Sound bath: what happens in the body during the gong

Suspended by a cord, the gong responds to the lightest touch with a cloud of harmonics that continues to expand long after the hand leaves the metal. It is this trail, rather than the strike itself, that does the work.

During a sound bath, the body is surrounded by overlapping layers of frequency. Breathing naturally follows this slower rhythm, and thought loses its usual speed. Just a few minutes can be enough for the nervous system to shift state.

In practice, the gong often opens and closes a session: a long entrance marks the beginning, guided silence occupies the middle, and a final resonance brings each person back to the room without abruptness.

The Maqam gong is hammered one strike at a time, without stamping. Its irregular surface is precisely what creates the rich harmonics and long sustain that define the instrument.