Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Fundraiser for Tibetan Temple

It was an awesome place to do a sound healing concert. A huge home in San Diego with gardens, fountains, enormous fireplaces and expansive rooms. Setting up my Tibetan singing bowls and Chiron gong I had a feeling that the instruments were longing to sing. When Drupon Samten Rinpoche arrived with his assistant and set up Tibetan flags, jewelry and other items to sell, the setting felt complete. I played for an hour and as expected the bowls and gongs sang out like old friends. The best part was how well Rinpoche was able to express what I was doing with the instruments after the concert. He said that the music was an expression of beauty and peace. The gong I play in a textural manner and then expands into a crescendo of sound. Rinpoche said that our egos need to be overcome and the loud sound did just that- quieting the ego and allowing us to just feel ourselves in space/time without anything else going on. It was a lovely and accessible description of what I was doing. After that he offered a meditation and New Year Blessing. A perfect end to a wonderful day.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Sound Healing as a Mirror

At the end of this months intensive weekend workshop we did a partnered exercise that gave participants a view of themselves from someone else's perspective. In this way students got a glimpse of how they are perceived. One student was surprised at all the uplifting, true and lovely things that were said about her from her peers because her sense of herself was so negative. The feedback she got showed her that despite her inner critic, she is what she is.. and the jewel of that is visible to other people. Her whole being lit up as she permitted herself to open to her obvious gifts and relinquish her self sabotaging belief system. When we hold the vision of the best in others, they begin to see and experience that for themselves as well. When we speak to that, they hear it. The Sacred Sound family-Tibetan singing bowls, tingsa's, gantas and dorjes are effective tools in reawakening us to who we really are. We sentient beings are all moving, breathing instruments of sound and are capable of reawakening in others the best that is in them. As we journey into a new year I hope we can remember how powerful we are and keep blessing our environment with our love and compassionate words and deeds. Next Sound Healing Workshop is in January