Finding your sweet spot

Resonance is when one object vibrates at the same natural frequency of another forcing the second one into vibrational motion.  Not all frequencies will have this effect.  This explains exploding wine glasses or when my cupboard doors rattle during a gong bath or when you hear a noise in a car only at certain speeds.

In nature frogs use resonance to attract mates. The tree-hole frog amplifies the sound of its call by adjusting its pitch to match the resonant frequency of its echo chamber in a tree knowing that the louder their call, the greater likelihood of attracting a mate.   See how he adjusts his pitch here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3Yp7w7zsRQ&t=106s&ab_channel=NathanLitjens

Other frogs sit in water and change the frequency of their calls to resonate with the surrounding water to create ripples.  The ripples serve to mark their territory and trigger louder and more sustained croaking.  One downside of creating ripples is that bats use echolocation to find the epicentre and their evening meal!
Watch the ripples being formed here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDX2NnEpRgU&ab_channel=%E6%9E%97%E5%AD%90%E6%9A%98

In sound healing we use resonance to stimulate the natural frequencies of cells, tissues, organs and emotions using a variety of instruments in order to re-harmonise prime resonance, one without blocksges where energy runs freely.  This is our objective.

The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match that of the universe, to match your nature with Nature. Joseph Campbell

Cosmic Dust

Nature is an infinite sphere whose centre is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere. Blaise Pascal

Yet, There is no chance and anarchy in the universe. Ralph Waldo Emerson. Order and structure prevail.

Plato described astronomy and music as "twinned" studies of sensual recognition: astronomy for the eyes, music for the ears, and both requiring knowledge of numerical proportions.  Pythagoras identified the proportions of Celestial bodies to define the music of the spheres which Kepler later believed to be inaudible except by the soul. Boethius described it as musica mundana or musica universalis reflecting the beauty of God.

Due to the marvels of science we can now listen to the sounds of the universe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzL10r8AeQ8&ab_channel=SkyNews

 It has been said that if men would but rest in silence, they might always hear the music of the spheres. Arthur Helps.

Recently I had the opportunity to meditate within Matramandir. This 24k golden orb is the spiritual centre of Auroville in India.  Ascending the walkway towards the upper chamber we transcended from  the hot dusty gardens into a white domed chamber of palpable silence. A single beam of light from the centre of the ceiling cut through the darkness to a large crystal orb surrounded by 12 white marble columns.  In minutes I felt at One, as One.

Oftentimes clients relate a similar feeling after a gong bath.  If We are all of us just stardust shaped into conscious being. S.J. Kincaid then wouldn’t we expect the  universe to affect us profoundly in all possible ways? Steve Madison

The gongs are the means to open this portal of silence to connect with the cosmic sound.

If you can wait…

if you can wait and not be tired by waiting…. (If by Rudyard Kipling)

The painting is called "Patientia" by Pieter Bruegel.  Look closely, Patience is sitting quietly, chained to a block, praying in a world gone mad.
 
The caption, by the early Catholic theologian Lactantius, reads: Patience is the bearing with equanimity of the evils which are either inflicted or happen to fall on us. 
 
Therefore the just and wise man, because he exercises virtue, has patience in himself; but he will be altogether free from this if he shall suffer no adversity.  On the other hand, the man who lives in prosperity is impatient because he suffers nothing.
 
Getting what we want makes it difficult to wait for what we don't have. To survive, as Bruegel shows, you have to tune out the noise and look away from the madness because we can’t always get what we want when we want. Yet we can still be at peace in the interim. Some count to ten or go for a walk to gain a new perspective I prefer gong baths to elicit a state of neutrality and clarity of mind.  Remember all good things come to those who wait.

Radiating love

Once we were particles of light, now we are light particles radiating love. Rumi  By radiating love you will light the world.

I believe  What the world needs now is love sweet love. After all, Love conquers all. Publius Vergilius   
 
Being loved and being loving is a win win proposition. Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Lao Tzu...Unconditional love ... is just there. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

So how do you radiate love? Begin by fostering self love.
Become conscious of your thoughts.
Make your intention clear.
Be the feeling.
Let go of the outcome and activate patience.
Practice Gratitude.

You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. Dr. Seuss

We All Just Need To GONG

https://vimeo.com/showcase/gong

Here is the link for the 90 min and 39 min versions of a ground breaking movie highlighting why we need gongs now. Enjoy

Say "Yes" to Quiet

International Noise Awareness Day was founded in 1996 by the Center for Hearing and Communication to raise awareness and educate the public about the harmful effects of noise on hearing, health and quality of life.

Noise is unwanted sound.  Since the 1930's attention has been drawn to the effect of ambient sound.on our wellbeing. In the workplace unwanted noise reduces productivity, damages hearing, stresses the nervous system and impairs sleep. While children exposed to loud noises will suffer developmentally. 

Quiet refers to calm and tranquility.  Often in our busy lives we yearn for peace and quiet, linking one to the other.  This week I invite you to 'say no to noise and yes to quiet'.  Sit comfortably, close your eyes and breathe long and deep for one minute allowing your mind to become still and simply be.

Here you come again

For when you come back to me again, you will realise you’ve never left. Varshitha

We had a wonderful gong on the beach last night with an unbelievably warm evening, clear skies, crescent moon and gently rising tide.  While floating in gong bliss I received a text announcing the new government directive invoking mandatory closures of all studios for 2 weeks from midnight tonight.  Immediately this song came to mind….

Here you come again
Just when I've begun to get myself together
You waltz right in the door
Just like you've done before
And wrap my heart (life) 'round your little finger

Listen here to Dolly Parton

We have to Accept what is, let go of what was and have faith in what will be.  Anon  

The gong bath tonight is ON. Thereafter between Jan 7-20 we are closed. We are issuing refunds today for every booking during that time.  Our scheduling thereafter is dependent on govt’ regulations regarding social distancing. So please do keep an eye on the website and newsletter. 

They say that Every setback leaves behind a path to make your comeback. anon. For me the The past is a place of reference, not of residence. So, face forward into the new year. One day at a time. As Martin Luther King Jr says, You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just the first step.

Ebony and Ivory

If only the whole world could feel the power of harmony.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Today is World Mathematics Day, a day to celebrate. The ancients understood the interrelationships between sound and space, between music, mathematics and the physical universe. Pythagoras identified '.. geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres' and created our first musical scale based on ratios. 

Harmony exists when you play more than one note together.  When I play my gongs I create a sound envelope overflowing with the harmonies of the universe for you to connect, align and become one. 
This week I invite you to reflect on how, like Ebony and Ivory keys on a piano we can live together in perfect harmony, harmony with its roots in mathematics!

"I think music in itself is healing.
It's an explosive expression of humanity.
It's something we are all touched by.
No matter what culture we're from,
everyone loves music."
~ Billy Joel ~

Less is more - rethinking Thanksgiving

Less is more - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Rethinking Thanksgiving

Today is American Thanksgiving, a time for family and friends to gather, to share a meal and to express gratitude. Contrast this to the military precision hours later as bargain hunters hit the streets on Black Friday inundating shops and city centres.  How often do We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like. –Dave Ramsey .   If you live for having it all, what you have is never enough. –Vicki Robin

It is no surprise that in 1992 a fellow Canadian named Ted Dave and his group of 'Adbusters' created 'Buy Nothing Day' as an alternative to  this blaring contradiction in values.  On Friday I invite you to take a moratorium on shopping and instead reflect on the true meaning of the holiday season.  Take time to  Be content with what you have;/rejoice in the way things are./When you realise there is nothing lacking,/the whole world belongs to you.”–Lao Tzu . For true Contentment comes not so much from great wealth as from few wants. –Epictetus

Take the time to...Make something, Sing something, Cook something,  Draw something, Build something, Hug something, Buy Nothing

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. –Leonardo da Vinci

An artist driven by inspiration fueled by passion and skill

The artisan soul is not about rebellion, it is about resonance.  - Erwin Raphael McManus
Who is an artist? Anyone who has a soul.  -  Erwin Raphael McManus
 

This weekend we are truly blessed with Martin Bläse's visit.   Martin is a third generation silversmith and Gong Master (one who makes gongs).  His unique creations are built from inspiration and tuned to perfection.  To take a circular disk of metal and hammer it 80,000 times is a meditation inspired from the soul and driven by a deep spiritual connection.  He not only visualises but hears the final product with each tap of his hammer to shape  gongs, bowls, tingshas and other sacred sound instruments from a variety of metals including bronze, titanium, nickel silver, etc.

Most gong makers are craftsmen. Those highly skilled with their hands to reproduce quality instruments consistently.  Artists are skilled, spirit -guided creators constantly evolving and pushing new boundaries in his case through sound.  The gongs above were made especially for his trip to Hong Kong and will be on display for the next few weeks. They are all for sale. The Gong Beyond Gongs is the first of its kind and at 55" is a whopper.  As Yogi Bhajan says, 

“The gong is the sound of Creativity itself.  One who plays the gong plays the Universe.”

It's sonorous, resonant bass transports you to the source of creation.  The others, you need to experience them for yourself. 

The knower of the mystery of sound, knows the universe. - Hazrat Inayat Khan

The Friday concert is fully booked however there are a few places left in the weekend workshop to learn about the metals, their characteristics and how and why they heal.  Participants will also play with Martin on Sunday for a special 2 hr sound circle open to friends and family from 1500-1700.   I invite you to learn from a true Gong Master, an inspired artist of metal whose craft is sound.

To create is to reflect the image of God. To create is an act of worship. -  Erwin Raphael McManus