Bill Callahan

Ok, it turns out that I love melancholy music.
Here is a video that brings tears to my eyes.... just because his voice is so beautiful and unadorned. Anyway, I wanted to share it because I talked about him this weekend, how I love appreciating new music that comes my way.
"Nothing Rises to Meet Me"

lots of love

Finding Our Sound

I LOVED expressing our sounds together.

I felt energy move, I loved discovering interesting things "happening" like ease in flow of various sounds or of the way I held my lips or played with breath in my throat. 

Sometimes it seemed as though sound was coming through me on its own accord. I loved the magic of it and the companionship of exploring!!! It felt like we are just getting warmed up. 

Here is a band that I discovered a few years ago that I would like to share with you

Textures and pure sounds.

Here is  a link to  "Animal Collective "leaf house" 

Chidananda

Dear All,


Here is the Youtube of the chant:
"Chidananda"

Chidananda Mantra

Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham

Manobuddhi ahamkara chita ni naham
Nachashotre jiv-hey nachaghrana netre
Nacha vioma bhoomir na tejoe na vayu

Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham

Nachaprana saugno na vã puncha vayu
Navah sapto dhatoo navaa puncha koshah
Na waak pani paadam nachapasta paayu

Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham

Na me dvãsha rago na me lobha mo-hoe
Mado naiva me naiva matsarya bhava
Na dharmo na chartoe na kaamo na Moksha

Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham

Na punyam na paapam na saukyum na dhukham
Na mantro na tirtham name daa na yug na ha
Aham bhoja namnaiva bhojyam na bhokta

Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham

Na mrootyur na shanka na me jaati bheda
Pita naiva me naiva maata na janma
Na bandhur na mitram gurunaiva shishya

Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham

Aham nirvekalpo nirakaara roopo
Vibureviapya sarvatra sarvendriyani
Sadame samatvah na muktir na bandha

Chidananda roopah shivoham shivoham

I am eternal bliss, I am Shiva.

I am not the mind, intellect, ego, or re-consciousness. (chitta)
I am not the ears, tongue, nose or eyes.(the five senses)
I am not space, earth, fire or wind.

I am eternal bliss, I am Shiva.

I am not breathing (Prana) power, (Vayus).
the seven metals,  nor the five coverings(Pancha kosha)
I am not speech, hands, feet nor the rectum.

I am eternal bliss, I am Shiva.

I am not envy, anger, nor craving, nor desires (kama), nor attraction.
I am not arrogance nor pride nor religion,
nor duty(dharma) health, lust nor liberation(moksha).

I am eternal bliss, I am Shiva.

I am not virtue, vice, sin, joy nor sorrow.
I am not mantra, pilgrimage, offering, nor ritual fire.
I am not food, the eating, nor the one who eats.

I am eternal bliss, I am Shiva.

I am not death, doubt, nor discrimination of cast.
I am not father, mother or birth.
I am not brother, nor friend, nor guru, nor aspirant.

I am eternal bliss, I am Shiva.

I am beyond concept, beyond form.
I am all-pervading in all the senses.
I see equality in all things, I am neither liberated nor in bondage.

I am eternal bliss, I am Shiva.

Source: http://humanityhealing.net (http://s.tt/14DyY)

Winer Solstice Fire

 

The element of fire teaches us about cleansing and action. Cleansing is an ongoing process and if you procrastinate cleaning say, your house, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise if you think it should still be clean from your last go round with the mop and vacuum. The same goes for these, unwanted beliefs that have been accumulating all these years. Beliefs like what I should be, could be, will become are still here. Same with the habits I postpone changing. I try to hide them away or even pull them out into the open thanks to my work with awareness, but they are not going anywhere unless I do the work to clean them up. Instead of taking the action when I first notice something I’d like to change, I set it aside to deal with later. I just continue with my old comfortable patterns. I don’t even bother ‘sincerely pretending’ to disengage from my unhealthy habits.  Recently, I found myself horrified at all my cruddy behavior. I find I keep resisting what I am becoming. I’ve been spending a lot of time preparing to change at some undefined later date instead of Just Doing It. Today, to honor the winter solstice, I’m letting go of one habit. Poof, goodbye. 

Great Hafez Quotes

"Now that all your worry  has proved such an unlucrative business, why not find a better job"                                              

 "Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions."

“I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.”

 

"What we speak becomes the house we live in.”

 

“For a day, just for one day,
Talk about that which disturbs no one
And bring some peace into your
Beautiful eyes.”
― Hafez, The Subject Tonight Is Love: Sixty Wild and Sweet Poems of Hafiz

Xmas Shopping or Xmas Stalking?

Xmas season seems to trigger so much emotion and feeling, rooted in xmas traditions and family - what a fertile time for deep stalking!!! I see in certain social situations how my body and mind are often not in harmony. My body may be there, but  my mind is drifting away in resistance to the moment. I see how that resistence keeps me rooted in old assumptions and patterns about people.  If I can stay in the moment with full awareness, I could discover  new ways to respond to old situations, even accepting the uncomfortable feelings they can stir.  I  need to practise and practise, because I slip back into old ways so effortlessly.  My "xmas stalking breath" seemed to short circuit my avoidance,  and I felt a sense of peace, relaxation and gentle curiosity towards myself.  What seemed so serious moments ago, suddenely seemed so humorous!

The Power of Mother Nature...Life...

I forgot the pure powerful force of nature... of life.  Tonight while stalking with some of us in the group, I went in with so much clutter, confusion in my mind and of course with that same underlying anger that lingers with all my discomforts that arise within my day.  So I went in stalking...stalking everything I thought, perceived and felt....never thinking that it would have led me to where I went...

I then saw how I have forgotten about that wondrous power of life.  I saw that I am always perceiving, feeling, acting as if I am completely separate from all that is.  Separate from the earth, trees, air, wind, water...  It was brief, subtle yet so strong but I felt something  that seems I haven't felt for a long time... it now brings my awareness on how I am always coming from this complete feeling of being separate, how I perceive that I am separate.  A little door way I did not expect to see.

 

The power of Life reminds me... yes I stood tall but now I will fall.

 

As Always, Thank you to ALL of you for the precious space...

 

http://youtu.be/nATpNWlo-ak

 

Lyrics

Send a wish upon a star
Do the work and you'll go far
Send a wish upon a star
Make a map and there you are

Send a hope upon a wave
A dying wish before the grave
Send a hope upon a wave
For all the souls you failed to save

And you stood tall
Now you will fall
Don't break the spell
Of a life spent trying to do well
And you stood tall
Now you will fall
Don't break the spell
Of a life spent trying to do well

Send a question in the wind
It's hard to know where to begin
So send the question in the wind
And give an answer to a friend

Place your past into a book
Put in everything you ever took
Place your past into a book
Burn the pages let them cook

And you stood tall
Now you will fall
Don't break the spell
Of a life spent trying to do well
And you stood tall
Now you will fall
Don't break the spell
Of a life spent trying to do well

Send a wish upon a star
Send a wish upon a star