Hits from the Gong: Getting High on the Sound of Creation

When you get to the gong layout, you know you’ve made it. The end of a kundalini class is most students’ favorite part. It marks the finish line- the opportunity for sweet surrender after a challenging practice, and within the resonance of these primal sounds is the promise of transcendence. Strange and magical things can happen in this space.

I recently brought a family member to class. It was his first Kundalini experience and he keeps talking about the gong. “I don’t know what happened to me,” he says. “I fell asleep in a room full of strangers in under a minute. I just checked out. It was crazy!”

The deep rest and relaxation we can experience during

the gong layout is profound. But what actually happens when we are in the vibratory field of this mysterious instrument?

An Instrument of the Cosmos

In the lineage of Kundalini Yoga, the sound of the gong holds a revered place, often described as the sound of creation itself. It is an effective tool for transformation and healing, used by meditators throughout the ages.

The gong is not just an instrument, it is a bridge that connects us to our infinite nature. It is said that the sound of the gong replicates the primordial sound of

the universe, or the Naad- the sacred sound current that is believed to be the source of all creation. When struck, the gong produces a rich tapestry of sound

waves that resonate through every fiber of our being, mirroring the cosmic vibrations that underlie all existence.

Yogi Bhajan, the master teacher who brought Kundalini

Yoga to the West, often spoke of the gong as an all encompassing force, an instrument that can take the practitioner beyond the mind and into a state of

profound meditation and healing. He taught that the sound of the gong has the power to reset the nervous system, clear the subconscious, and stimulate the

glandular system, bringing about a state of balance and harmony.

“The gong is not a musical instrument; the gong is God.

It is the most pure sound that man could create out of

which comes all music, all sounds and all words.”

― Yogi Bhajan

The Healing Power of the Gong

Anyone who has been in a gong bath can tell you it is an immersive experience. When the gong is played, its sound waves penetrate deep into the body, reaching

every cell. This deep vibration helps to release tension and dissolve blocks in the body’s energy channels, or nadis. The sound of the gong is said to alter brainwave

patterns, inducing a meditative state where healing can occur on all levels. It creates a state of deep relaxation and inner stillness, where the body’s natural healing processes can be activated.

“Gong therapy also relieves stress and has a profound, revitalizing effect on the immune and nervous systems. When you bathe in the healing sound of the

sacred gong no mind chatter can stand in the way. The wave of total sound is both heard with the ears and felt as a powerful vibration sweeping over and penetrating deeply into the body – cleansing, releasing, healing and

harmonizing on all levels.” - Guru Ram Kaur

The Gong and the Journey Within

The gong serves as a guide on the journey within, helping practitioners to transcend the limitations of the ego. It is believed that the sound of the gong can

take one beyond time and space, into a state of oneness with the universe. This experience of unity is at the heart of Kundalini Yoga. As we surrender to the

sound of the gong, may we also surrender to the flow of life, explore the depths of our being, and trust that we are always being guided by our higher nature, the

divine teacher within.

“God created the universe with this sound of the gong,

fly with it, spread your wings and go with it, flow away.”

― Yogi Bhajan