What is Gong?
The gong is an East and Southeast Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat, circular metal disc which is hit with a mallet. The gong traces its roots back to the Bronze Age around 3500 BC. The term 'gong' originates in Java and archaeological research has established that Burma, China, Java and Annam were the four main gong manufacturing centers of the ancient world. In the 18th century it began being used in percussion sections of Western-style symphony orchestras.
The gong produces packets of low frequency sound waves that helps with getting into the meditative state and the vibration of the gong is sensible from a short distance.
Inner Player
Gong is a mystic instrument and a tool of devotion in a way. The player should be able to let go and play from the heart. That's why the gong practitioner should be internally in peace and centered to be able to run a smooth and healing session for the participants.
Since it is very subjective to tell who is centered and not, it is recommended that a player keeps himself in shape through many different yoga & meditation techniques. At Green Dharma, we try to keep ourselves in check and make sure that we are energetically centered since it is a sensitive responsibility.
Gong Meditation
Anyone can try a gong session! You need only to sit or lie down on your back, close your eyes, breathe deeply, relax and drift away. Or alternatively, you are welcome to pay close focused attention to the undulating sounds and the sensations it produces in the body while you relax. It can be similar to a lucid dreaming experience or a state called yoga nidra, which roughly translates to yogic sleep, where the person’s mind and body are fully relaxed and fully aware simultaneously. An induced meditative state, the experience is highly pleasurable and soothing.
A gong produces sound waves that are so strong that they can be felt by the body to the point of stimulating to the skin and every cell! It is more exciting and stimulating to the nervous system than the conventional forms of meditation.
The vibration created by the Gong can release tension and blocks similar to that of Kundalini Yoga. The vibration helps balances the glandular and nervous system and enhances circulation due to a wide range of frequencies it produces.
The Gong effect can quiet the mind and have a deep effect of inducing a meditative state. As a result, it has a significant impact by introducing a different experience to meditation that could promote mindfulness, stress relief, productivity and creativity.