What Everyone Needs To Know About Meditation Gongs

What Everyone Needs To Know About Meditation Gongs

By Isis James


Meditation gongs are an exotic and little-understood instrument for some of us in Western culture. This instrument has been in use since ancient times for several different functions. Meditation gongs have an interesting and varied history and are a unique type of instrument.

Types

Meditation gongs come in two types - suspended gongs and singing bowls. The suspended gong is what people would normally thing of when they hear the word "gong" - they consist of a round piece of metal suspended between two poles. Singing bowls, on the other hand, are a special type of gong. They are bowl-shaped and produce sound by running a special mallet around the rim, or by simply being stroked. Both types of gongs are usually made of copper, bronze, and other common metals.

History

These instruments have been in use since ancient times in Tibet, China, Japan, Nepal, and other Asian regions, as early as 2000 B.C.E. Their religious use dates back to pre-Buddhist Shamanism, and then was gradually adopted and popularized by Tibetan and Zen Buddhists for meditative practices. Today, a wide variety of people, not just Buddhists, use these gongs for cultural and spiritual practice, and they have gotten quite popular use in the New Age Movement.
Uses

There are many uses for meditation gongs, but here are just a few. They can be used by both groups and individuals for their meditation practice. Some use them to ritually mark the start and end of their meditation session, while others meditate on the sound of the gong itself. They can also be used for sound healing practices, where the sound and vibrations of the gong are believed to correct imbalances in the body and mind. This is commonly known as a "gong bath." Meditation gongs have also been used in yoga to induce feelings of well-being and relaxation while practicing.

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