No time to write- but thought I'd share this fabulous piece of music. Occasionally I get to stop long enough to look at some of the pictures on the video as well. What better way to get stuff done than to put on Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert in the background- or in the foreground!
Zigs and Zags and Patti Smith
~Wrote this two days ago while flying out to SLC but didn't get a chance to post until now. Benjamin is having surgery this afternoon. Feeling more nervous about his recovery than the actual procedure. Fortunately he and I both have great support as he goes through this next challenge. He has an excellent team of doctors and his roommates are two very close friends who have reassured me that they will be at the ready and available to help him out with whatever he needs when he gets home. I am staying about ten minutes away with my best friend, Mimi Charles, from when I was a teenager and we seem to be more connected than ever after having lost touch for more than 30 years! We reconnected about 7 years ago when Ben moved out to Utah but had only seen each other once for an hour or two when I was out here 3 years. Life is strange and sweet amidst the challenges.~
Sitting on an airplane headed to SLC. My son Ben is having a surgical procedure the day after tomorrow on his eye- actually the optic nerve. It could be a fairly simple procedure- optic nerve decompression due to a rare bone condition that he has had since childhood- and I am more concerned about the recovery but it could also be a bit more extensive than what they are anticipating.
Flight zigs and zags- a 12-hour travel day. Providence to Baltimore, Baltimore to Detroit, Detroit to Las Vegas, Las Vegas to SLC. I hate writing on my iPhone but figure I may as well do something constructive!
Finished reading Patti Smith’s amazing book “Just Kids” en route. Didn’t plan so well- I didn’t want it to end, especially when I still have hours to go before arriving in Salt Lake. Somehow I didn’t take into account all the time changes and didn’t realize it was a four and a half hour flight from Detroit to Las Vegas! The upside of being stuck on a plane for many hours is being held hostage by creative artistic literary rock n’ roll inspiration.
What is it that gets me about Patti Smith? I had no idea how steeped in art her life has been. How did I not know so much more about her in years gone by? I knew she was a rock icon and a legend- every time I heard her music I loved it but I never chased her down- until last year when I read “M Train” and had my mind blown. Now I want to hear every song, read every poem, every book and see every drawing she ever did.
Part of what is so captivating is her humility and her unabashed honesty. It’s as though she looked life straight in the eye and fell into it. The lack of ego is one of the most refreshing things in her writing. It was quite a contrast to Graham Nash’s autobiography which I recently finished and grew very tired of about 2/3 of the way through because I felt it was so full of ego. Somehow there was always the feeling to me that he was name-dropping and talking a lot about how fabulous he was, whereas with Patti Smith, even while she writes about meeting Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and other legends, it feels very innocent and natural. There is sense of detachment around it- like she’s just writing about her life as it unfolded in a very organic way. There is always a sense of wonder, simplicity and connection.
When I saw her in New Bedford in January I had the same sense- an invitation to be fully human with no shame, no hiding. It is a powerful and inspiring invitation, to be the fullness of who I am and to me the greatest gift of true spiritual teachers. The ones I have been most affected by are the ones who I feel are fully manifesting in every moment. So I guess I am adding Patti Smith to my list of great gurus. Thank you Patti.Sitting on an airplane headed to SLC. My son Ben is having a surgical procedure the day after tomorrow on his eye- actually the optic nerve. It could be a fairly simple procedure- optic nerve decompression due to a rare bone condition that he was born with- and I am more concerned about the recovery but it could also be a bit more extensive than what they are anticipating.
Flight zigs and zags- a 12-hour travel day. Providence to Baltimore, Baltimore to Detroit, Detroit to Las Vegas, Las Vegas to SLC. I hate writing on my iPhone but figure I may as well do something constructive!
Finished reading Patti Smith’s amazing book “Just Kids” en route. Didn’t plan so well- I didn’t want it to end, especially when I still have hours to go before arriving in Salt Lake. Somehow I didn’t take into account all the time changes and didn’t realize it was a four and a half hour flight from Detroit to Las Vegas! The upside of being stuck on a plane for many hours is being held hostage by creative artistic literary rock n’ roll inspiration.
What is it that gets me about Patti Smith? I had no idea how steeped in art her life has been. How did I not know so much more about her in years gone by? I knew she was a rock icon and a legend- every time I heard her music I loved it but I never chased her down- until last year when I read “M Train” and had my mind blown. Now I want to hear every song, read every poem, every book and see every drawing she ever did.
Part of what is so captivating is her humility and her unabashed honesty. It’s as though she looked life straight in the eye and fell into it. The lack of ego is one of the most refreshing things in her writing. It was quite a contrast to Graham Nash’s autobiography which I recently finished and grew very tired of about 2/3 of the way through because I felt it was so full of ego. Somehow there was always the feeling to me that he was name-dropping and talking a lot about how fabulous he was, whereas with Patti Smith, even while she writes about meeting Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and other legends, it feels very innocent and natural. There is sense of detachment around it- like she’s just writing about her life as it unfolded in a very organic way. There is always a sense of wonder, simplicity and connection.
When I saw her in New Bedford in January I had the same sense- an invitation to be fully human with no shame, no hiding. It is a powerful and inspiring invitation, to be the fullness of who I am and to me the greatest gift of true spiritual teachers. The ones I have been most affected by are the ones who I feel are fully manifesting in every moment. So I guess I am adding Patti Smith to my list of great gurus. Thank you Patti.
Credit Sebastien Bozon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Sarasvati, Mike Oldfield, Creativity and Healing
Sarasvati, "She Who Flows", is the goddess of creativity, wisdom, intellectual pursuits, the arts and sciences, music and language. She is the one we can invoke before we begin any creative project.
This is a great little clip of Mike Oldfield, maestro extraordinaire, discussing his creative process. I love the how he talks about the germination of an idea.
And just for the fun of it I am posting another great song of his (what has he done that isn't great?) that isn't always associated with him- but in fact he wrote it (NOT Hall & Oates as some folks believe). This is the original version on his album "Five Miles Out" (Maggie Reilly on vocals). If your only association with Mike Oldfield is as the composer of "Tubular Bells" this one may come as a surprise- but really, he is a musical genius and full of surprises.
And now, if I have your full attention, turn up your speakers, lay back and listen to the full recording of "Ommadawn"- total gorgeousness and brilliance! Talk about sound healing! I used to listen to this endlessly. It's over 40 years old now and has lost nothing over the years- still just brilliant and beautiful. I know every note by heart. It was music to disappear into when life got to be too much... This is one of those albums that could always bring joy to my heart and peace to my mind.
Last Night (An Evening With Patti Smith)
Photo by Julie Munafo
I feel like last night was an historic event.
Well, it was. For me.
What is that, when the pure unabashed humanity of another person allows you to tap into that deepest part of yourself? Not your soul. Nothing so lofty as that. Your raw wounded compassionate loving funny poignant beautiful authentic self just the way you show up in this world- flaws, foibles, warts and all.
That was An Evening With Patti Smith. Her black jeans, scrappy t-shirt peeking out from under her black vest and man's suit jacket, slightly over-sized. Unafraid of her age, nothing to hide, censoring nothing as far as I could tell...
She read, mostly from Just Kids, some from her new "little book" Devotion (which is small) (and which she said could possibly be read in one sitting on a bad day in the bathroom) and she sang a few "little songs". Right. Earth-shaking, from the core of her being, reaching into mine and most of the other 1200 people's in the audience as well, I am sure. Maybe there were a few who didn't get it, didn't get her- who knows. She is a simple powerful force- kind of like a tsunami. Her writing had already struck me that way. Her music too. But there was something even greater in her presence that kept my attention glued to her, all the while with a huge smile on my face and tears streaming down my cheeks much of the time. I couldn't take a picture or record a song because I did not want to break the trance for a second. I actually thought to myself that if I died last night I would be totally satisfied. That is how powerful it was for me.
I was with four friends. I was speechless afterwards. I pretended I could talk. But I felt like I was in another universe. It wasn't anything. It wasn't because I am somehow starstruck. More like awestruck- by the impact of total presence.
There is a line in M Train that made me feel like if I only read that one line I could be totally satisfied by the experience of reading something extraordinary. She is describing having fallen asleep for a while on her bed in a hotel room in the early evening in Mexico City. She is awakened by someone speaking through a distorted megaphone. "Disembodied words carried by the wind and landing on my windowsill like a deranged homing pigeon."
That may be my favorite line ever. Whose mind thinks this way? It's genius.
Here's a little clip from her show last night- I am so happy that someone has already put this up on YouTube.
A Musical Dream of Peace and Bliss
Last night I fell asleep and had a dream within a dream.
In the dream I had lain down and fallen asleep listening to music through some kind of speakers or earbuds, so I was deeply immersed, bathing, in the music when I fell asleep. When I woke up it was 3 in the afternoon the next day and the only reason I had woken up was because someone had come in my room (this is all in the dream) and sat on my bed- maybe to see if I was awake or up. I couldn't believe it was so late and that I had slept so long but I was totally blissed out. I had been dreaming that I was in a timeless place- or experience- of utter peace, bathed in a brilliant silvery golden light. A place of "enlightenment"... That was all I saw and felt. It went on and on but there was no time. I was happy to see the person who had come in my room, a dream character, someone I loved deeply. I was excited to tell him of my dream and share the wonder and gratitude I was feeling.
I woke up to this reality shortly thereafter. The experience of the vision was clear and strong and felt like the most real part of the whole experience of "dreaming". I was blissed out, still smiling when I woke up, still filled with joy and gratitude.
That was my dream. Beyond that, as I write this I have an awareness that something has shifted inside me since my birthday on January 8. I woke up feeling unexpectedly joyful that day and have had long periods of it since then. I am a strongly emotional person and I feel deeply but I have rarely, if ever, used the word "joy" to describe my inner state of being. I have said I am happy, I feel great, fantastic, wonderful, blissed out at times, but I don't know if I have ever said "I feel joyful today". I have used it to describe others, or to describe music, or some other experience but I don't think I have ever said it about myself! I like this feeling.
As an afterthought I need to add that I have been reading a pretty amazing book by John Edmonds from New Zealand who was clinically dead for around 25 minutes and had a near death experience. I have been reading his book Beyond the Horizon every night before I fall asleep. I kept drifting off as I was reading it last night and I remember that it crossed my mind wondering if reading these words could trigger an internal experience beyond just gathering information or a deeper of affirmation of things I already believe or on some deep level know to be true. When I woke up I felt that what I was reading had definitely influenced my visionary dreamstate.
From the External to the Eternal
Still feeling energized and grateful and off to a new start since my birthday. Doing a simple cleanse, a simple exercise regimen and a simple meditation- almost every day! The fact is I haven't done my exercises today but I did do an extra round of meditation and relaxation this morning by adding yoga nidra to my morning wake-up... waking up by allowing myself to fully consciously relax for another 30 minutes before I got out of bed this morning! That was nice. :-)
My gift today was talking to my eldest son Namdev for 2 1/2 hours on the phone. We don't talk all that frequently but we have such an easy communication when we do. We talk about our inner worlds, our outer world, art, psychology, movies, you name it. It feels very real and relaxed in that there doesn't seem to be anywhere we can't go or topics that we need to avoid. There's just an easy natural flow.
I am sitting here looking at a picture of my dear friend Shin Ae Tassia, who passed away last April, that I just printed out. It was taken at a Sound Journey I did for a group of cancer patients at a retreat in Exeter, Rhode island in 2015. She had been diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer the year before. She was given 9 months to live at the time but was now approaching a year. She was doing amazingly well at the time, looking so radiant. She loved sound. She loved the singing bowls. She loved the gongs. I gave her treatments using tuning forks which gave her great relief as time went on and her pain increased. She told me that she had become a sound evangelist.
She had a huge impact on my life, on my being, on such a deep level that I have yet to fully grasp, and maybe never will. One of those people that you feel as if you have known forever the moment you meet and know you have a soul connection with that goes far beyond the boundaries of a lifetime. She was one of those people. I am sorry that she had to go so soon. I wish I had known her better and longer, I wish I had been able to spend more time with her when we did finally meet and connect- but that's just external stuff. The connection was what was real and remains.
Interesting that when you drop the "x" external becomes eternal.
It's A New Day!
Hello! Yes, I know it's past January 1st already but I didn't start feeling like I was really in a new year until I woke up on my birthday 3 days ago. And I started doing a number of things to renew myself- a health commitment consisting of a cleansing diet and a simple exercise program (God knows I need it!), organizing the house after an accumulation of holiday clutter, a very short and simple meditation practice, picking up my Course in Miracles again and spending more time working with my various sound healing tools. I even brought some Himalayan singing bowls in the bathtub with me yesterday morning!
As I read my Course in Miracles lesson (in the tub) and did the subsequent meditation- "God's peace and joy are mine" (how appropriate!) I let two bowls float around in the tub which would bump into each other, creating beautiful sonorous tones and vibrations in the air as well as resonating through the water. (This is actually part of some exploration and research I am doing for a workshop I am going to teach in Florida in May on Hydrosonic Therapy, introducing the potential benefits of working with singing bowls in the water.)
The short of it is, I am feeling joyful! I don't use that word often or lightly. But I woke up on my birthday feeling somehow renewed on a very deep level. I didn't do anything to elicit it- it was just a spontaneous thing. Funny, because I never do New Year's resolutions but it's as if some inner resolution showed up simply showed up when I woke up that morning. In fact I actually sat up in bed and said out loud to myself, "Good morning! Happy birthday!" I had been feeling somewhat stuck, cluttered, disorganized and unmotivated. That has all changed and I am deeply grateful.
Celebrating Righteousness (Thank You Oprah)
Okay, I intended to write something completely different tonight but then I saw Oprah's speech from last night's Golden Globes and was dissolved in tears. You've probably already seen it. Sound healing is a wonderful thing- but when someone has the boldness, clarity and integrity to speak from their heart, to stand up for truth and righteousness, then everything else kind of pales. So, in case you haven't seen here it is- and if you have, this is going to be one of those speeches that will be worth watching and listening to over and over for years to come.
This was the end to an awesome day. I woke up this morning on my birthday- 1.8.18- to a sense of profound joy that has stayed with me throughout the day. This absolutely topped it off for me like nothing else could have. Thank you Oprah, and to all the women and men who stand strong in the truth of their being.
Bolero
This was my greatest inspiration today (breathe in)... Moved to tears by the end of it. Angelique Kidjo and Branford Marsalis' stunning performance of Ravel's Bolero. Enjoy!
My Beautiful Life
I woke up this morning to a clear, windy, bitterly cold, snow-covered world. It is beautiful and fortunately I don't need to go any further than my house today. I have a warm fire and a couple of apples filled with rice, pecans and currants baking in the oven as I write this! It doesn't get a whole lot better- unless, like me, you have some fabulous sound healing technology in your living room! I decided to have my coffee in the Somatron recliner this morning (which is located about 6 feet from the woodstove).
It was an interesting excursion. I decided to put on a CD I had never heard before. Apparently it was a sample White Swan Music sent me a few years ago that I'd never listened to. The CD was by Philippo Franchini, called Magic and Grace. Initially, I didn't love it. It sounded too pretty and melodic and New Agey for my tastes and a little too weak for a deep therapeutic experience on the Somatron. I decided to give it a few minutes though and at some point some nice low rumbling tones came in and I began to feel more of the vibrotactile effect, the resonance of the frequencies coming through and massaging my cells. The second track had more of this and some nice deep percussion. I was still thinking about getting up out of the chair and putting something else on but the vibrotactile effect was beginning to have a hold on me.
Before I knew it I was sitting there filled with a profound sense of gratitude, tears streaming down my face- grateful for my beautiful life, grateful for the work I am blessed to do and blown away by the power of sound and music- and specifically this amazing technology which enters through the body and touches the soul.
The Effects of Chanting Sanskrit
Swami Shivananda,
AKA Swami Bob
I KNEW IT!!!
Back in the early 90's I studied Sanskrit with a wonderful teacher, Swami Shivananda, AKA Swami Bob to all those who knew and loved him. I studied with Swamiji consistently for about three years and when I left RI and moved to Florida continued with my own studies for quite some time. When I came up to RI for visits I would always stop in and spend a few hours with my beloved Swamiji one on one or sit in on one of his workshops if he happened to be teaching that weekend.
I strongly believed that the study and practice of chanting Sanskrit did wonderful things for my brain, particularly in the area of memory. It actually felt to me as if it were making me "smarter"- certainly helping me to think more clearly and efficiently. I had no positive proof of this but within me I was always quite certain that this was so.
In January of 2006 I sustained a severe blow to the head (my right temple) resulting in a fairly serious head injury. I was living in Florida at the time and my sound healing center had just been open for a year. A month after the injury I was invited to a retreat with another of my teachers, Shri Shyam Bhatnagar. It was very synchronistic as it happened that it was going to be in Florida, about an hour and a half from where I lived and I was in desperate need of healing. I was well enough by that time to take a chance on driving myself, which I did- the first time I had driven since the injury. I was in a very internal place as it literally hurt my brain too much to think at that point, but every day we would chant Sanskrit mantras with Shyamji. He is a Nada Yogi and his practice is solely using sound- mantra and tamboura- along with a strict Sattvic diet. Acharya Roop Verma defines Nada Yoga thusly: "Nada Yoga is an ancient science of sound vibrations. It is a path of exploring consciousness through sacred music which originated in the Vedic times. The aim of Nada Yoga is to purify and harmonize the gross and subtle bodies in alignment with their natural vibration, and to bring the individual to the highest state of awareness, the state of Yoga."
I was there for 5 days- maybe 7- I don't have memory of certain things from that time. What I do remember though is feeling the vibrations, the frequencies, of the Sanskrit mantras working on my brain, literally healing my nervous system. I didn't realize how poorly I was still doing until I began seeing the improvement in a daily basis.
I was so excited when I ran across an article this morning in Scientific American confirming what I already was sure to be true. I have told many people over the years that chanting Sanskrit literally feeds the brain, but that information only came from my own personal experience. To me, that is always the best testimony to the efficacy of a practice but I also love seeing the scientific confirmation!
Below is a short video of Shri Shyam Bhatanagar as well as a link to the article from Scientific American. For article click here.
Mongolian Jingle Bells ROCKS!
Okay- that's it! I am head over heels and unabashedly in LOVE. So much so that I am back on my blog to tell the world (or the scant few who might actually read this). (I must admit that I was a bit shocked to see that I haven't posted since Nov. 9.)
Here is the source of my joy. I know I'm a few days late but my Christmas tree is still up, it's 14 degrees out, I have a wood fire burning and the only thing I feel I am missing is one of these wonderful coats so that I could sit outside on the frozen ground and feel as happy and comfortable and warm as these lovely Mongolian singers seem to be.
If it gives you even half as much pleasure as it did me then it will be a very good day for you. Please do turn up your speakers!
Riding the Energy of Love
Feeling lots of positive changes as I shift along with the changing seasons. The fire is going and I'm eating a breakfast of a hot baked apple with cashews, brown rice and cardamom. Decided to do a cleanse in preparation for a retreat and my body is so grateful and thanking me in every moment! Sleeping deeply and dreaming well.
Preparing for a Healing Sound Journey tonight at St. Paul's Methodist Church in Newport. Looking forward to it as always. Thinking about some of the different aspects of a sound journey and what makes it work. Being open, deep listening, willingness to let go of any agenda and follow guidance. I think ultimately we are riding the energy of love and healing on the waves of sound vibration. And through the medium of sound we are able to extend that vibration.
Also, in terms of my preparation and set up there is an element of an art installation. It should not only sound beautiful- it should look beautiful. Every instrument has its own perfect spot where it wants to be and is aesthetically harmonious within the context of the setting.
That being said, functionality is an important element- certain instruments need to be within easy reach and yet there needs to be enough space to be able to move around comfortably and get up and walk to another instrument, like a gong, which isn't resting on the floor and may be played standing up.
So, the sound journey is an expression of love, maximal during the time in which it occurs, in the form of a sound and art installation- that's the way I see it!
The Space of a Soul
I decided finally after so many days of wanting to write and so many days (okay, weeks) of not getting to it, that a short post is better than no post at all.
Yesterday afternoon/evening a group of us had a sweet gathering and send-off for our dear friend Shin Ae Tassia who departed this world on April 22, 2017. Her work as a "connector" continues as she brought more of us together still on this occasion, so many of us whom had not met before.
So much sweetness, so much heart. Worlds bumping up against each other, rubbing elbows. Artists, musicians, mechanics, social activists, healers and others- all extraordinary in their own unique ways. I am always astounded when a dear one passes how many lives they have in touched in so many different ways. And how we continue to get to know them long after they're gone.
A body doesn't take up that much physical space in the world but a soul? That's another matter. This thought is leading me down a windy river. A soul is like a miracle- and a soul is a miracle. I want to substitute the word "soul" right now in this sentence: A miracle is never lost. It may touch many people you have not even met, and produce undreamed of changes in situations of which you are not even aware. (A Course in Miracles- Text, 45th Principle of Miracles)
And the curious question that is sometimes asked about people "What are they worth?" Wow! Obviously meant on the most material mundane level... but what an odd question. How do you determine the value of a human, the value of a life, the value of a soul? Soul currency... There's something to think about.
The night before last I did a Sound Journey for some of Shin Ae's closest friends, highlighting her favorite instruments, the gongs and Himalayan bowls. Last night I put it on when I got in bed. It must have been dreamy because I fell asleep within about 5 minutes. I slept deeply, woke up 5 hours later fully refreshed and restored, unfortunately forgetting my dreams within minutes of waking; nonetheless with a heart full of gratitude for the sweetness of this life and the continuity of it all.
Esperanza and the Bird!
Watching this fabulous video- live music and conversation with Andrew Bird and Esperanza Spalding. I myself am only 12 minutes into it but I am so totally turned on by it that I had to share NOW!!! The way they play, the way they hear, the way they think, the way they converse about music- and their glow, their excitement as they talk about it. It's absolutely wonderful. Enjoy!!!
Everything New Under the Sun
Hmmm... I think the expression is "There's nothing new under the sun." I'm not buying it.
Every day I hear new music- combinations of instruments, tones and frequency I've never heard before, and it constantly blows my mind. I see things I've never seen before and even on a rare occasion I think something that I have never thought before! I have been thinking about this a lot lately, especially since I went to hear Claude Bourbon last week for the second time in two weeks. He is such an amazing guitarist combining jazz, flamenco, classical, blues and some nice folky styles that make me nostalgic for the folk music of the 60's and early 70's. In some odd way he (or his music) seems reminiscent to me of Donovan and his sort of gypsy troubadour style- but he is extraordinary and one of a kind. He also has a really unusual and interesting vocal sound.
Here is a video of him playing some pretty incredible blues guitar at the Pump House Music Works, an unbelievably cool and beautiful venue in Wakefield with a totally great vibe.
Then I heard David Crosby's newest album "Sky Trails"- the guy is brilliant- so creative and such a unique way of putting together words, music, melodies and harmonies- and again, I feel knocked out by the expansiveness and endless creative potential of the human mind. This probably all sounds totally cliche but somehow there are things that suddenly take our (or my) awareness to a new level. How can people just continually come up with a new sound, a new song, a new style, a new anything?!
Billions of people with trillions of cells and from that the possibility an infinite number of configurations and combinations I suppose with the continuous potential for new creations, new ideas, new technology.
Anyway, the point is really this:
Rocking the Kirtan!
Okay, I'm making this short and sweet as I have just spent two hours updating my website and adding a new page- Kirtan Kindergarten! Please check it out!
And in light of that, I would like to direct your attention to a cool and rocking kirtan by Jai Uttal at the Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival! It was actually performed in a 2,400 year old cave and is gorgeous just to look at- but you won't want to just look at it- turn up your speakers!
Renewed, Refreshed, Restored
Wow, I thought I had saved a draft I started writing about my ten-day stay aboard the 3-masted schooner Victory Chimes and somehow apparently I deleted it. I was all set to go ahead and post it tonight! Whoops. Oh well, apparently I was supposed to write something else!
Well, the title kind of speaks for itself. That was the end result of five days on a Wellness Retreat aboard this beautiful old schooner and another 4 days on board with the geologist and climate change expert, Dr. Harold Borns, who started the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine in the eighties. He was totally fascinating and we made a great connection. I was able to relieve some fairly severe pain in his neck quickly with my tuning forks shortly after he came aboard the boat and he told me a lot I didn't know about my great great (great great?) uncle Louis Agassiz, the famous geologist, glaciologist and paleontologist. (He has since sent me a whole packet of information about him!)
What a great and much needed ten days to unplug and relax. No phone, no internet- I didn't even have to make my own coffee in the morning- and I had no idea how badly I needed it!
The word stress has somehow found its way into my language. I don't really like that. I have never been one to talk about how stressed out I am- but the truth is I had gone through a pretty challenging 2-3 months prior to suddenly hearing about this Wellness Retreat at the very last minute. There is nowhere I love to be more than on a wooden boat and as soon as I heard about it I knew it was the perfect remedy and solution. I am so glad I followed what was really a deep desire for me as it turned out so much better and more powerful on a very deep level than I could have imagined.
I slept so well, ate so well, dreamed so deeply, read a lot, played music, did some minimal amounts of healing work and laughed a lot. One morning I played my tamboura on deck for the yoga class as the sun came up. Another day I did a sound journey on deck with a few select instruments.
Tonight I am too tired to write any more so I'll let some photos speak for themselves!
This Sweet Old World
Knocked out tonight by the richness of this life- brought to mind this beautiful, sweet, sad song by Lucinda Williams. On the edge of weeping...
Thoughts on Healing (One Anyway)
Yeah, I don't have that many- but I do have one. An observation that came as I was working with someone on the Soundweaver recently. Holding a sort of witness consciousness, watching as my hands slowly came into their energy field, gently resting on either side of their head and after some minutes very slowly, almost imperceptibly releasing, hands moving away in slow motion. Moving to the next place on the body I was called to. Could have been the heart, the solar plexus, the knees, the feet, one shoulder or the other- or both. Listening, observing, waiting, letting go, moving on. What is happening in these subtle delicate moments- these listening moments which are full of power, intention and awareness?
At some point during the session I wrote this note: "The trick is to match the client's energy and hang out with it til a total synergy is apparent- then LEAN INTO IT- gently- enough to allow their energy/physiology to shift."
In other words, you hang out until you become ONE with their energy. No pushing, no forcing, being fully present- WITH INTENTION. Using a sound analogy, it is the difference between crashing a mallet against a gong so that the volume is almost unbearable and a shock to the system, or playing the gong so that the sound slowly builds, as if you are coaxing the sound forth and allowing the waves to wash over the listeners and then to recede like waves on the shore.
I used Estas Tonne today for my inspiration and therapy while I was doing some stuff in the kitchen. I wanted to escape but there were things I needed to complete on. Once I put this music on I was captivated and happy to be right where I was.