I actually thought she’d put a CD on.
That was my first experience of the gong.
I was lying there at the end of Preet’s kundalini yoga class, eyes closed, and this sound started to fill the room… not music, not just noise, something else entirely.
It felt like it was moving through my body rather than just around it, and I remember laying there thinking, what on earth is this?
Around me, everyone else seemed to know exactly what was happening.
There was this quiet excitement in the room.
“She’s bought the gong.”
I had no idea what that meant!
To me, a gong was something you hit when dinner was ready.
But whatever this was, I was completely taken by it.
It felt expansive, almost otherworldly, like my whole system had softened without me trying to make it happen. I left that class knowing I wanted more of it, even if I didn’t fully understand it.
At that point, though, it was still… a bit niche.
If I mentioned it to people outside of that space, I’d get polite nods, slightly confused looks, or an “oh… right” response that usually means I don’t really get it but I’ll go along with you…!
And still, back in 2010, all those years ago, I followed it.
A year later, when I hosted my very first retreat, I invited Preet to come and play the gong, even though I knew a lot of people wouldn’t fully understand what it was or why it was there.
That decision ended up taking me on a whole new life path.
What started as curiosity turned into a friendship with Preet that’s now spanned over seventeen years, and the gong became a core part of the retreats I offer, because I could see the impact it was having on people’s bodies and nervous systems.
But at the time, it definitely wasn’t mainstream.
I remember very clearly when journalists from Look magazine came down to experience one of my retreats, I used to get a lot of press attention back then. But Wellness Editors didn’t exist, retreats weren’t understood, and the whole thing was very fringe.
They arrived from London, lovely but clearly unsure of what they’d signed up for, like they’d stepped into a a world of hippy, yogi, country bumpkins.
When it came to the gong, they joined in… but I could see the hesitation.
Not long after, they came to find me and explained they’d been called back to London to cover an event that evening.
Even at the time, it was pretty obvious they were trying to make a polite exit.
And when the article eventually came out, they literally said: “you lie down while a lady bangs a gong and apparently it’s relaxing.”
When I recount this story to friends even now, even while I’m writing this – it still has me in stitches.
But that was the tone back then! Very interesting. Rather unusual. A little bit “out there”.
And then, slowly, things started to shift.
I remember the moment it felt like sound healing might move into the mainstream was when Richard & Judy had a gong master on their morning show and suddenly something that had felt quite niche started to become visible in a different way.
Fast forward to now, and sound healing is everywhere.
Gong baths are a recognised part of the wellness world. You’ll find them at festivals, in studios, at retreats, and in towns & villages all over the country. What once felt unfamiliar is now something people actively seek out.
The activity itself hasn’t changed, but the context certainly has. And that’s always interesting to watch!
Because it makes you realise how quickly perception shifts, and how often something is labelled as “weird” simply because it hasn’t reached enough people yet.
The gong still isn’t for everyone, and it never will be, but as a tool for supporting the nervous system and creating deep rest, it has more than earned its place.
And it does make me wonder what else is sitting quietly on the edge of the wellness world, waiting for its moment.
Something that feels unusual or even slightly comical today, but in a few years’ time will feel completely normal to us.
I’m incredibly grateful to Preet Kaur for introducing me to it all those years ago, and for the role she’s played in shaping this part of my work.
And somewhere along the way, I ended up learning the gong myself, training with her and turning something that once felt completely unfamiliar into something I now share with you in my sound healings in Dorset.
Because sometimes, the things that feel a little unusual at first are just ahead of their time!
Want to experience the gong too?
If you’re curious about the gong, the best way to understand it is to experience it for yourself!
You can join me at one of my upcoming sound healing sessions, where you’ll be guided into deep rest while the gong works through your body.
View all of my upcoming sound baths in Dorset here.