Gongs - History and Uses

The first record of gongs is from 4,000 years ago in China during the Bronze Age. The first gongs were used in Southeast Asia. The gong is a mirror, a keeper of memory and a being of reasonance.

Gongs were a symbol of authority and power used in temples and royal courts. They were also spiritual in nature and used in sacred ceremonies and meditations. Gongs were used as a way for people to gather at a specific place and also for celebrations and as a form of communication to warn of danger.

Paiste 34” Symphonic Gong

The primary gong used in my sound bath sessions.

Gongs in Modern Sound Baths

Today the gong is used as a tool for mental, emotional and spiritual expansion. One of the main ways the gong has been introduced to western culture is through Kundalini Yoga. Yogi Bhajan through his teachings has emphasized the gong is a sound of creation. It is a way to clear subconscious patterns and using sound to move practitioners into neutral mind and deep trance.

The gong can be used as one of the instruments in a sound bath or as the solo instrument in sessions like gong meditation, gong bath, gong Nidra and gong puja.