Editor’s note: Wellness Word is an informational column which is not meant to replace a health care professional’s diagnosis, treatment or medication.
Gong as a healing instrument
By Signa Cheney
The Gong is one of human’s oldest therapeutic instruments, used in sound meditation, vibrational therapy and yoga from the distant past to the present.
Gong is known to stimulate the glandular system, strengthen the nervous system, support us to journey into our own consciousness, and open us into our psyche where inner wisdom resides.
Science shows that sound affects the cellular structure of living beings. Gongs are energy generators able to affect us on a cellular, even molecular, level. Virtually everything on Earth vibrates. The planet itself vibrates. All matter consists of atomic material, which is in constant motion.
Motion is manifested in everything within the Universe – nothing is at rest – everything moves, vibrates and circles. This motion generates frequencies which generate sound.
Everything has a sound, a vibration all its own, and the velocity or frequency of movement determines the specific sound. Sound has been proven to have tremendous influence over human functionality.
The father of Kundalini Yoga in the west, Yogi Bhajan said, “The universe is powered by sound. The gong is the basic creative sound. Out of the gong comes all music, all sound.
“The mind was created out of this sound: it is like the father and mother together. The gong is the first and last instrument for the human mind. It is the one thing that supersedes the mind.”
Gong is deeply respected medicine in many cultures. Its vibratory nature resonates through all the cells of the body simultaneously in a powerful, effective way.
The goal in most healing, meditative, spiritual, and transformational pursuits is to raise an individuals’ vibratory frequency and to restore the intrinsic state of balance.
As early as 4,000 B.C., throughout human history, gongs have been used for healing. Ancient alchemy sources put the gong as far back as 16,000 B.C.
Mt. Tabor’s own, Mandala Yoga Studio, offers gong in most of their Kundalini Yoga classes, monthly gong meditations, and in some of their therapeutic, gentle and Yin Yoga classes.
Gong meditations are great for relieving stress. The increase in stress-related disease in modern society is of little wonder.
Stress, which might be defined as an over-amping of the nervous system, has many contributors. The sounds of the gong wash through, over and around us, and weave us back together.
Consider the rippling effect of a pebble on a placid lake. Picture the ripples of relaxing, meditative, soothing and energizing sound waves reverberating through your entire body.
Water is the dominant element of the human body – about 60-75%. Our brains rest in water. Water is also an ideal conductor for gong’s vibrational energy.
Considered one of the most powerful forms of sound therapy, gong is a vibrational and sound healing tool effective in creating lasting change, on multiple levels through the sounds of the cosmos and creation.
Information on Mandala’s monthly gong meditations and classes with gong can be found at www.MandalaYogaPDX.com.
“If you want to find the secrets of the Universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.” ~ Nikola Tesla
“The sound of the gong allows us to move beyond the boundaries of the mind. We have used our mind since birth to perceive the world and through our mind we have constructed our own unique version of reality.
“Over time we have become habituated with a set of perceptual responses to the incoming data from the world outside our mind. These responses layer and layer upon each other and build up their own magnetic frequency.
“This magnetic frequency then radiates out from us and attracts similar frequencies. Like attracts like. This is why the change process is so difficult. We can add information, we can add knowledge, we think we know more, and we do, but we have not really changed.
“Our energetic being remains the same… An energetic shift of our magnetic field changes us.” ~ Harijiwan Singh
Signa Cheney is the owner and director of Mandala Yoga. mandalayogapdx.com