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Sheila Whittaker
Category: Gong Work

Gong Training

GONG TRAINING


I wrote an article awhile back on buying a gong, as in recent years there has been a great increasein the type and quality of gongs now being offered to people interested in them.Now the same thing is happening with gong training : an explosion of interestin the gong work in the last few years has led to a number of different gongtrainings being set up, and I hear that some of them are of varying quality. Iknow this, as people who have attended gong trainings that didn’t fulfil all theirhopes and expectations, have often ended up coming to me for further training. Solet’s talk about gong training, and look at some of the options available, andwhat you might expect to get if you decide to do one of the trainings now onoffer across the UK. 


Obviously you’llwant to do a gong training that is well established, has been in place for anumber of years, and has a good reputation. And preferably personallyrecommended by someone you know and trust. It needs saying that word of mouthis the best possible recommendation. If you meet someone who has done aparticular training and raves about it, is enthusiastic about the person runningit and what it gave them in terms of teaching and also personal/spiritualinsights, then that’s a highly reliable and powerful recommendation. Many of mystudents have come to me through word of mouth recommendation from people Ihave taught in previous years. A good number have had life-changing experiencesthrough their work with the gongs, and of course they tell others, who thenwant to come. 


When choosing a gongworkshop, you’ll preferably want to be taught by someone who is an experienced practitionerand teacher, and has been working with the gongs and in the Sound Healing fieldfor some years. If they also have a musical background, that’s a bonus. You’llknow, then, that they understand and have a wide knowledge of the subject, andare thus qualified to pass on that information in a clear and effective way. Ifthey’ve written books, that’s a way to tune in with the teacher and their levelof knowledge and wisdom before you commit to a workshop. If the training is rununder the umbrella of an established and recognised College, and alsoindependently certified by an organisation like the Complimentary Medical Association,then so much the better. That in itself is a good recommendation. It means theperson teaching you holds a responsible position within the College, is properlyqualified, and has a certain level of integrity. This is relevant because forthose who are ready, the gong teachings can involve serious therapeutic healingand personal development work. Therefore you need to know that your tutor is a reliableand trusted person of a high calibre, who can fully support you in your ownhealing process while you are working with the gongs. 


You’ll also want todo a training that goes into many different aspects of the gong work. This is alarge subject, with a lot of knowledge and wisdom to assimilate. Doing atwo-day gong workshop will get you started and teach you all the basics. If youthen decide you want to go deeper into the teachings, this is best done over alonger time period so that you have the opportunity to absorb it all over time.In this way, the gong work is assimilated in stages, making any healing andclearing effects easier to cope with. I know of people who have done a longertraining all-in-one, and had a healing crisis due to too much of their “stuff”being brought up all at once. It’s probably better to do it in stages, whichusually alleviates this problem. These days, for various reasons,  the gong work is going deeper than everbefore, and really two days in the intensive Gong Space at one time is quiteenough for many people.      


The gong teachingsare very broad and extensive – they open your horizons and take you deeply intoyourself, to explore areas you may not have visited before. This takes time toget used to if you have not previously done much personal development work. Thereare quite a few different gong trainings out there now, and I often see the adverseeffects of people being taught by teachers with insufficient experience anddepth. This is simply because those people are themselves relatively new to thegongs and have not as yet sufficiently addressed their own personal development. 


And don’t even getme started on the rising phenomenon of totally inexperienced people giving “gongbaths”with no training at all. Unfortunately that is also happening increasinglyoften. If you plan to attend a gongbath with anyone, do please ask whattraining and experience they have had before you commit. I have seen too manypeople who have had unpleasant experiences and probably been put off the gong forlife, simply because they were “gonged” by novice gong players who think thegong is the latest New Age fad, and they want to buy a gong and jump on thebandwagon. This is serious work, and should only be undertaken by people whohave been properly trained. 


So do choose wisely.And make sure you train with a qualified, experienced gong teacher/practitioner/therapist,who knows what they are doing. And has preferably been recommended by someoneyou know. Then you should have a deep and satisfying gong journey.


Sheila Whittaker29.1.18


www.healing-sound.co.uk


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