Show Us Your Gong Fingers

When you relax with the Gong, what do you do with your hands?

Some people simply turn their hands palms up, like in yogic relaxation. Some rest their hands on their body or over their heart. And a few of you (and you know who you are) take a peek at your cell phone. Naughty, naughty.

But what should you do with your hands when you are relaxing to the sound of the Gong?

The benefits of gong relaxation, meditation and therapy are greatly increased when you hold yoga hand positions, or mudras, using your fingers.

Mudras are used in yoga to direct the flow of energy (prana) through the body and the mind. They are used to change consciousness, deepen breathing and concentration, as well as to correct imbalances in the physical and emotional body that can hinder progress in yoga.

When mudras are used with the sound of the gong, the movement of prana in the energy body can be optimally directed to produce a state of a spontaneous state of meditation. Indeed, all gong meditation is primarily mudra-based and all gong relaxation may also be enhanced by holding specific hand positions as the gong is played.

The extensive use of mudras with the Gong is a major component of gong therapy, and there are many possibilities to affect the nature of the sound healing that occurs depending upon the mudra that is selected.

However, for gong relaxation there are several simple mudras that can be offered to those who wish to deepen their experience of the sound.

The easiest mudra is the one most used in yoga meditation – Gyan Mudra, or simply touching the tip of the index finger to the thumb tip of both hands. When relaxing on the back, the palms are turned up and the mudra is gently held.

This mudra begins to release the overactive mind from its torrent of thoughts and allows the listener to go deeper into the sound of the Gong. While this mudra is usually held in meditation with the middle, ring and little finger actively lengthened, these three fingers may simply be naturally relaxed in gong relaxation.

Another mudra useful in gong relaxation that can be used to prevent from getting too “spaced out” or disassociated from the body and surroundings while listening to the Gong involves the index finger and middle finger.

Touch the index and middle fingertips to the thumb mound of each hand and then hold them down with the thumb lightly pressing down on the second joints of the fingers.

This “lock-down” mudra decreases the elements of air and ether and creates a sense of grounding and being on the earth. Useful for those who may be a little sensitive or even anxious around the sound of the Gong.

Mudras are an important part of sound healing and gong therapy.