Yogamatters' Gong Bath Experience

Last weekend, a few members of the Yogamatters team experienced our first Gong Meditation Bath. Our class was held at the beautiful Indaba Yoga Studio in Marylebone, London on a Sunday evening (as I’m sure most would agree, this is the perfect time to relax and prepare the mind for the week ahead). Although we’re a group who regularly practice yoga and meditation, a couple of us were slightly apprehensive about what was in store for us and how our bodies would feel after the session. Willing to broaden our horizons, we walked into the studio, beautifully set with candles, mats, cotton blankets, bolsters and eye pillows – what more could you want on a cold Sunday night?

At the front of the room was our teacher for the night, Leo Cosendai, some large gongs and a selection of other unusual looking instruments. The class started with a seated meditation to prepare our minds for the truly transformational practice we were about to experience.

After a seated meditation and a series of chanting, we were asked to lie down and cover ourselves with the blankets.

‘An experience’ is the exact phrase I would use to sum up my session.

The nearest comparison I can think to sum up the feeling I had upon leaving the studio was the way I felt during a recent visit to Universal Studios in Orlando.

Strange I know, but I think I may have found a connection between the two. Universal Studios feels like you have walked into another world; it’s a truly immersive experience. During my day at Universal Studios, I experienced things which expanded my imagination – I flew through fields on a broom stick playing Quidditch with Harry Potter, I battled robots, I joined thousands of Minions on a mission whilst being thrown around a futuristic factory. And, oddly enough, this Gong Meditation Bath filled me with the same feelings that I experienced there. Whether it was because it was a new discovery for me or because it did activate Delta or Theta waves that I may have been a bit short of since childhood, it didn’t matter because it felt enlightening, my mind felt cleared and I felt rejuvenated.

For those of you that haven’t experienced a Gong Bath, here’s a little background information. The sound generated from the gongs is known to lead you to an altered state of consciousness whereby the mind can become quiet. The experience is different for everyone and the senses felt in the body can range from a deep meditative state, a powerful deep delta sleep and even an ‘out-of-body’ experience, also known as ‘astral travelling’, an experience where it feels possible to exist outside of your physical body.

A Gong Bath is believed to clear nerve endings, as well as enabling the brain to become efficient in producing Theta and Delta waves – which are known to be regularly produced in infants and children.

To put this into perspective, Prana Kriya Yoga teacher, sound healer and therapist Leo Cosendai explains how “our normal waking consciousness corresponds to the Beta state, which is our brain emitting waves between 13-30Hertz.

The feeling of relaxation and concentration is linked to the Alpha state, which sends waves between 8-13Hertz.

Then we can go into Theta state (5-7Hertz), associated with Rapid Eye Movement and release of muscular spasms and energetic blockages.

Last but not least, Delta state (0.5-4Hertz), emitting extremely low vibrations associated with deep sleep and other unconscious states.”

Daisy from our customer service team says…

“I thought it was a wonderful experience. As someone who can’t quite get the hang of seated silent mediation, and prefers meditation on movement and sounds, I found it was exactly what I needed. The feeling of the soundwaves rippling around the room was amazing“

A Gong Meditation Bath is said to be different every time and different for each person. With science to back up the benefits, it’s the perfect class to take some time out and be surrounded by like-minded people. To anyone thinking about going to a Gong Bath, I would encourage them to give it a go! I left the studio with an overwhelming feeling of joy…I can’t think of a better way to spend an hour on a Sunday evening.

Leo holds a Gong Meditation Bath at Indaba every fortnight where he also offers individual treatments. For more information about Leo’s home visits (sound healing, reflexology and space clearing) or his retreat MOVING BEYOND THE ASANA, which includes Yogasana, Prana Kriya Yoga and Gong baths, click here.