Written by Holly Lerski after attending our Mannington Hall Awakening Solstice Gong Bath on Friday 21st June 2024
Gong Bath Beneath Tall Trees on a Summer Solstice Eve, anyone?
This year’s summer Solstice, I had a bit of a transcendental experience. I went to an outdoor Gong Bath held in the arboretum of a Tudor Hall in the hinterlands of deepest, darkest Norfolk.
The Bliss
I am in a big circle of people surrounding a sacred space. In the middle, there are four gongs and an assortment of mystical sound making thingamajigs. We are about to be bathed in sound by Healing Possibilities, and three very special healers - one of them a lovely friend of mine called Harriet.
The sun is still quite awake, everything glowing copper-gold. I look up and see blue sky, clouds and leaves. Eyelids now closing, the clouds becoming pools of red, violet, purple, pink then yellow turning slowly into rainbow puddles — what does this remind me of, I begin to ponder. The kind petroleum make in water. Then they disperse. My mind starts wondering, where did they go? Stop wondering and start wandering, I remind myself. The sound bath now goes from wind and rain(sticks) to drumbeat bom-bom-bom then, finally, singing gong.
There are tones floating around my body at 360 degrees, with birds calling in between. I could be upside down, I'm starting to lose my bearings a little. Then images appearing again, vague diaphanous terrain. Am I in the clouds or is this land? There is distance, it must be land. I'm standing somewhere, looking out. It's a field, I'm up to my knees in long grass perhaps? Barley? OK, this is now turning into that scene from Gladiator. Stop it, you're being ridiculous. But — it's feeling so good.
More colours coming in now, a smokey haze and me watching, thinking, I need to paint again. Why haven't I yet? I need more colour in my life! I will go get my paints and easel next week.
More thinking, then monkey-mind surrendering as tones float, going lower and deeper, slowly taking shape and becoming two fire dragons in the sky. My friend had sent me an amazing cloud dragon photo she’d taken the day before. It's maybe imprinted on my brain because now I'm sensing two red dragons — not the muscle giants of St George but slender like flames - calling across to each other. I hear wailing, like whales, only these are sky monsters, lovers moaning their ode to each other, slow, aching and beautiful.
And then birds again. And a bug landing on my arm to pull me back to earth and the grass. I feel it with fingertips, imagining that intense green smell if I crushed it now and rubbed it under my nose. Like vetiver. Only I can't move, so I imagine instead.
And surrounding all this, just deep gratitude that I. Am. Here. Now. On this day, summer Solstice 2024, I am sharing this strange, wonderful magic with all these people around me - my earth angel stepdaughter Ruby, my dear fairy friend Jane, her own little fairy, Faye, and all these magical creatures.
That night I had the deepest sleep. I haven't slept that well in maybe 6 years, but I woke up with a new song playing in my head. I usually sing these into my phone, but I let that one go. It’s more that I woke up hearing it vividly that made it significant.
All that from just sound, nature, imagination, connection and a deep sense of love.
Amazing. Try one soon. Here's a link that'll take you to Healing Possibilities.
Comments