Sound wizard Leo Consendai returns to the PYC for two workshops. Below he unravels the mystery of ‘sound massage’ by explaining how bathing yourself in a vibrational bath of sound and frequency can heal your body and your mind.
Were you an instant gong bath convert or has it been a gradual process?
I fall into the category of an instant convert, however, I have had both confusing and frustrating experiences. A gong bath is a very strong practice that involves other limbs or facets of yoga and it is far more challenging mentally than the physical practice of asanas, also known as postures. Your state of awareness is greatly heightened and your senses are drawn inward. Those sounds you hear are not meant to entertain, in fact, it is rather the opposite. The music comes from outside but its unconventional format confuses the brain and thus promotes a total inner awareness. That state is very healing in the sense that you suddenly become acutely aware of everything that has been suppressed and stored in your subconscious, but the downside is that you come face to face with that stuff, sometimes unprepared. A lot depends on the practitioner. It is so important that people who are giving gong baths should first play for themselves and then train to play for others. Anyone can buy a microphone, but can they sing?
Will you explain a little about the science of a gong bath and how it works?
Gongs produce hundred and hundreds of what we call harmonic and dissonant tones. The difference in frequency (Hz) between them is so small that they generate binaural beats. Those beats stimulate the brain to produce theta and delta waves (0.2 Hz-10Hz), which are recognised brainwave states that we can enter during deep sleep or trance. Prolonged exposure to gong tones also refocuses the brain activity in the frontal lobes, which is the “seat” of imagination or creation. Some people in America have been studying their effects on the blood, and it seems to be clearing out a lot of the bacterial debris and also aiding in reshaping the red blood cells. I believe a lot is achieved through a well-led session and I am currently trying to arrange some test studies with a couple of universities in Switzerland.
How does a gong bath relate to Yoga?
Prana Kriya Yoga harmonises and unites the flow of the physical movement in our bodies (kriya) with its energetic power, helping you become aware of your creative potential. This form of yoga is one of the most effective means by which to achieve your goals and aspirations – material, emotional and spiritual – and bring your actions in line with your mental and emotional state. Prana Kriya Yoga has also long been highly regarded among many great masters and yogis as the key to slowing down the ageing process. It achieves this by recharging the blood with oxygen and decarbonising it, which rejuvenates the brain and spinal centres and prevents the decay of tissues in the body. It awakens the hidden energy (kundalini) within you allowing you to transform and free yourself from limiting beliefs and old behavioural patterns that hold you back.
Bathe yourself in two hours of healing sound and vibration during Leo’s workshops on July 9th and October 15th, which are now open for booking.