Sound Healing Sounds Like Nonsense… Right?
I never thought I’d be the kind of person to try sound healing. If someone had told me a few years ago that I’d be lying on a yoga mat, wrapped in a blanket, willingly letting someone “bathe” me in sound, I would have laughed. Hard.
Let’s be real—it sounds ridiculous. Gongs, bowls, tuning forks? How is any of that supposed to do anything? It sounds like the kind of thing people do when they’ve exhausted all other options, convinced themselves they need “spiritual healing,” or just want to pretend they’re enlightened.
I had my doubts. I assumed it was another wellness trend, like people claiming that smudging their house with sage would fix all their problems. I figured that sound healing was just relaxation marketed as something profound—a placebo effect dressed up in flowery language about “energy.”
But then I thought I’d actually try sound healing. And what I experienced completely changed the way I understood sound, meditation, and even my own mind.
I Thought Sound Healing Was Woo-Woo Nonsense
My Background in Music and Why I Was Sceptical
I’ve always been into drums and percussion, but I never thought of sound as anything more than something you listen to. Sure, music can shift your mood, but the idea that it could actually physically impact your body in a deep way? That seemed like a stretch.
And I had good reason to be doubtful. I spent years working in church sound production, where music was deliberately used to manipulate emotions. The band would play slow, building chords, and the sound team—myself included—would tweak the frequencies to create an atmosphere. People thought they were “feeling the presence of God.” Really, they were feeling sub-bass frequencies and strategically placed reverb.
I knew how sound could make people feel something, but I also knew it could be engineered for effect. That was exactly why I was sceptical of sound healing—wasn’t this just another way of tricking the brain into experiencing something it was conditioned to believe?
The Role of Sound in Emotion and Perception
Beyond my church background, I’d always been fascinated by how sound affected emotions. Music has the power to make us cry, to motivate us, to trigger nostalgia from years ago. But I assumed that was just an emotional response to lyrics, memories, and personal connections—not something physical.
What I didn’t realise then was that sound has a direct impact on the nervous system, even without us attaching meaning to it. Different frequencies interact with the body in ways I never fully understood until I experienced it for myself.
Why I Still Agreed to Try It
There was one thing that made me curious—the gongs.
When I was 15 years old, I saw Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden’s drummer) at Drummer Live in London’s Excel Centre. His drum setup was insane—a massive rack of toms, dozens of cymbals, and behind it all? A huge Paiste symphonic gong.
I remember watching, completely mesmerised, as he punched the gong with his fist instead of using a mallet. The sound that came out of it was huge, immersive, almost otherworldly. It wasn’t just a noise—it was a wave that you could feel.
That moment stuck with me. There was something about the sheer power of that sound that made me want to experience it in a different way. So when I heard about sound healing using gongs, I figured, Alright. Let’s see what this is about.
My First Experience: The Gong Bath That Changed Everything
Walking Into the Unknown
When I walked into my first gong bath, I had zero expectations. I was handed a blanket, an eye mask, and a yoga mat, told to switch my phone to airplane mode, and then instructed to just lie down and relax.
The setup was simple. The gongs were arranged in the centre of the room, and we were positioned either in front of or behind them, lying down on yoga mats. No fancy lights, no bowls, no incense—just the instruments, the facilitators, and a group of people who had all shown up to experience something.
Then the Sound Hit
The first strike of the gong wasn’t just a sound—it was a feeling. The deep resonance moved through the room, and before I even had time to process it, I could feel it in my chest, in my limbs, in my bones. It wasn’t just something I was hearing—it was something I was experiencing.
I’ve struggled with meditation for years, always finding my mind too restless. But within minutes of that sound washing over me, I wasn’t even trying to focus. My thoughts just stopped. It wasn’t effort. It wasn’t forcing myself to be mindful. It just happened.
The Unexpected Power of Vibration
What struck me wasn’t just the sound itself—it was how much I could physically feel it. The sound waves weren’t just filling the room; they were vibrating through my body, creating an experience I had no words for. It wasn’t something I could explain logically, but it was happening.
What I Noticed Afterwards
After the session ended, I felt different. Not just relaxed—grounded, clear, and strangely energised. It was like my entire body had been reset, like something had shifted inside me without me having to try.
And that’s what made me come back.
The Benefits of Sound Healing I’ve Personally Experienced
Deeper Sleep and Relaxation
Before sound healing, I struggled with nights where I’d toss and turn, overthinking everything from past conversations to the meaning of life. My brain never really switched off.
After a gong bath, though? I slept like a fucking rock. It wasn’t just a placebo effect, either—my body physically felt lighter, calmer, and more at ease. The deep vibrations from the gongs had worked through layers of tension that I hadn’t even realised I was holding.
The reason for this is simple: sound affects brainwaves. The low, resonant frequencies from gongs guide your mind into a deep, meditative state, similar to what happens right before sleep. So by the time the session was over, my nervous system was already primed for deep rest.
Processing Emotions Without Overthinking
I’m someone who tends to intellectualise emotions. Instead of actually feeling things, I analyse them, pick them apart, and try to make sense of them logically. But sound healing didn’t give me that option—it forced me to feel.
During some sessions, I’d feel waves of sadness or joy come up, completely unprompted. I wasn’t thinking about anything specific, but the vibrations of the gongs seemed to stir something deep inside.
This isn’t unusual. Sound healing works on the body first—it bypasses the part of the brain that wants to explain everything and goes straight to the nervous system. Instead of thinking through emotions, you experience them directly. And sometimes, that’s exactly what’s needed to actually let them go.
Finally Quieting an Overactive Mind
If you’ve ever tried meditating and found it impossible to sit still because your brain won’t shut up, sound healing might be the answer.
I’d spent years trying different meditation techniques—breathwork, mindfulness, guided visualisations—but my mind would always wander. Sound healing, though? It hijacks your attention in the best way possible.
The constant, layered tones of the gongs give the mind something to latch onto without forcing you to concentrate. It’s like a shortcut into deep meditation—effortless and immersive.
Why You Should Try It for Yourself
I went into my first session expecting nothing. What I got was an experience that completely shifted my understanding of meditation, relaxation, and sound itself.
It’s one thing to read about it—but it’s another thing entirely to feel it.
If you’ve ever been curious, I highly recommend booking a session. Whether it’s a group session at Transcend or a one-on-one experience, just give it a try.
I was sceptical too. But now? I get it.
