Rituals with sound: how to use your gong every day

Daily work with sound can not only center you more in the now and give you peace and relaxation - it can also give you inspiration, provide more clarity or connect you more closely with your environment and your fellow human beings. The gong is one of the most powerful tools you can use every day to enter a meditative state and expand your senses. If you regularly engage with the vibrations of a gong, you will find it easier to free yourself from stuck thought patterns and maintain your inner balance.

Morning meditation with gong

In the morning, shortly after getting up, your mind is usually at its calmest and you may find it easier to engage in a morning gong meditation for a few minutes.

Instructions for a morning meditation with gong (5-10 minutes)

1. Find a quiet place and place your gong next to you.
2. Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes for a few breaths.
3. Feel how your abdomen and chest expand as you inhale and empty completely as you exhale.
4. Once you have created awareness of your breath, you can bring your arms over your sides to above your head as you inhale and bring both hands in front of your heart in Namaste as you exhale. Continue this for three to four breaths.
5. Now take your gong mallet in one hand and strike your gong mindfully. Feel how the vibrations flow through your body and mind and notice where you perceive the sounds most intensely today. Let the sound fade away completely.
6. Now choose a focus for today. It can be a whole sentence or just one word. Repeat the sentence or word a few times out loud or silently to yourself.
7. Strike the gong again and repeat your current focus. Let it enter your body and mind with the vibrations. Repeat this three to four times.
8. Let the gong fade out and sit in silence for a few more breaths. When you are ready, open your eyes and start your day.

This little ritual can help you find focus, align yourself and build positive energy for the day. It can also help you to react more calmly to small and large challenges and boost your self-esteem. If you find it difficult to calm your mind, a sound meditation with gong can help you to let go of your thoughts and focus on the here and now.

Daily gong ritual for better sleep

A sound ritual is ideal for gently guiding you into a different activity or state of mind. Especially during transitions - such as the transition from day to night, i.e. from wakefulness to sleep - the use of sound can help you prepare for the upcoming change and get involved with it. In addition, the vibrations of the gong can also help to activate your subconscious, leading to deeper insights and realizations during sleep or the next morning. Sleep is the time when our body rests and heals. There is hardly a better way to communicate to the body that it is time to rest than with the sound of a gong.

Instructions for an evening ritual with gong (5-10 minutes)

1. Find a quiet place where you feel comfortable and where you won't be disturbed.
2. Sit comfortably and take a few deep breaths in and out to relax your body and let go of the thoughts of the day.
3. Start playing the gong and concentrate on the vibrations and sounds. You should play the gong particularly gently in the evening to make it easier to find peace and relaxation.
4. Let the sounds fill the room and feel how they move through your body.
5. Visualize your body and mind relaxing and preparing for the sleep ahead. You can do this by slowly moving your attention from your feet to the crown of your head, bit by bit.
6. Dedicate a few breaths to each part of the body and consciously absorb the sounds in that area.
7. Hit the gong again each time as soon as the tones have faded.
8. Once you have reached the crown of your head, play the gong one last time.
9. End the ritual by breathing in and out deeply and slowly opening your eyes.

After the ritual, you can go straight to sleep or write down any thoughts that are still present in a small notebook. As you can see, sound is easy to incorporate into everyday life. Small rituals with your gong make it easier for you to meditate and relax. The gong is a very powerful tool that can be used in daily practice to achieve a meditative state and expand the senses. Especially for morning and evening meditation, the gong is great for calming the mind and preparing for the day or sleep ahead. Such a ritual can help you to find your focus, react more calmly to challenges and strengthen your self-esteem. Those who find it difficult to calm the mind can benefit from a sound meditation with the gong to let go of thoughts and concentrate on the here and now.