Inspirational Roundup from ‘The Sound Healing Symphony’
Two weeks from now, we’re coming together to create an inspirational journey and embark on it with all of you.
Lately, we’ve been asking each other, ‘what’s been inspiring you? a quote, a song, a story?’. What could we share with out community?
Here goes:
Intoku — Alisa Rose Healy {harp & vocals}
Imagine that your meeting ran late, and you know you overstayed your parking meter’s welcome. You run out of there, full of dread for a huge parking fine. When you get to your car, you see a slip of paper —
“Saw that you got a ticket! Didn’t want that to ruin your mood, so I paid it for you. Here’s a coupon for a free latte instead. Have a nice day!”
This could be a variation of the Japanese practice of “Intoku,” which means good deeds done in secret. To the beneficiary, there’s a real magic to the giver’s anonimity — for the rest of their day, each person they encounter is a potential culprit of kindness.
Intoku doesn’t have to be elaborate or shocking — it’s true meaning is to do good in secret means to act without seeking attention and praise, to act without any hope of reward. In our world, that could mean washing the dishes in a communal space without anyone knowing, for example, or cleaning a bathroom.
The Power of Myth — Guy Douglas {musical director}
I really loved ‘The Power of Myth’ — a documentary by Joseph Cambell. It’s about the hero’s journey (Star Wars actually features this quite a bit. It talks about the universality and evolution of myths throughout humanity, and the place of myths in our own contemporary society. It’s amazing how Joseph peels back the layers of consciousness.
Remembering the Mother— Loriel Starr {gong}
Loriel just took a trip down to Peru, to study with Tito Lo Rosa.
“Everything has its mother in the universe; the mother of life is sound; and the mother of sound is silence.” Tito (Curandero de Sonidos)
Watching kids! — Sarah Glass {vocals}
“Lately, I’ve been inspired by watching kids improvise and compose. How free they let themselves be! Kids aren’t doubting themselves, they aren’t self-conscious so they let their imaginations flow freely with no worries. Thus, the things they create are actually very complex and musically brilliant — not just from a child standard, but from an adult standard as well.
I even have kids sing (improvise) about struggles you’d think only adults deal with, such as loneliness, frustration and questions of self and others.”
Infinite Games— Simona Asinovski {biz director}
Lately, I’ve been playing a lot of physical games, mostly for the purpose of improving coordination, attention, speed and strength. My movement teacher, Johnny Sapinosa, recommended a book about ‘Finite & Infinite Games’, by James P Carse. A finite game is played for the purpose of winning, an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play.
“Because infinite players prepare themselves to be surprised by the future, they play in complete openness. It is not an openness as in candor, but an openness as in vulnerability. It is not a matter of exposing one’s unchanging identity, the true self that has always been, but a way of exposing one’s ceaseless growth, the dynamic self that has yet to be.”
Staying in the Present Moment — Lydia Hwang {monochord}
“The most painful state of being is remembering the future, particularly the one you’ll never have.”
― Søren Kierkegaard existential philosopher
Tea — Russell Feingold {didgeridoo & flute}
By pouring a cup of tea, every morning — and practicing one of the most challenging skills of our time, listening.
pouring is listening
holding a cup is listening
sipping is listening
listening is pure simple being…
Ecstatic Dance— Geo Morjane {chaos dispeller}
The Ecstatic Dance campout last weekend was a reset for me! It made me realized that how much I’m missing movement in my body, how am I different in giving and receiving, how much I miss simplicity in life :-)
(Ecstatic Dance meets Sundays at 11am -1pm at Sacred Heart Church— 554 Filmore)
Infinite Mirrors— Marco Ferrero {visual director}
“All matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration. We are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves” -Bill Hicks
Kindness— Jesse Essej {audio engineer}
“Awareness is the foundation of kindness. Kindness is the expression of awareness.” Unknown Chinese philosopher
When Things Fall Apart— Dan Neville {vibraphone}
Life has got me in a place where I’m really having a hard time with things. The lesson I’m trying to learn is to let go of the past and to embrace the present. For this, Pema Chodron’s books The Places That Scare You and When Things Fall Apart have been helping me. It reminds us that every ending is a beginning, and that we must let go in order to find contentment.
