Featuring, the Gayatri Mantra
By Raydiance Joy Grace
Photos by bengeophoto.com
Approaching the well-danced jungle path to the Blue Moon room at Kalani, the streams of Tibetan Bowls, bells, gongs, and other exotic Tibetan instruments fill my ears in anticipation of a sacred meditation experience. Wafts of sweet incense waken my nostrils with soothing aromatherapy initiating deep relaxation in my body as I quietly lay down on a Yoga mat on the cushioned floor. Yana Garden, the magical “ministeress” of song surrounds the room with her majestic, meandering vocals. She is playing a metallophone, a percussion instrument consisting of a series of struck metal bars emitting clear tones. Michael’s flutes join her in awakening the angelic realms of heavenly sound.
Welcome to the first segment of your musical healing service which opens the “Sound Alchemy Integration” Event at Kalani every Sunday afternoon at 3 pm in Blue Room Moon.
Tomas Mendola orchestrates the opening of the Gayatri Mantra with its power and grace to transform us.
Tomas started the Gayatri Mantra on the Seaview Lawn months ago and was invited to move his celebration to Kalani by Alejandro, the producer/co-ordinator of current event at Kalani.
He opens the next segment with words of wisdom for the origin, purpose, and intent of chanting the “Gayatri Mantra” for 45 minutes. Singing together in this celebrational practice, activates our evolutionary inclination to awaken both personally and as a species.
Integrating the divine and the personal in the alchemical practice of mantra creates the healing power of sound. The versatile musicians accompany the chant with Tibetan bowls, bells, gongs, drum, guitar, violin, and an Indian Shruti Box. I could viscerally feel the energy moving in the room. The chant would continually rise and fall in a continuous crescendo and decrescendo culminating into a universal resonant peace in the hearts of the 50 or more participants.
The last segment titled “Integration” was led by Kevin in a traditional call and response in Kirtan, devotional singing, usually accompanied by musical instruments. The combination of music plus the vibrational power of the voices singing in unison filled the room with much joy and enthusiasm.
Kevin Rodriguez is the facilitator of music and song. He creates a musical service that emanates the attributes of beauty, upliftment, and healing through mantras and songs to empower and encourage people’s voices to sing together.
Kevin says, “One of the greatest joys in life is hearing people chant the holy names and the sacred Gayatri Mantra which produces expansion on many levels.” Participants expressed gratitude to Kevin for the benefits they received in the shared healing experience by joining their voices in mantra & song.
“What makes this event unique is the open-heartedness and open-mindedness of the people who come here to be uplifted through Sound, Mantra, and Song,” says Kevin.
Kelly creates the opening sound healing experience that sets our souls into motion. Mia prepares the Kitchari, a traditional Indian dish made of grains and legumes and also helps to administratively support and provides community interface. Ravi Das provides technical support, both in the setup of the sound equipment and in holding the space of the sacredness of mantra and sacred sound healing. Kaimalina, a loyal devotee, plays Tibetan bowls and helps set up and break down the event every Sunday. He also counts the mala to ensure the magic of 108 repetitions!
Tomas, the founder of the Gayatri Mantra segment enthusiastically says, “It creates merging of the personal self with the divine self while actualizing our highest nature by fulfilling our attributes of happiness, joy, and love. People smile more after chanting. Chanting the Gayatri Mantra can be a daily spiritual practice which can help us to get closer to God and Goddess and subsequently manifest more synchronicity in our lives.”
If you are interested in studying the traditional spiritual aspects of the meaning of the Gayatri Mantra contact Tomas Mendola on Facebook for information on classes at his home on Tuesdays at 10 am in Seaview. He will be offering yoga Sutra/Bhagavad-Gita readings there.
Alejandro Larios is the producer and coordinator of Sound Alchemy Integration at Kalani. He’s also the techno sound engineer and prepares the tea and food. He creates a safe space to ground the energy which allows the integration of the internal connection participants feel with the magic that occurs when chanting the Gayatri Mantra.“What makes this event unique is the nature surrounding the Blue Room with the realization that we are all interdependent carriers of this message of awakening,” says Alejandro.
Do you want to feel uplifted musically and spiritually which is one of the foundations of building a committed community? Are you interested in spending an afternoon in a sacred space of Sound, Mantra, and Song with like-minded friends? You are invited to join us at Kalani every Sunday at 3 pm. This is a free event. We encourage contributions towards this event to help with the expenses: venmofordonations@soundalcemyintegration or contact Alejandro at soundalchemyintegration@gmail.com to get more involved.
Click here for a video of the event: https://www.facebook.com/100090527988741/videos/934435697645689
