News - from the Himalayas and home

Sounds Good

So So-oo
Sang sang gelu, haar gelu
Letting go of the past
we look forward to a better future

 

Bhutan is a place I would love to visit again.
Geographically close to India, Nepal and Tibet, it has very much its' own identity. The view from the Gantey Palace hotel is one of the most peaceful I can recall. You can look across at the Para Monastery and down over the rice paddies and believe you are indeed in Shangri-la.
New trekking routes have opened up in the centre of the country and with limited numbers in each party, the aim is to retain the area's unspoilt environment. 
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck became king on the abdication of his father in 2006 and has yet to announce the date of his marriage. The citizens of Bhutan have placed a ban on their own marriages until then. His father married four sisters and has 10 children. Not a bad start to a dynasty! The former king abandoned his palace and started living in a hut, while his wives continue to live in the palace. 

Sound is vibration and touches every part of our body. That sound can be the noises from nature or a Meat Loaf track (big fan). A "new" sound for me is the gong, an interest inspired by a customer who plays singing bowls, the didgeridoo and the gong. For me, listening to the gong was a "let it rip" surge of emotion - here is just a bit about the gong by Joy McAndrew.
 The Gong has travelled down from very ancient times as far back as the beginning of the Bronze Age. It is a very powerful instrument of Sacred Sound and is as big as the Universe and Beyond. Its healing power is, like all healing energy, only bounded by the limitation placed on it by the recipient. It is both shamanic and symbolic and encompasses many schools of thought. 
The Gong in named for the sound it makes. It emits the primordial sound of OM and is so powerful that it can suspend conscious thought and place one in a cocoon of all encompassing Sacred Sound. It touches one on absolutely all levels from the densest physical to the highest and finest of spiritual aspects of being. The healing properties of the Gong work at a cellular level so that each and every cell of one’s being is raised in consciousness and cleansed. To experience a Gong Bath of Sacred Sound can be likened to having a shower inside.
Click here to hear a music clip and perhaps purchase a copy of Joy's CD.
Sound is power. The Old Testament tells us that Joshua and the priests brought down the walls of Jericho by blowing on horns. Consider an aeroplane going through he sound barrier. Two metronomes ticking will eventually entrain, two singing bowls of different tones will harmonise as one. Why not tap into that power?
 Sound is vibration. Our bodies are 70% water; consider a stone thrown into a pool and understand that vibration moves molecules.
The sound and vibration of singing bowls can lead us within to stillness and beauty even if just for a few moments. Allow this to become a habit; imagine an inner core that can fend off unwanted problems.
Our hearing is still working even when we sleep and can become dulled with everyday noise. The ring of the phone- does anybody's phone actually ring any more - and car horns hardly make for a peaceful backdrop to daily life not to mention incessant advertising jingles.
When the sludge of illness, loss, fatigue, job insecurity, money problems seem to overwhelm us, we often reach outside for help whether it is to a supreme being or a pill but peace of mind lies within us.
 Sound can allow us to experience our inner self beyond physical and mental states. 
To reach within and still the mind, try listening to a piece of music firstly with your brain - what instrument is that, how often does a theme repeat? Then listen again but with no thought processes at all. What do you feel? What do you see?
Reach within and feel, know that a state of tension was not always there and should not be there now. Be as one with life, not separate. 
There is so much beauty in the universe but sometimes the other side of the coin seems to loom so large. Don't I know! But right now, the magnolia and camellias are flowering, my cat is asleep and the heater is on. I am so lucky.
I love lists - keep me on track so to speak. I can't remember where I first saw this list but it is now on the fridge door and also the top of tea canister.
These are practical actions to take to bring on happiness. One a day is fine but it is surprising how easy it is to review your day and see just how many positive actions have been achieved. Some are easier to do than others but just by patting the cat I am savouring life's joys and expressing gratitude. She is adorable and I am so lucky to have her in my life.

 
Tara

expressing gratitude,
cultivating optimism,
avoiding overthinking and social comparison,
practicing acts of kindness, 		nurturing social relationships,
developing strategies for coping,
learning to forgive,
increasing flow experiences { absorbed in activity}, 		savouring life's joys,
committing to your goals, 
practicing religion and spirituality,
taking care of your body through physical activity.

Bye for now, walk in peace and beauty, Marilynne Sherpa
Om Trek Pty Ltd 28 Barclay Avenue, Frankston VIC 3199
P: 03 9781 1280    M: 0419 005 251   E: msherpa@thesherpashop.com.au
www.thesherpashop.com.au or www.singingbowls.com.au