Thoughts on "Thoughts from Within" by Woody Harrelson 5.25.11

This is amazing. This is wholistic poetry! This is a request and an expression of healing for the whole planet, the whole earth and all of the beings who populate it. I knew nothing about Woody Harrelson beyond his ability and brilliance as an actor... but of course you always have to wonder about those people who can step into someone else's shoes and make you believe they are that someone. There has to be (I think) an extreme level of compassion to get inside another person and express their feelings as if they were your own.

Even actors who we judge to have a less than appealing personality in the world- they have something- maybe they can't tap into their own feelings, or maybe their own feelings are so strong that they feel endangered if they were to let them out. So they go undercover as it were, and allow themselves the freedom to immerse themselves in another, maybe an historical person or maybe the extreme figment of someone else's "imagination". And there, that may really be where they can connect with their own essence, in safety. No one gets hurt, and no one sees the vulnerability that lies beneath the surface.

But here, I feel like I have a sense of Woody Harrelson, a strong sense of him, in an unabashed expression of honesty- contempt for all that is wrong with the world and compassion, love and hope for the possibility of who we can be, as individuals and as a collective whole.

This is also a great example of the power of the Internet, to connect us as a whole, in the most meaningful sense of the word- that I can randomly click on someone else's YouTube channel and stumble across this bit of brilliance. And it lit up a place in my mind and in my heart. That is astounding to me. I know I can just as easily get tripped up by triviality and inconsequential bullshit as I muddle through Facebook, my emails, YouTube, you name it... but on the flip side of that there is what I believe to be the Higher Purpose of the Internet and I am so grateful for all the people I have connected with, the ones whom I have re-connected with, and these brilliant bits of illumination that light up my world.

"When a mind has only light, it knows only light. Its own radiance shines all around it, and extends out into the darkness of other minds, transforming them into majesty. The Majesty of God is there, for you to recognize and appreciate and know. Recognizing the Majesty of God as your brother is to accept your own inheritance. God gives only equally. If you recognize His gift in anyone, you have acknowledged what He has given you. Nothing is so easy to recognize as the truth. This is the recognition that is immediate, clear and natural."
~A Course in Miracles~ Text p. 127

It Acts Like Love 5.23.11

I found this poem on Geoffrey Gordon's website. It reminds us of why we love music.


~RABIA~

IT ACTS LIKE LOVE

It acts like love-music-
it reaches toward the face, touches it, and tries to let you know
God's promise: that all will be okay.

It acts like love-music and,
tells the feet, "You don't have to be so burdened."

My body is covered with wounds
this world made,

but I longed to kiss God, even when He said,

"Could you also kiss the hand that caused
each scar,

for you will not find me until
you do."

It does that-music-helps us
to forgive.


And then if you are still not sure, listen to this chant, watch the video and notice... every little thing... your body, your mind, your emotions, your breath, your heart... there is so much sweetness in this incredible gift of life.

Wholistic Composition 5.21.11

Arrived in Minneapolis last Wednesday, ostensibly to visit my eldest son Namdev, his wife Kim and my granddaughter Patience who live here. My second to oldest son and his wife, Moose and Addie, who had never been out here were meeting us here as well. To my great and happy surprise though I had also found out that Zoe Keating was performing the first night I was arriving. So Kim and I went to see her while Namdev and Pay met Moose and Addie at the airport and had dinner with them.

The first time I saw Zoe Keating on YouTube less than a year ago, performing "Escape Artist" I was totally mesmerized, hooked and had tears in my eyes by the end of it. I have no idea how many times I have watched it since. Some days the melody line is continually floating through my consciousness. We saw her in a small venue, the Cedar Cultural Center, and were in the second row. I have been to more concerts than I can remember where I have had a lousy vantage point and been so frustrated by someone's big head right in my way, twisting this way and that, craning and straining my neck to see, and was so delighted to have such a great close up vantage point! She started off with "Tetrishead". This video is not great resolution but it is a beautiful rendition.

Not much can be said after that. Just so astounding, her brilliance as a composer combined with her sense of rhythm and mastery of technology that in the end sounds like an orchestra of cellos. It was absolutely wonderful.

So in my mind this was a very auspicious arrival. The rest is yet to come- later the sounds from the Quaking Bog where we went walking yesterday!

Sanskrit mantra for abundance 5.15.11

Several days ago I was looking up a Sanskrit mantra for abundance. I ran across this and it is short and simple .I love this woman's voice and her pronunciation is wonderful so I am going to work with it for a while. My intention is to do at least one mala a day- 108 repetitions- for 40 days. Will keep you posted!

(One hour later) Just finished my morning mantra meditation practice. Chanted the mantra 108 times aloud, then silently (in a whisper), then totally silently/mentally as I had been instructed by one of my teachers, Shyamji (Sri Shyamji Bhatnagar), several years ago (not specifically for this mantra but another one that he gave me.)

It was very interesting as subtle awarenesses began to slowly surface in my consciousness- which I didn't really notice unitl I began the third mala and was just chanting mentally. In the beginning I was just in the experience of chanting aloud and it seems that during this process the actual vibratory sound of the mantra began to seep into my physical body and entrain the nervous system. As the chant became quiet, just a whisper, my whole being became very quiet and with the third time through on the mala just chanting mentally I could feel subtle energy running throughout my body but the greatest awareness in my middle, ring finger and baby fingers. Throughout my body a very quiet vibration moving through... my cells? my nadis? Don't know but it felt good. Also light began to come forward on the last series of repetitions. When I finished the third series of repetitions on the mala I sat quietly and began to experience waves of blue and golden green light. Then it shifted into a beautiful deep rose color that I really had never experienced before.

As I write this it is also coming back to me that as I chanted I became aware that the sound seems to pierce blockages in the physical body allowing it to up and become more and more receptive to the frequency. It clears and balances the energy channels then begins to work more deeply as the sound gets quieter- much the same idea as homeopathy. The quieter the sound the deeper and more powerful the effect. It clears the channels within the body and then begins working on the subtle bodies. As the system aligns with the frequency of the mantra it then expands out into the auric field filling the aura also with the vibration of the mantra so that one's whole being becomes receptive to the frequencies of the vibratory essence of the mantra, thus attracting the specific energy of the seed sounds of the mantra.

And as a side note, this also makes clear the need for proper pronunciation of the individual phonemes of the mantra- because they each carry and convey a very specific vibrational quality that is necessary to achieve the desired results of the mantra.

When I got up a felt very enlivened and happy. I noticed that I liked myself when I looked in the mirror- rather than having the usual critical thoughts about myself- and then thought "Ah, that must be from doing the mantra. " And of course just taking the time to sit for a bit as well, which is always good for the soul.

Toning, Self- Generated Sound 5.6.11

Just wrote this article for a workshop I am teaching (actually a rewrite of an old one). Seems like good blog material. After all, toning is self-generated wholistic sound. Sound for the WHOLE BEING- sound to RESTORE US TO WHOLENESS- Original Perfection (as opposed to the paradigm of Original S-word!)

TONING
Self-Generated Sound for Self Healing
~Rosie Warburton, Sound Therapist~

What Is Toning?
Uhhhhh... Good question- what is “toning”? Toning is the simple practice of holding a single sustained vowel sound in order to experience the effects of the sound vibration on various parts of the body. It can also have a powerful effect on the mental and emotional bodies. With consistent practice toning can be developed into a highly effective procedure for aligning and balancing one's own energy field. It may also be used by body/energy workers as a diagnostic and therapeutic healing tool as well as being a very effective tool for meditation.

Toning the Chakras
Uuuuu (pronounce like “oo” in “moon”)... There is a vowel sound and corresponding frequency for each of the 7 primary subtle energy centers in the body (known as “chakras” in Indian philosophy). There are a number of different systems by which one can determine the appropriate pitch. By doing toning as a meditative practice you will be able to quickly and effectively clear, align and balance your chakras. A one, two or three octave system may be used depending on one's vocal range and personal preference. One or two octave systems are more commonly used as many people do not have a range of three octaves or more. You will find, however, that with a little practice your range will noticeably expand- even toning as little as 10-20 minutes a day over a period of 2-3 weeks.

Benefits of Toning
Ooooh (Pronounce like “o” in “so” or “OM”)... There are many benefits to toning. Intuitively we sing or hum to an infant to calm them down when they are upset. The sound of our voice is as powerful a healer as touch. In our culture we have gotten so far removed from it though, that we are unaware often even when we are naturally using it as a healing tool. By humming a single tone, a feeling of warmth and well-being spreads quickly throughout our body. Deep emotional release can also occur simply by allowing ourselves to “sound”, letting go of any judgment- or even experiencing the judgment and sounding right through it as we observe our emotional reaction to it from that place of witness consciousness. As it has been said, “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” As we tone through our most uncomfortable feelings, those feelings often will begin to transform and sometimes far more quickly than we might think possible!

Trusting Your Voice
Aaaaah! One of the great joys of toning is that there is no wrong way to do it! And for many of us who have been told we “couldn't sing” or we had a “bad voice”, or felt in any other way oppressed in our vocal expression, there is an incredible freedom in allowing pure sound to pour out of our body. Your voice is your gift- no one else has one just like it- it is the perfect expression and blueprint of the uniqueness of you. Let it out. The world is waiting!

How It Works
Aaaay (like “may”)... Hans Jenny, the father of cymatics, the study of wave phenomena, showed us that sound creates, changes and rearranges matter. Physiologically when we tone into a specific area of the body we are literally realigning the molecules of the body. We know that a sustained high-pitched frequency has the power to shatter a wine glass, just as a sustained low frequency can conceivably cause windows to break or walls to crumble. This idea can be applied to help us understand how toning works on the physical and subtle bodies to actually break up physical, mental and emotional blockages.

The Healing Practice
Aiiiii (like “eye”)... When working with another person, the practitioner scans the client's body using modulating vocal tones and sometimes his or her hands (usually off the body) listening for “feedback”. This may come as a change in tone, an overtone or harmonic bouncing back, or a feeling of warmth, coolness, tingling, or lack of vitality. The practitioner then tones directly into the area calling for attention breaking up the energy blockages or crystallized patterns with sound waves directed into that area. One may tone very close to the body or into the energy field around the body, depending on the level of healing that seems to be needed. The goal is to bring coherence back to a chaotic energy field, essentially retuning the system and restoring the natural state of harmony and homeostasis.

The Gift
Eeeeee... Toning literally vibrates our being on every level and thus can be used as a tool for physical healing, emotional well-being and spiritual transformation. Physically it can loosen trauma in the body, relieving physical pain and accelerating the healing process. Mentally it can help us within a few short moments to become clearer, more alert and more focused. Emotionally it can be calming, cathartic, empowering or joyful; it can assist us in releasing anger, fear or grief. And all of this supports our spiritual evolution. Toning is a simple tool. It is safe and it is built-in! No one knows what your body needs better than you. Trust your body- your instincts, your intuition and your inner wisdom- to tell you what sound it needs and then allow yourself to open up and LET IT OUT. Explore. Be creative, be unafraid and enjoy!

And then stop, breathe, feel and listen to what your body is saying now. It's probably saying “Thank you!”

Note- This article has been broken down into seven sections. The tone at the beginning of each paragraph corresponds to the tones for the chakra system, in order, from the root to the crown.

• Root Chakra – Survival, connection to tribe- Sound: Uhhhh (like “rug”)

• Naval Chakra- Emotions, creativity, sexuality- Sound: Uuuuu (like “moon”)

• Solar Plexus Chakra- Power center Sound: Ooooh (like “so”)

• Heart Chakra- Unconditional love Sound: Aaaaah (like “father)

• Throat Chakra- Speaking one's truth, creative expression Sound: Aaaay (like “may”)

• Third Eye (Brow point)- Inner Wisdom, psychic abilities Sound: Aiiiii (like “eye”)

• Crown (top of head)- Connection to Source Sound: Eeeee (like “thee”)

If, after reading this, you are still afraid of making the wrong sound- remember this “Frequency plus intention creates healing/transformation.” (Jonathan Goldman) ;-o

The Fibonnacci Suite

Wonderful! More later...