The power of sounds: Gong baths

Preparation before a Gong bath at the Round Chapel in London. Picture by Ugne Maladauskaite

Sound healing has been used for centuries to attempt to cure mental illnesses, lower stress levels, improve overall health and help people to connect to the Universe and inner self.

The magic of music and the power of sounds are so strong they can change our lives. The range of an average human hearing is 20Hz to 20,000Hz. It is believed that at the same time we are capable to focus on the eight most dominant sounds in the environment. That could be: traffic noises, voices, music and much more. Sounds and music have different purpose in our lives. Some make us happy, some irritate, others help to maintain focus and motivation. But have you ever heard about the magical sounds that can heal us?

Gong and singing bowls. Picture by Ugne Maladauskaite

The main gong. Picture by Ugne Maladauskaite

Sound healing can help with :

Sleep disorders
Depression
Stress
PTSD
Pain
Anxiety

There are different types of sound healing practices. The main ones are: voice(singing, humming and throat singing), singing bowls, drums and gongs.

The Voice of London had an amazing opportunity to meet a sound healing practitioner Kat Bumbul and explore the sound healing technique called gong meditation or gong bath; a bath where people are immersed in sound waves rather than in water.

Gong bath explanation as quoted in Sound Mysterium website:

“Dense gong tones envelope the listener’s body in a thick cocoon of sound. It feels like drowning or floating in cosmic space. Gong experience can be also compared to the bathing in the ocean, as the sound waves powerfully wash over, around and through you. After a healing session you feel clean and refreshed.

During a gong session I also use my voice and play other instruments to facilitate cleansing, serenity, altered states and healing.

Meditation with the sound of the gong is always unique and different to every participant. Usually the temperature of the body drops. Heat or tingling in some areas are common. This indicates that these areas got an intensive transformation.”

Time before a Gong bath at the Round Chapel in London. Picture by Ugne Maladauskaite

More information about Kat Bumbul and sound healing: www.soundmysterium.com

Featured image: organ at the Round Chapel in London. Picture by Ugne Maladauskaite

Video, photographs and words: Ugne Maladauskaite | Subbing: Adam Kaczynski