Benefits of Gong Yoga
The effects of the Gong-Sound are varied & unlimited:
- Induced Meditative State
- Enchantment, excitement, exhilaration & wonder at the ethereal off-world-like overtones – the signature of the Paiste Gong (a blending & interplay of up to 12 distinct frequencies).
- Profound Peace
- Sensations of Activated Energy Centers / Chakras
- Spiritual Awakening
- Promotes Healing, (energetically, emotionally, & physically – but no guarantees)
- Visions
More than just Transformational Meditation Music and a new branch of yoga unto itself, the Gong is equally regarded as a modality of:
- Sound Therapy & Healing Modality (aka “Sound-Bath” Spa treatment)
- Spiritual Activation & Empowerment (“triggering” codes, such as 11:11—> facilitating heightened evolutionary states of being
- Manifesting (in terms of broadcasting our individual frequencies), as understood in the hot topic of The Law of Attraction, or in the words of Abraham-Esther Hicks, “The Science of Deliberate Creation”, and “The Art of Allowing”.
- Dreaming Awake. … (a term perhaps coined by Florinda Donner or Taisha Abelar), to exemplify how profoundly & powerfully experiential & impactful gong meditations can be. But perhaps only a meditator and an introvert could find meditations & dreaming exciting. Who does not love to fly in dreams? And do you not forever remember your most poignant dreams as treasured experiences? —> imprinted forever with feelings of child-like passion where magical adventures take on more significance than most of our hum-drum habitual waking-state experiences.
Elaboration on Gong Yoga Benefits & Value:
Gong Yoga as a Sound Therapy, is testimony to its healing & transformative properties —> affecting our physical, mental, emotional & energetic well-being and enabling us to feel & function better, and facilitating our Spiritual Growth.
Gong Yoga for Empowerment, exemplifies that our earthly experience is about living as “spiritual beings having a physical experience”, although for many, having the spiritual experience of Gong Yoga can serve as the awakening to this larger part of ourselves, and demonstrates that these aspects of our selves can now be bridged in the Gong Yoga experience. Effectively, the gong-sound is thusly capable of revealing a facet of our own being and a dimension to life that was previously unknown to us.
Gong Yoga as a Spiritual Activation, I would venture to declare, that the gong-sounds contain “awakening codes” that activate or trigger new levels of consciousness & DNA for the purpose of assisting us to move beyond the old paradigm of 3D consciousness to the place of 5D (heart-centered) consciousness & beyond —> where we shift from “survival” to “thriving” & wellbeing, co-operation, compassion, and harmony.
To Shift of Not To Shift. The times we are living in are profound & unprecedented in that they are offering us opportunities (or possibly forcing us) to adapt, assimilate and transform to higher levels of consciousness and more effective ways of living. And part of this shift (or ‘Quickening” if you like), requires us to “allow” (surrender to) the changes. To resist this natural (albeit accelerated pace) change is to create stress & discomfort in one’s life.
We all need to develop the skill to maintain a calm state of heart-mind-body in the face of adversity & challenge. As an evolving human race & a civilization, we are at the 11th hour, on the precipice of a new world, and in the words of Story Waters, “it is not the time to be hitting the snooze button” (again). In these accelerated & unprecedented times of change, our very lives may depend on it —> from the position of
- being relatively unaffected by stress,
- to avail ourselves of this golden opportunity,
- to acquire the ability to access to our internal guidance in the still waters of our heart-mind,
- and to trust this force to guide us to an enhanced state of well-being with “excited expectancy”.
The Gong as a Manifesting Tool. Many people are awakening to the fact that we create our own reality with our beliefs & expectations. I believe that the Gong is capable of assisting us to materialize our desires to be, do & have. I’ll tell the story later, but suffice it to say for now, that I have seen the gong-sound as light, and not just a flash, but a continuous light “show”. The manifestation of sound into light could represent the coding of sound or thought energy into light-information / photons —> possibly the pre-condition to manifestation. This visual gong-light experience leads to new interpretations of “In the beginning was the word (sound) and the word was God”, and “Let there be light”!
Please note that I am partial to my own unique style & sound of gonging. And although there are numerous forms of gong-noise out there, there are many other Gong Masters that produce lovely melodious sonic symphonies of bliss.
(You’ve possibly already discovered examples of gong-noise on the internet. Please trust that every gong-player produces a unique sound, dependent upon the instrument, how it is hung, technique, and most importantly, dependent upon the consciousness of the player-artist).
I must say that I have experienced a profound gong session that was so extremely loud & noisy and I felt as though I was going to explode if I didn’t breathe deeply & quickly. ….So a word of caution in resisting noise – although there have been other times when I have run away from intense “musical” experiences / frequencies as if my life depended on it – but never from gongs).
Gong Adventure. Anything is possible during a gong session or “Gong-Quest” journey if that’s not too much of a shamanic term. I had the gong teach me a new playing technique one evening while I was performing for a small crowd in a blackout session. It was an exciting event for me. The gong appeared to me as a 3D sphere / globe rather than a mere 2D disc before me. Trying not to be too amazed or analyze the impossible transformation, I continued to hover over and play this table-sized gong-ball as it sang & danced in ways I had never before experienced or imagined. And as such, the gong serves to open a portal of your own design, for a personal experience of wondrous proportions.
(Qualifier: I am not a Yoga authority, although I know more than many, hence my opinions on all matters related to
Yoga reflects my understanding based on limited exposure to traditional forms.) Hatha Yoga (physical postures), Dyani Yoga (meditation), Janna Yoga (knowledge), and Bhakti Yoga (devotion / love) are other forms of classical yoga. Tantra is yet another form, but many feel that the pure essence & form of tantra has been distorted or polluted with Californication on our continent, but of that I am no expert. In theory, and in practice, I love the concept of devotion to the feminine. And weird as it sounds, I can imagine talented Taoist meditators turning sex into an intense meditation.
Yoga in general refers to spiritual practices (Sadhana) that facilitate enlightenment, (the development & integration of mind-body-spirit … the achievement of being completely at-one at at peace with self & the world).
Contrary to the western myth that Yoga is about performing strenuous physical contortions, I understand Yoga to literally mean “Divine Union” (our natural state of being fully present, unencumbered by anxiety or fears). Yoga is about asanas / postures, not just of the body, but also of the mind, the emotions and the spirit. As in meditation, thoughts & feelings are to guide us, not to rule us – or said differently; Are we having the thought / feeling? … Or is it having us? Who is the master, and who is the slave? (Habits & desires tell part of the story.)