New Year Blessing

With the wonderful Blue Moon this month to celebrate the New Year, it is an especially powerful time to offer blessings as well as to energize the highest vision of ourselves. Here is a lovely traditional Tibetan Buddhist Blessing to recite while playing your Sacred Sound Instruments. Remember that the tingshas awaken dormant energies, so are good to play at the start of your meditation, the gantas move energy, so played in a clockwise direction will send your blessing out into the universe, and the Tibetan singing bowls will harmonize or align energy.. so good to play in a sustained manner that helps to integrate the vibration of the words into the every day world.

May I become at all times, both now and forever, a protector of those without protection.
A guide for those who have lost their ways
A ship for those with oceans to cross
a bridge for those with rivers to cross
a sanctuary for those in danger
a lamp for those without light
a place of refuge for those who lack shelter
and a servant to all in need.

- 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso)

On another note I  seek new venues to perform my sound healing Tibetan Bowl and Planetary Gong Sacred Sound concert in. I have toured with this concert for over six years and now offer a new performance. The areas I seek are in Arizona, anywhere in California or Nevada side of the Sierra's and in northern California. Space needs to be large enough to hold a minimum of 35 people. Please email me at diane@soundenergyhealing.com and have a look at the video  here

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.

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

New Sound Healing Video

Here is a new Tibetan Bowl Sound Healing video made by Satiama, a wonderful organization that promotes those healers, artists and musicians whose work inspire and awaken.

I have been taking tap classes.. Yep- something fun to do that taxes the brain and the feet. It's great to be creating dynamic rhythmic patterns and I now find that the sound of the patterns stay in my mind for a long time. One thing that is great about learning new things is the opportunity to examine our thoughts -to make sure they are encouraging and positive even when faced with challenges and insecurity. We humans learn by repetition- steps, words, thoughts, actions. Over time the work done with sound energy healing with the Tibetan bowls has greatly transformed my own thoughts and actions and because of it learning new things is a source of great fun rather than frustration. Sound healing brings us back to our essence again and again and that helps have a positive perspective for whatever we do.

Kripalu Yoga & Sound

Yikes! I haven't been here in a while. No matter, life gets busy. I'm here now and getting ready to do a Kripalu Yoga class to Tibetan bowls with an extended meditation at the end. I have only spoken to the yoga instructor but we both feel totally comfortable with just doing it. Playing for yoga classes is the most natural thing.. just following the movements as they happen with the sound of the bowls.. changing up the pace, the volume, the textures of sound. For the students, the sound of the singing bowls and gong goes into their consciousness and their limbs making the poses even more meaningful and effortless. It is as though the sound carries them through the movement.. At least, that has been the reports. So if you happen to be in Cardiff by the Sea, CA on November 15 at 5:30 pm, come to EZIA at the Sanctuary, 230 Birmingham Drive. This is our gift to the community so there is no charge, but you do need to register at 760-845-1400

Sound Healing Interview

Listen to this interview on Tibetan bowl sound healing with Diane at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/illuminated/2009/09/10/Luminous-Living-interview-with-Diane-Mandle