Who would we be without our stories?

This question came up this week while spending time with a couple of our close friends. Without our stories, would we be able to live blissfully in the present moment, unencumbered by the past and our wounds and traumas? Maybe. But what would we be missing out on? As I thought more about this question, what came up for me was this: My current preferred operating “belief” is that the Universe created everything, especially human consciousness, as a means to experience as much as it possibly could. Thus our whole purpose in existing is experiencing. And as little bits of the Universe, we all have that same desire to know and experience the widest array of experiences possible. Sharing our stories and hearing the stories of others is how we can do that within a finite sliver of existence. For even if we reincarnate thousands of times, the possible experiences we can have are only the smallest fragment of all the experiences that are possible to have. By sharing our stories with each other, we greatly multiply our own capacity for experiential wisdom and joy. And it feels so good because it is what we were created to be and do. Our true nature is connected, One, but as One, we don’t get to feel the same joy or delight as we do when we reconnect. 

That may be too out there (or just too convoluted) for you to relate to, but I felt it tied in so nicely with this week’s discussion on Chakra 5, which is all about sound, communication, and creativity.  Here’s to embracing our stories and sharing them! 

–Mindy

Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System [paperback, audiobook, kindle]

As people walked in, Mindy played Govinda Hare by Krishna Das. Then, we listened to the audiobook guide us through the opening meditation. And then Mindy had us join in a chant appropriate for the Sound chakra!

“Did this chapter feel both shorter but also full of thoughts and ideas for anyone else?” most of the hands came up and all the heads nodded.

During the evening's conversation, we covered medical and mystical views of sound and sonic healing and plumbed the ideas of communication for rich veins of insight.

We quickly got into a conversation about the experience of sound within the context of psychedelics. How, on psychedelics, sound and music can feel so profound and so different. One in our group shared an experience of “toning” while in a guided session working with plant medicine. They didn’t call it toning. No, they called it “honking,” and Mindy and I are fans of honking. Behind our home, a neighbor has a six-acre pasture home to llamas, cows, emus, donkeys, ponies, and GEESE! Geese seem to be very Fifth Chakra forward.

We were introduced to the art of sound and healing in the mystical and medical arts. One in our group has experience with medical uses of high-frequency sound for healing in their profession, which quickly prompted a conversation about frequencies and life. Including some mentions of TED Talks about sound and cells. Sound is this rich range of experiences, and it sometimes escapes us how similarly light and sound are perceived mentally and emotionally, even though they are sensed through vastly different means. Each is capable of lovely and terrific things–from art to artillery. Each so deeply ingrained in our perception of the world around us.

We so often use the language of sound to describe the feeling of connection.

• Vibe (vibration)

• Resonance

• Same frequency

Perhaps this is because little else evokes emotion like the sounds that accompany feeling safe and loved: the timber of a voice, the chatter of siblings and friends, the moans of a lover.

And we so often use the language of violence to describe harsh words.

• Cuts like a knife

• Felt like a slap in the face

• A punch to the gut

When working with a new organization, I have a habit of repeating myself until my own words come back to me unattributed. It’s a technique and heuristic for knowing when I can move on with the next steps in a change effort. The repetition can feel tedious and obnoxious, but I choose to look at it more like entertainment in metronomes. Someone else mentioned how much they love the moment in a meeting when, suddenly, everyone’s on the same page just by talking it out.

We are not the only species capable of communication. We have the most advanced spoken language and the most developed capacity for group cooperation and coordination. But we struggle to coordinate as effortlessly as a school of fish, trusting in specialized organs running the length of their bodies on both sides that sense subtle changes in pressure resulting from the movement of their neighbors. There is much in the natural world to evidence that we lack the capacity to experience the dance of life fully.

“I have wondered about the connection between being in one’s power and expressing oneself. I feel like these two are much more correlated than I give credit.”

This gave rise to conversations about learning to listen to the body's communication. It has been helpful for several to notice in their bodies where they feel emotions: a lump in the throat, a tightness in the chest, hands balling into fists, shallow breathing, getting small, etc., and the power of saying things out loud.

Some (including me) shared their experience with the power of an audio journaling practice. Others mentioned how uncomfortable they feel saying their thoughts out loud, and how that probably points to the value of taking on the exercise. This led to talk of the discomfort so many have in hearing the sound of the voice recorded; it is probably more an artifact of how different our recorded voice sounds are compared to the voice reverberating in our bodies than an indication of poor self-esteem. One of our group has even pulled out journals from childhood and recorded themself reading them aloud, which has resulted in deep healing as they could feel the power of their current self exercising compassion and extending comfort to the parts of them from the past that still live inside them. Can we take notice of the tone of voice of the “roommate” that lives in our heads? Might a practice of speaking our innermost thoughts give us a chance to see how we might be kinder to ourselves?

This was a beautiful conversation about the energy and power of communication. Over the past year, several have noted how deeply healing it has felt to be in a community discussing ideas. Communication of ideas and discussion are powerful medicines that feel quite approachable through the lens of the Fifth Chakra. Truly it is through communication that we start to transcend our separateness and move into Oneness.

—David/Gonzo

NEAT!

Stuff that Mindy✨ & David⚡️ think is worth sharing

• Learning how to tune into the wisdom of my body has been a game changer. It’s a skill I am still working on, but every bit of progress has been so helpful. ✨

• Love this way of seeing Mental Health Treatment.  So many avenues to explore—so much potential for growth! ✨

• It has been a GOOD week for our relationship growth. I came across Best of You by Andy Grammer, and it rang so true. ✨

• Fine, a couple more songs* that spoke to me about the kind of relationship I want to continue to cultivate: ✨

  • Almost Home by Keston Cobblers Club

  • Give by Layup

*I might as well fess up here: I (Mindy) have a theory that Spotify is controlled by magic mushrooms and that’s how it is able to give me so many great songs—all through the magic of its incredible musical mycelial network. I know I’m married to a person who built and sold a machine learning company but I’m going to still give credit to the mushies! 🍄

SOMETHING TO TRY

A couple months ago I came across a mention of Yoga Nidra. I hadn’t heard of it before, so being a fan of all things yoga, I decided to check it out. Yoga Nidra can be thought of as deep relaxation yoga, and no poses are involved. I have come to think of it as “Nap Yoga,” though I think that moniker would be frowned upon by some Nidra experts. I will tell you this, though: Yoga Nidra meditations are the BEST vehicle for a “power nap” that I’ve ever found. InsightTimer has a lot of great ones, in varying lengths. I’ll share a couple links to ones I’ve enjoyed, though I don’t know that I can vouch for the entirety of any of them because I am usually so deeply relaxed after 5-10 minutes that I don’t know what happens after that point, at least not consciously. I also feel like the practice has helped train my body for quicker relaxation, which has proven to be helpful at night when I’m going to sleep. 

• Yoga Nidra - Soothing The Nervous System - 528 Hz

• Yoga Nidra With Binaural Beats

• Yoga Nidra Recharge

PARTING

WORDS

PIC

That’s all for this week! If you’re into this, share this newsletter with all your friends. Connecting with new subscribers is magical! 🧚🏻‍♀️

DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice.