Back to Bhakti with Jim Fox

Since losing my hearing I have increasingly shied away from group situations. Indeed, I have restructured my whole life around being still and quiet. But when we lost Dad last week, something shifted. In that moment when he exhaled his last breath, I felt my own breath in the most profound way and I decided then and there that I was going to take steps towards reconnecting to song, rather than be almost bullied by my hearing disability to turn my back on music.

Before learning to live with tinnitus and hyperacusis, I was immersed in the deep joy of regular Bhakti devotional singing 3 times a week. It is the most heart opening of experiences and it is one of the only times that I feel totally connected to self.

Namaste: Kirtan with Jim Fox

So when my dear friends, Jim Fox and Kiera Jones from The Centre in Swansea invited me to come and join them in the recording of a double album of Bhakti Yoga, at the beautiful Yoga Place Abertawe in Clydach as part of a Kirtan, I felt every cell of my body wanted to say yes, but fear made me say that I didn't think I could make it.

Jim & Kiera have both had a major impact on my life, having trained with Jim as a Sound Therapist and trained with Kiera as a Level 2 Reiki Practitioner. I really wanted to join them.

In addition, the profits raised from the double CD are going to Skanda Vale Hospice, where I volunteer as a Storyteller & Poet in their sacred space.

Today was the day of the recording. I wrote to Kiera thanking her for the invitation and asked her if I could come for just 1 or 2 of the mantra so as to be a part of it. She very kindly said yes.

Kiera Jones

This was such a huge step on my healing pathway. It was the most amazing experience. As I sang with the 50 or 60 other people who had come to join in with the recording, I physically felt myself lift beyond my body. 

Jim was absolutely amazing. I knew he would be and he had just the most amazing musicians with him. When the tabla, tampura & flute joined in I couldn't keep still. My whole body wriggled with the beats, I felt my actual soul smiling.

And the people I was sat with felt the same, though we will never talk together about it nor even see each other again, we shared a knowing smile, a connection of soul through chanting.

What an incredible privilege to be part of something so absolutely human.

I stayed for the whole of the first half, but I didn't want to push myself too far so made a swift exist after pre-ordering the double album ... I can not wait to hear it ... 

You can pre-order it too if you like by contacting Jim Fox HERE.

Listening to the Universe

 My dear friends

While in France chanting mantra in an orchard for the month of September, I struggled to blog for a number of reasons. First, the blooming internet coverage was a tad patchy but even when I could get on line, I could not get blogger to upload. 

I carried on writing but went completely old school. Yes, a pen and paper! And do you know what, it felt wonderful.

Also while I was there, I started making concertina books. 

Alison Smith who owns the gites is an Artist and she showed me how to make some lovely books and taking her lead I got myself well and truly book - hooked. 

So, this is what I think is going to happen now, although I am leaving space for the idea to grow. I am going to write a book about my time in France, sat under the apple tree in the orchard. You know, a strange thing happens when you spend this amount of time with a tree. I really did fall in love! 

I didn't think it was possible to fall in love with a tree, but it is and if you listen very carefully, she has so many lessons to teach. And this will be the central focus of my new book.

I'm not sure how many books, or if I will hand make them, or how it will work but for now all I know is that I am writing a book about my relationship with a tree in France 

and that I like making books.

 

I think these 2 things fit together well.

Off course, through Parlor Press, my community publishing company, I have made it possible for literally 1000's of people to be published over the last 15 years but this time, it is me that I am empowering to live the dream. 

And what is great is that it doesn't feel selfish, or self absorbed, it feels right and kind and loving and self caring.