A Weekend Spent Bowling

 

A Weekend  Spent Bowling

Harshani and I have had a great weekend playing with Tibetan singing bowls.  

A selection of which we have had especially imported from Nepal by a friend of ours in time for our 'Singing Bowls PlayShop' Day at the Field of Healing in Bythorn, Cambridgeshire ~ on Sunday 4^th June. Full details & bookings for this day can be found at https://mindbodywellbeing.co.uk/classes-events/

Singing bowls have become very popular in recent times in the West. 
It is thought singing bowls (which can also be called healing bowls) can be traced back to Asia as early as 2000 BC.
They are said to have had many uses: as a cooking utensil; an offering bowl; for meditation purposes; relaxation; space cleansing, and also healing. A really good quality bowl, old or new, however has many ringing tones or overtones , so it’s thought unlikely a good quality bowl was used for cooking!

Harshani  and I have personally used Tibetan Singing Bowls for meditation  and sound healing for many years now, and find that they are unique in the way that that they stimulate and heal the mind and body in a very gentle yet powerful way.

Much myth and legend exists around Singing bowls, what was their original purpose? 
Is a new bowl better than an antique bowl?
My own view is that it is a matter of budget and personal belief, as some antique bowls are incredibly expensive and not always the genuine real deal, but have been made to look aged!

Of course it is possible  that some antique bowls have an added spiritual element and may have been originally made and used by Llamas in Tibet centuries ago. However, my personal view is that new bowls can sound just as good as an antique bowl and there is absolutely  nothing to stop you consecrating your own bowl for spiritual purposes any way.

Usually singing bowls are made of an alloy containing 7 different metals ~ connected to the 7 astrological planets. A good quality bowl creating a wide  range of sounds and overtones.
The seven metals are gold = Sun,  silver = Moon,  iron = Mars, tin = Jupiter , Lead = Saturn. The size, width, weight, color/ patina and composition of the bowl are all variables ~ which means that each bowl in itself  is unique and each bowl plays and sounds slightly differently. There are also many  regional differences in manufacture and decoration.

Find out more about Sound Therapy here www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk

Best Wishes

Edwin

Retreat . . . Replenish . . . Refresh . . . Recharge . . .

 

We all need to take precious time out of our busy schdeules and diaries and make time for ourselves.

Self-care time is an essential aspect of being able to maintian our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual sense of wellbeing. 

So what do you do to relax? Does it recharge you or replenish you?

Going to a retreat gives you time and space away from your normal environment, a space to be, a place to switch off from all that is going on at home and at work . . . it gives you time to deeply re-connect with yourself, to discover new layers within you . . . time out . . . time to be.

Maybe join us on one of our Yoga and Sacred Sound retreats this year ~ in the UK or France.

No prior experience necessary ~ we warmly invite you to simply dive into something new for you to enjoy.

Discover our Retreats here ~  

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/yoga-and-sacred-sound-retreats-1696629?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=creatorshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=odclsxcollection&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

World Vegan Day 1st November

In honor of World Vegan Day on Friday 1st November and my lovely Vegan student who is coming along to a Meditation evening that night ~ I am making Vegan Chocolate Brownies for everyone to share! I thought that cake baking would prove slightly challenging because of the non-egg factor but on the Vegan website I found an array of special Vegan recipes to have a choice of what to bake for everyone to enjoy.
http://www.national-awareness-days.com/world-vegan-day.html

So here's the recipe I found on the Vegan Society's website for all to enjoy:

Vegan Chocolate Brownies
75g Margarine
45g Cocoa Powder
75ml Soya Milk
200g Caster Sugar

160g Plain White Flour
2.5 tsp Baking Powder
20g Cocoa Powder
115g Caster Sugar
170ml Soya Milk
45ml Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Vanilla essence
(and my own addition of a handful of dried sour cherries to add a little texture)

1) Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C (Gas Mark 4)
2) Combine the first four ingredients in a saucepan and gently bring to the boil, turn down & simmer for 1 minute, stirring well. The place the saucepan into a bowl of cold water & beat the sauce until it cools & thickens. Set aside.
3) Sieve flour, baking powder, cocoa & sugar into a large bowl. Mix the Soya Milk, Vegetable oil & vanilla essence together. Combine all of the flour mixture, soya milk mixture & sauce together ~ avoid over mixing.
4) Place in a greased & lined tin approx 10" x 8" & bake for 30 minutes.

(Recipe by Fairfoods www.fairfoods.org.uk )

If you try it out, please share your tastings . . . and maybe any other favorite Vegan cakes you make too!

Happy Healthy Vegan Month wished to all!

Harshani
www.mindbodywellbeing.co.uk

Mindful Meditation

https://www.facebook.com/This morning on radio 4 there was an interesting discussion on mindful meditation.

So what does mindfulness mean to me?
It is about being present; being in the moment; aware of self and immediate environment; doing things slowly and carefully (mindfully) . . . .  so when you link that with meditation, to me it is a more active meditation than classic forms of traditional meditation, almost as if you try to live your life in a mindful meditative way of being present in all that you do.

Thich Nhat Hanh, author of "The Miracle of Mindfulness" is a world known revered master of Meditation & Mindfulness. He has a retreat community centre called "Plum Village" in SouthWest France where monks, nuns, laymen & laywomen practise mindful living. 

Traditional meditation is a pure focus on one point, a withdrawal of the senses, a connection of oneness.
In my yoga classes I encourage a mindfulness of practise in the Asana's (postures), which is very meditative in itself, yet being fully present and aware of the physical, mental and emotional body.

To me, all paths to meditation and 'being mindful' help us to become more peaceful, more at one with ourselves and the world around us.

Peace always begins within!