18 March 2019

sound medicine

Music therapy and sound healing are fast becoming the popular alternative to medical or spa treatments.

In a sound bath, health seekers looking to disconnect, are immersed in a sensory wash of good vibrations rooted in ancient traditions.


A chord has been struck among mainstream practitioners, seeking to restore and maintain harmony and balance, in increasingly crowded lives and circumstances.

Slipping into a mind clearing state that nourishes mindful living is a growing need among many urbanites - for the anxious and ailing as much as wellness enthusiasts.

Easier said than done when we are constantly inundated and distracted by our gadgets and techniques collected for our own comfort and convenience.

Sound therapy has long lain at the heart of healing vibrations - releasing blockages, clearing chakras and rejuvenating energy.

Tuning to the frequency of 432hz has had such transformative effects on recipients during meditations and treatments.

Filling a roomful with these healing vibration creates a profound sensory resonance for each individual that aligns the body and entrains the mind by releasing, relaxing and tuning in on the same frequency.

Surrendering any resistance and dropping all thought we are bathed in soothing sounds rippling and rolling in waves - inside us in our blood and cells, and externally on our skin and our energy field.

Hearing sound is a primal sense and it is in our nature to be transformed by what we hear. In a sound bath we immerse in harmonious frequencies that move our brainwaves from active and alert states into a relaxed drowsy dreaminess.

This enables our whole being to process, detox and rebalance ourselves back into our natural alignment.

I heard a talk given by the Dalai Lama at the Garrison Institute back in October 2009. He spoke of clinical studies scientists were conducting on his senior monks who were seasoned meditators.

The neuroimaging data gathered from when the monks were awake or asleep had a vastly astounding difference from when they were in a meditative state.

Neuroscientists, psychologists and musicologists who study the cognitive effects of sound say that these mental shifts lead to benefits that boost the immune system and enhance creativity.

In shedding our layers we are restored back in our own skin. True, real and more wondrous than ever.

07 March 2019

NY Open Center | open house March 8 - 6pm to 10pm

New York Open Center is celebrating its 35th Anniversary on Friday, March 8 with an open house from 6pm to 10pm.

It is also the 1oth year of the Sound and Music Institute and some graduates of the program with be participating in the open house for the first time.

The event is free but you may want to register to reserve your spot.

Join us for an enjoyable evening of celebration!


Here is what the evening's programme looks like:

6pm-7pm
  • Musician/sound practitioner in Grand Room (each "corner" will have some kind of engagement, sound/music will be one of those "stations" ) (MJ)
  • Musician/sound practitioner in Studio Corner (Brenda)
  • Musician/sound practitioner in hall (second floor landing) (Chris Boutin)

7pm-8pm
  • Musician in Studio Corner (Alexandra)
  • Musician in Hall (Chris Boutin)
  • There will be a Reiki Circle in Grand Room

8pm-8:15pm Formal Announcement (no music)


8:15pm-9pm
  • Musician/Sound Practitioner in Grand Room (EcoDeo with Issa & Martina for 20 mins play/ Alexandra for 40mins)
  • Musician/Sound Practitioner in Studio Corner (Samer)
  • Musician/Sound Practitioner in hall (Chris Cherney)

9:30-10:00 Sound Bath in Grand Room (MJ, Chris Cherney, Eileen, Samer - tuning forks, gongs, chimes, drones, etc)