Sunday, August 26, 2007

August 2007

:: the sounds of healing ::

i took a gong bath last tuesday night in aspen. my tailbone felt like it was vibrating at 5200 rpm's for the entire hour. gong bath? vibrating tailbone? whaaaa?

first off, let me explain that "gong bath" is a bit misleading (but it sure sounds juicy, doesn't it?). there is no water involved in a gong bath, and i remained fully clothed, along with about 40 other people. but it was juicy because what struck me most when i walked into the room at the yellow brick was the floor strewn with mats, blankets, pillows, sleeping bags and bodies in repose. it looked like a co-ed high school sleepover in the gymnasium! juicy. and what we were all there to bathe in was not water, but sound. the primordial sound of "aum"-- the sound that started it all, according to ancient vedic wisdom.

well, i don't know about that, but what i do know is what i felt in my body as i lie on my back, crown of my head facing toward the gong in the middle of the room. we were encouraged to quiet our mind by focusing on our breath, and we were assured that eventually, the sounds emanating from the gong would naturally focus us.

ummm... yeah, not this monkey mind. so i watched my thoughts dart this way and that, like moths around a light, never staying in one place too long-- non-attachment. what did seem to attach itself to me was this vibrating tailbone of mine, thrumming along, steady, unwavering. it was as if the soundwaves knew exactly where they needed to go in my body for maximum healing, and they glommed onto my tailbone with single-minded focus.

the body doesn't lie, and on this night, my body's truth was that it was finally ready to allow in the healing salve of sound in order to break up years of tension, holding and frozen energy. tailbone = root chakra = survival, trust & feeling safe in one's body. as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, i spent years trying to leave my body; my body was not my safe space.

the advent of nia in my life 6 years ago was nothing short of my salvation-- a reclaiming of my power, my sensuality, my sexuality, and my body as my temple, my safe space. the gong bath the other night was a body-centered reminder that although the gifts of healing i have experienced through nia are profound and life-giving, they are not all.

my life is my art, my healing journey and my soul's evolution. to those ends, i am in the creative stages of planning several special workshops over the next several months, which i am so excited to share with you.

we do not walk the path of our healing journey alone. together, sisters and brothers at our side, ahead, behind and all around our heart, we witness and are witnessed in our joy, our pain, our fear, our shadow and our light.

i leave you with a quote from dogen, 13th century zen master: "to let the self be awakened by all things is enlightenment."