We were lucky to catch up with Jennifer Ryan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

I am a former nurse. One shift when I was working at the bedside, I was receiving an overwhelming amount of demands from patients, doctors and the multidisciplinary staff. All of the mindfulness teachings hit me at once when I connected that everything will be done, I will eventually clock out of my 12 hour shift and all I needed to do was to take it one breath and moment at a time with loving kindness for all whom I encountered. That has stuck to me (with ardent practice) to this day in every connection of life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

About a decade ago I was introduced to the power of the gong and soundbaths. My first experience receiving a gongbath was during a blind-folded 2 hour session where I would eventually return a decade later full-circle for a 10-day world-renowned gong immersion training. While I was in the nursing field, I would monthly receive sound and vibrational attunements from a close friend for stress management and optimizing my wellness. I already knew and felt to my core the value of routinely receiving sound immersion. After working on the covid floor at the hospital as a bedside nurse for a year-and-a-half (3 years in acute care nursing total), I recognized that feeding a system that was falling apart wasn’t serving me anymore. None of my beliefs and values aligned with the protocols I was carrying out on the floor. It was a only matter of time that I would resign as I weaned hours, not knowing where I was going when said close friend gave me some clear guidance, stating I was free and fluid like a dolphin whenever she played the gong for me in sessions. This gave me the go-ahead to invest in my first gong. That night I went on Facebook Marketplace and found a listing with not only the gong, but a slew of other instruments including my ocean drum and singing bowls, for a fragment of the usual cost. I came to find that I had inherited a woman’s sound kit she had consciously curated for her sound meditation business that she was ready to give up. It was all destiny with spirited guidance and very little effort on my part. So begins Jen who plays the Gong. It was time that I began to administer the most potent, immediate, long-lasting and low-to-no side effect medicine I have ever personally experienced: sound and vibration.

Since resigning from nursing at the end of 2021, I have successfully launched private individualized sessions for wellness for many walks of life, but interestingly enough many nurses have gravitated to this modality. It has been an honor to offer sound immersion in a variety of locations including a local hospital, farms, schools, long term care facilities, yoga studios, art boutiques, an acupuncture clinic and more. It is something that I am truly passionate about offering as a form of routine holistic healthcare wellness. I also facilitate private soundbath parties for corporate wellness, family and friends. Since resigning about a year and a half ago to this point, I have also hosted or co-hosted 4 retreats with focus on non-doing for deep relaxation, including one in Costa Rica. There is not an end in sight to hosting these retreats that are special to my heart.

Sound and vibrational immersion with stillness is incredibly effective and imperative for incorporating into our busy lifestyles of Modern day. It affords us effortless deep peace, calm and relaxation when we are in the age of the monkey mind. Even just a moment can feel like an eternity when your mind is quiet without any agendas or narratives. Sound immersion facilitates effortless reframing of our nervous systems by easily activating the parasympathetic, or rest and digest mode, for substantial and deep repair. This is huge in an absurdly over-paced world of notifications. It is my mission to magnify this particular and immeasurable benefit of this under-looked modality for our stressed society.

My bedside nursing comes through by taking the time to attend to the needs of each recipient that arrives for group and especially individual sessions. Tending to humanity during this pivotal time of wakefulness being integrated post-pandemic is such an honor and gift for me.

Ultimately, facilitating sound immersion and stillness is my divinely-appointed role for sustainability for the souls of humanity (all beings) and the soil of the earth. The more consciously slow, still and receptive we become; the more fulfilled we are with less therefore reducing what we needlessly consume.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Resigning from nursing with a vague idea of where I was going and trusting the unfolding of the journey before me. My entire small biz is based around faith and trusting the unfolding, allowing things to come to me with as little seeking and striving as possible. This can be very unsettling for many and it was to me at a point, but now I recognize the value of space and allowing things to come to you. This is the practice of non-doing.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Sincerity and authenticity.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jenwhoplaysthegong.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/jenwhoplaysthegong
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenwhoplaysthegong