On Gong Baths & Sound Meditation

Many moms practice meditation. It allows us opportunities to relax, align with our inner wants and needs, to empty our minds as an aid to anxiety, to have moments of quiet, and to have moments to ourselves. For that last one alone, some consider it to be a practice that is needed by mothers. (Read: Why Moms Need Meditation)  But how many moms practice sound meditation?

In last month’s ExpoMom 2021: Mindful Mom, mother of four and former Urban Ashram General Manager, Tet Fojas Bachman, took the audience through an online gong bath.  As Tet explained, the playing of the gongs brings the body to a state between theta and deep sleep. When in this state, the body goes into a state of deep relaxation, which can bring healing to our system because it gives our cells the chance to self-heal and regenerate. The exercise–which to an outsider would look like someone just playing the gongs on Facebook LIVE, turned out to be a hit among everyone watching! (If you weren’t able to join the group, you may still be able to catch it on Mommy Mundo’s Facebook Videos!)

Why do gong baths generate such enthusiastic response? According to Psychology Today, “sound healing has ancient roots in cultures all over the world.”  So it is something we naturally respond to, even on an ancient level.  Many studies have shown that music itself plays a role in mental and physical health, with sound meditation being able to reduce stress, anxiety and depression (Journal of Evidenced Based Integrative Medicine) and sound based vibration treatment being able to reduce joint pain, improve blood circulation, lower blood pressure, and more.

The effectiveness lies in the gong or sound’s ability to bring us to a relaxed state in just a matter of minutes, something that–for those new to meditation–can be a challenge to achieve. This makes it an easy way to deeply relax quickly and allow the body and mind to focus on healing or the intention of the person meditating. 

In the Philippines, gong baths are offered by several yoga practitioners, Tet Fojas Bachman being one of them. Others include Rebel Yoga Manila and Rosan Cruz. Click on the links for upcoming sessions!