Ever had a gong bath in Sidmouth?

Debbie Tallis demonstrates a gong therapy session. Picture: Callum Lawton (Image: Picture: Callum Lawton)

Herald reporters Beth Sharp and Callum Lawton went to find out about the growing trend beginning to resonate with peoples' modern day lives.

Gong therapy session are now being offered in Sidmouth and aim to detoxify the mind and body.

Debbie Tallis, who runs a studio in Sidmouth as well as group sessions at venues such as St Francis Hall, in the town, qualified as a gong, sound and energy practitioner in 2017.

Debbie has a range of gongs, tuned to different frequency, which affect everyone differently.

Debbie Tallis demonstrates a gong therapy session. Picture: Callum Lawton (Image: Picture: Callum Lawton)

Callum, who is a sceptic, and myself were invited to have a little taste of what a gong bath tastes like, and why so many people are beginning to enjoy the relaxation and therapeutic effects on the sessions.

Once the session began, we were both invited to sit back and recline in a seat with a blanket and eye mask and allow the vibrations of the gongs to wash over us.

Debbie owns four handcrafted, silver nickel gongs between 38 and 32 inches wide and each worth thousands of pounds. Each gong is specially crafted and tuned by master craftspeople and imported from across the world.

After we arrived, we were welcomed into the studio and were sat in reclining chairs with a blanket and eyemask.

Debbie Tallis demonstrates a gong therapy session. Picture: Callum Lawton (Image: Picture: Callum Lawton)

Debbie talked us through some breathing techniques before she began to play a number of instruments before introducing the gongs.

Each session is different and tailored for the person - there is no set play list and Debbie improvises when playing the gongs.

A session normally lasts around 40 to 50 minutes and concludes with a number of other instruments to enable you to start coming back into the room.

Debbie said: "I hope that I am helping people to heal themselves. The people that come to me generally feel so much better afterwards...

"I feel that sound frequencies have an impact with or without intention, but with intention we are being specific as to where and what we would like them to heal or work on.

"Sound affects every cell in our body as the body is made up of approximately 60 per cent water.

"The vibrations are going to affect them."

Call 01395 516528 or email debbie@debbietallis.com for more information.