Nidra Gong Bath

This week a friend invited me to attend a Nidra Gong Bath at Alchemy Health Clinic in Wimborne. As this was a completely new experience for me I was only too happy to say yes! The hour long session was hosted by Jane Morgan Jones, who leads you first into Nidra Yoga (a kind of yogic sleep) with a guided meditation over an earthy heartbeat soundtrack and Scania Price, who then begins a meditation using gongs, shruti and mantra. The word bath has nothing to do with actual water - it refers to the sound of the gongs washing over you.

All that was required for the session was a yoga mat, a pillow and a blanket and all that we had to do was lie back, get cosy, relax and listen. Easy peasy!

The Yoga Nidra was familiar territory to me, as Jane guided us into a deeply relaxed state by first asking us to focus on each part of our bodies in turn, imagining them getting heavier and sinking into the ground. We were asked to bring attention to our breathing, becoming aware of how the breath entered and left our nostrils. Jane then took us into a journey of visualisation, asking us to picture a series of images in our minds - a blue lotus flower, a palm tree, a field of sunflowers, a smiling buddha and many more besides. She led us down a pathway to a little temple where we found ourselves face to face with our own reflections shining in a large gong ... and that was where the magic began.

Scania uses the gongs intuitively to build and release emotions and tensions - sometimes all you hear is a gentle, reassuring rumble, at other times it builds to an overwhelming crescendo of noise that vibrates and works its way through every cell of your body.  Despite the volume, you remain utterly still and relaxed ... I never once felt like I was going to fall asleep but I was definitely somewhere else ... in that space that exists between consciousness and sleep.

Different people experience different things during the meditation - for me it was a sense of something travelling right through my body and making physical changes, for my friend it was a series of colours and imagery popping up from nowhere. And I'm sure that when I go again it will be a completely new and different experience!

As the gongs died away at the end of the meditation we were brought back round by Scania singing a beautiful mantra and the gentle rustling of leaves - which to me conjured up mental images of a thousand doves fluttering their wings all around us. Finally, Jane invited us to slowly return to consciousness as the aroma of burning sage filled the room.  Afterwards there was the opportunity to ask questions or to comment on our experiences during the meditation. I felt amazing - cleansed, relaxed, energised, a million times lighter ... more alive! It was a truly profound and uplifting experience and I will definitely be going back for more next month.

I would especially recommend the Nidra Gong Bath for anyone experiencing stress, depression or needing to find clarity of thought. It really is good therapy!

I did feel slightly lightheaded and a little nauseous for a while after the session, but as a therapist I recognise this as part of the cleansing and healing process. It's advisable to take a bottle of water with you to drink afterwards, as this will help to facilitate the process and minimise these temporary side effects.

You can catch the next Nidra Gong Baths at the following locations:

The Italian Villa at Compton Acres Gardens, Poole - 17 August, 12pm, £10

Alchemy Health Clinic, Leigh Road, Wimborne - 28 August, 7.30pm, £10

Click here for a video of Scania in action on the Gongs!