Gong Bath with Craig Winterburn

Gong baths are a type of inactive meditation, where you “bathe” in the healing vibrations of sound.

Using sound as a form of healing dates back to ancient cultures. Records of using gongs have surfaced from as early as ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman times.

“Gongs have been used as shamanic healing tools, celebratory instruments, and a method of communication for thousands of years. Evidence suggests that gong making was known as early as 4,000 B.C. and ancient alchemy sources put the gong as far back as 16,000 B.C.,” says sound healing practitioner Britta Hochkeppel.

A gong bath, or gong meditation, is a form of sound healing designed to offer:

• relaxation
• emotional release
• pain relief

During a gong bath, participants typically lie down and get comfortable with blankets and pillows. A facilitator then hits the gong, a disc-shaped percussion instrument, using a mallet.

Participants are invited to passively soak up the benefits of the sound.

“It’s referred to as a ‘bath’ due to participants being immersed in the vibrations of these instruments during a session,” says Hochkeppel.