Gong meditation is a form of sound therapy, dating as far back as 16,000 B.C., that uses a series of vibrations and sounds to induce a relaxed state in the listener.
Aaron Glazer, who leads this Thursday’s gong bath at Delta Groove Yoga, says benefits are subjective and vary from person to person.
“It can range from a very relaxing experience to completely allowing the mind to let go,” he says. “So what happens is the vibrations of the gong are not linear, and it’s not really something that the mind is used to following and keeping track of. So it forces you to let go. And it allows the intelligence of the body to be able to heal, whether you have a certain intention or if you leave it open-ended for whatever needs to happen in the body. And it’s just kind of trusting in the processes that are able to happen when we get out of our own way.”
Laura Lee Madigan
Looking for a way to quiet the mind? Try this — bang a gong, get it on, and a bang a gong.
To help guide users through meditation, Glazer uses mallets with varying levels of softness to create different soundscapes that can simulate whale sounds, deep space, or angels singing.
“The gong sounds from the front of the room, but sometimes you can’t even really tell where the sound is coming from,” Glazer says.
When asked if this effect was to disorient the listener, Glazer replies, “I think ‘reorient’ would be a better word for it.”
Gong Bath with Aaron Glazer, Delta Groove Yoga, Thursday, August 22nd, 8:30-9:30 p.m., $20.