Gong Bath Therapy

The benefits of mindfulness and meditation for addiction are well-researched and supported.

To overcome addiction, a variety of coping mechanisms need to be developed and employed.

Mindfulness and meditation give people an alternative way to calm the body and brain so they don’t need to rely on substances. They also train people’s ability to be present in the moment – not ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. For people who have come to rely on substances to block painful memories or dull worries about future problems, this is an invaluable tool that promotes resilience.

Meditation needs to be practised. It’s common for people new to meditation or mindfulness to say that they find it difficult to stay present and that their mind wanders.

This is where gong bath therapy can be useful. Gong bathing doesn’t require you to move your body into poses, like yoga, or follow instructions. You lie down and let the sound move you into a state of relaxation. For people with busy brains who find it difficult to let go of thoughts, this can be an excellent way of accessing mindful and meditative states without practising the ability to do so.

As a form of sound therapy, gong therapy is an excellent way to access a variety of emotional, mental and brainwave states that are healing for addiction.

Audio therapy has been studied in the context of addiction recovery. A paper examining the effects of calming audio and music, using fMRI imaging, on people recovering from addiction found positive effects in modulating activity in mesolimbic structures of the brain. These areas are highly associated with how addiction manifests in the brain. Participants had statistically significant improvements in withdrawal symptoms, including cravings, stress, fear, anger, and body and headaches.

The concept of a higher power is common in many forms of addiction recovery treatment and is central to the concept of 12-step. This can sometimes be challenging for people with secular beliefs. More traditional sound therapies rooted in ancient spiritual practices can help promote a sense of a higher power and be a secular way of accessing this concept.

Part of the work of recovery is finding new ways to process and tolerate difficult emotions like anxiety, sadness and stress. These are feelings that many people turn to substances to self-medicate. Gong sound therapy gives people a place and time to slip into a state of deep relaxation without the use of substances. It shows that it’s possible to calm the body and brain without the use of drugs or alcohol.

Gong bath therapy is known for its ability to promote relaxation, emotional release and pain relief. There isn’t much research on the exact mechanisms that gong therapy uses to attain these things – however, there is research on the healing benefits of sound. Sound therapies like gong, singing bowls or binaural beats can help your brain relax into different brainwave states.

Gong therapy differs from some other forms of sound therapy due to the type of sound it uses. Gong sounds are loud without being overwhelming and long and reverberating. These sounds can stimulate alpha-dominant or theta-dominant brainwave states. Alpha waves are associated with states of wakeful rest. In contrast, theta-waves are associated with the period where you’re drifting off to sleep. Recovery can be stressful. The mental break offered by slipping into these states can be a welcome respite from the work of healing your addiction.

The benefits of being suspended in an altered brainwave state for a long period are numerous. Studies point to reductions in tension, anger and fatigue, an increased ability to tap into creative states, stress reduction and emotional release.

You will be made as comfortable as possible at the start of gong therapy. Soft, warm clothes, even pyjamas, are encouraged. Because you’re lying on the floor, blankets, pillows or yoga mats will be provided so you will be as warm and supported as possible.

One or more gongs may be used and will be struck differently throughout the session. The gong is struck with soft mallets. The aim is not to create harsh clanging but long, reverberating sounds. Some people describe being able to feel these sounds in their bones and the sensation of having a massage for their brain.

You may experience a variety of sensations during gong bath therapy. A sense of deep relaxation and calm is common, and many people fall asleep during the session. Others report an altered sense of time or distortions in their spatial awareness. Some people experience ideas coming to them unbidden, while some people report unexpected emotional release.

The gong bath session is your time – you don’t need to put pressure on yourself to achieve anything or put expectations on what will happen. The only thing you need to do is lie down and experience whatever the sound invokes for you.

Gong therapy is just one of the many forms of therapy offered at Oasis Bradford. Through a plethora of tailored addiction treatments, we can help you on the path out of addiction to a happier, healthier, sober life.

Get in touch today to find out how we can help you.