studies show it takes 3 – 90 seconds for the mind to be affected by the Gong wave. Once affected, there is a ‘disturbance’ in the usual pattern and frequency. The coding and frequency holding the habits that had been inherited since birth start to break down. Imagine cracking a hard boiled egg and breaking the hardened shell off of the soft egg. By creating fractures in the established pattern, the sound frequency and vibration from the Gong allow a pathway to rebuilding one’s deep inner structure.
The inner structure that supports the framework of who an individual is. And, by virtue of the Law of Attraction, once the magnetic frequency of habitual patterns and thoughts begin to ‘crackle’ and open up… there is space for new thoughts, new choices, new feelings. This is where change happens. Shifts and changes brought about by consciously choosing new thoughts and new ways of doing things. It is possible to establish a new paradigm, a more current paradigm than the paradigms established at youth. Once that vibration becomes apparent, it attracts more of the new frequency which is more of what is desired.
Chakra Balancing, deep relaxation, mind clearing, and strengthened immune system… there is so much more to add to the list of benefits surrounding the Gong. An Indian mystic and seeker of Truth, Inayat Khan, said,” Divine Sound is the Cause of all Manifestation. The knower of the mystery of sound knows the mystery of the whole universe.”
It is not hard to grasp that the Gong can have a transformative effect on everything and everyone it reaches. It is a Divine opportunity to tune in and fine tune our inner frequency, revitalize our energy body and remove blockages. The Gong is a tool which feeds the soul and creates a song to which the body sings.
Thank you, Julie, for another excellent story.
Valentina Boonstra
