Eleven participants bounced from foot to foot, waved their hands, and hollered in gibberish in the back-lot building at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Padanaram. Although any outsider would’ve thought the group possessed, it was actually a warmup.

The group had gathered for a gong bath—a meditation that clears the body with sound. Acupuncturist Deb Stevens led the session with a set of eight gongs, metal and silica bowls, Tibetan hand bells, and a drum.

"Sound is a wave, and we’re not solid so the wave can pass through us,” said Stevens.

The meditators danced for nearly three minutes to clear their minds, but Stevens said going longer (try nine minutes) has additional benefits.

Next, everyone laid down on their yoga mats. Stevens instructed them to think about something they had deep appreciation for before the first of the sounds began. A high-pitched bell echoed off the high ceiling of the room. Then, deep gongs reverberated, sounding like a scene out of Frankenstein.

Meditators saw flashes of color and imagery as Stevens walked around the room with her instruments, her footsteps muffled by the carpet. She gently woke the attendees an hour later.

“I felt the vibration go up my leg and up my shoulder,” said one woman afterwards as the group reported their experiences. “You remember so many parts of yourself.”

“It’s like it’s cleaning you right out,” said another about the loud noises.

“It’s such a freedom. It’s like flying internally,” said the woman wrapped in a blanket to keep her feet warm.

“That’s the idea, to bring everything to a static tension where you’re either going to hold onto it or swoooooo,” responded Stevens.

She gave other suggestions for “releasing tension,” including spending time in nature and doing what she calls “car yoga.”

“I shake my arm until it feels like a water balloon,” she said. Shaking each body part in every direction helps loosen the muscle, release tension, and “you’re going to get wonderfully toned arms” too, said Stevens.

She talked about her cultural studies (Stevens has studied in India, Tibet, China, and with many Native cultures, including the Aztecs and Mayans) and how many cultures believe you can communicate through a sound wave.

“Our basic structure is light and sound, but we just don’t utilize it enough,” responded Stevens.

Many said they noticed that as the music got more intense, the birds started talking back. Stevens said often, the family of foxes living nearby comes to listen during the practice.

“I love the sound when it gets loud and intense. It’s always controlled sound out in public,” said attendee Gail Donahue. City sounds—like car horns and pedestrian crosswalks—are predictable, and your body has a predictable response to them.

“But here, it’s where ever it takes you,” said Donahue. The free-flowing music allows for an open mind, heightened self-awareness, and increased creativity.

“That’s why people go to the beach,” said Stevens, saying people unconsciously find ocean waves and bird calls soothing to the mind. “The gong—it does that without agenda. That’s awesome!” she said.

The next gong bath will be help at St. Peter’s at 351 Elm Street sometime in July for $20. Bring a yoga mat or blanket, socks if your feet get chilly, and a support pillow if necessary.