The gong produces something genuinely difficult to describe before you have experienced it. A single strike releases a sound that continues to develop and shift for many seconds, unfolding into layers of harmonics that seem to multiply as they move through the space. Sustained playing creates a continuous sound environment that many people find unlike anything else they have encountered.
It is not only auditory. The vibration of a large gong travels through the body as well as through the air. People lying near a gong during a session often report a strong bodily response, a sense of being held, moved, or reorganised at a level below conscious thought.
Working with gongs
In therapeutic work the gong is played with close attention to pacing and volume. The aim is not impact for its own sake but a graduated, responsive use of a powerful instrument in service of the person in the room.
We are both trained gong practitioners and bring our full clinical awareness to how the instrument is used in session. Individual sessions take the form of a consultation, followed by the client lying (or sitting) comfortably whilst the gongs are played. A period of silence at the end is important for integration of the sounds.
What gongs can support
Gong work can support:
- deep relaxation
- nervous system settling
- emotional release or integration
- a shift away from mental overactivity
- a stronger sense of presence and embodied awareness
- access to meditative states
- a quality of spaciousness that can persist well beyond the session
- help with depression and/or anxiety
Gongs may be encountered in both individual and group settings.
If you would like to know more about how gongs can help you and how they are used within Devon Sound Therapy, please get in touch.