Soulful Healing

I went to sing kirtan with a friend recently at Yoga Desa in Topanga Canyon.  Led by teachers from the Art of Living Foundation, this experience of singing/chanting along with a few dozen other people reminded me how good it feels to connect with myself and a community of like-minded people.  Kirtan is something I’ve only experienced a few times, yet each time I have walked away feeling calm, joyful, and grounded.  Music in general is a wonderful way to get connected (whether kirtan, hymn, classical, pop, jazz, bluegrass…).  It brings us back from all the journeys our minds take every day.  Back to the present moment.  Back to our feelings.  Back to our deeper meaning.  Whether instrumental or lyrical, music can help to release emotions, create relaxation, inspire, rebuild, uplift.

This last time, I was particularly moved by our leaders’ reminder to “sing with the innocence of a child”.  We spend so much time thinking about how we are being perceived that we forget to just sing/speak/share from that shiny, unbroken part of our Self.  When all alone in the car or the shower, we might actually allow ourselves to sing out.  But the second we realize someone is watching…  slam!… we shut ourselves back down.  This literal description of how we silence ourselves and each other also carries figurative meaning.  Granted, some of our destructive characteristics may need silencing, but certainly we have many gifts we do not share with the world due to that ugliest of four-letter-words:  fear.

While fear is a subject for another blog, this did set me to thinking about other ways we might use Soul-connecting practices to counteract fear.  Musical experience (whether you prefer to sing or listen) is one way to remember who we really are underneath all the noise and confusion of our daily lives.  Physical exercise, knitting groups, walking clubs, sewing circles, prayer, meditation, laughing with your children, sharing a meal with friends…  I suppose the list really is endless!  Is it possible to take a moment each day to reconnect with either yourself, a friend, or family member? There are so many demands on our time each day, it’s easy to take ourselves and one another for granted.  I invite you this week to slow down and take a moment to reconnect.  You’ll be glad you did!