Sheila Whittaker is the senior gong tutor for the College of Sound Healing, and runs the Gong Practitioner Training Course, which she authored for the College in 2009. Since then she has taught this very popular and comprehensive Course each year to new groups of students, and in the last few years has trained other tutors to teach the Course in different parts of the UK and Ireland.
The Gong Course is Sheila's main work for the College at this time, and she is a member of the College committee. She also runs several two-day Gong Intensive weekend workshops during the year, so that participants can "dip their toe in the water" and see how they get on with the gong work before committing to the full Gong Practitioner Course. No previous musical experience is needed to participate in one of Sheila's workshops. She also occasionally holds all-night Gong Puja ceremonies for her current and ex-students.
Sheila's history : she is a professional violinist and musician who studied at the Royal College of Music in London. For nearly twenty years she had a thriving career in mainstream classical music, freelancing with orchestras and chamber groups, and teaching violin.
Over twenty years ago Sheila embarked on an alternative musical route, feeling the need to use her musical abilities in a more holistic way : she studied Sound Healing with Simon Heather, and Gong with Don Conreaux. She has since specialised in the use of the gongs for Sound Therapy.
Sheila has recorded three gong CD's - "Transcendence", "Sounds of Stillness", and "Quantum Transformations", and written two books on the gong which have become classic reference books in this field. Her first book "Sound Healing with Gongs - a Gong Book for Beginners" was published in 2010. The second book "In the Heart of the Gong Space - the Gong as a Spiritual Tool" was published in October 2012. Both books are available to order from Sheila's website.
Sheila is a member of the CMA and the UK Sound Healer's Association. As well as her teaching, she has a private therapy practise near Ashburton on the edge of Dartmoor, south Devon. She is also a traditionally trained Reiki master.
Sheila still enjoys playing the violin - these days it's mainly folk songs and traditional Irish music - with friends and colleagues.
Website : www.sheilawhittaker.com
Email : healingsound@btinternet.com
Telephone : 01626 821511
