Saturday, May 30, 2009

Meta-Physical Musical Meditations




Goddess Alchemy Project's Lilla D'Mone (L) & "Dakini Star" (R) singing at the JT Music Festival surrounded by the
“Dancing Orb Ancestor-Spirits.” Also, Ganga Giri w/Medicine Drum creating Didge/Trance rhythms for Orbs & Humans to dance to...(Photos by Sun-Downer)


Metaphysical Musical Meditations

by Sunny Sun-Downer (as featured in the May 28, 2009 [g.c.] issue of the Desert Valley Star, www.desertvalleystar.com)

Avant-garde & eclectic live music, in and of itself, has been exploding in the low and high deserts in a big way the past few years. Before that, I would look with dismay in the local entertainment sections for some form of cultural entertainment that was “Not-The-Rat-Pack” generation’s music (no offense to you Dinah-Deano-Frankie-Sammy-lovers). I’m just saying that it was slim-pickings for this Baby Boomer’s tastes. Of course the Coachella/Stagecoach festival phenomenon started up, but that was only once a year. Luckily the local casinos started expanding their musical horizons to everyone’s liking, but if they hadn’t, we also had those innovative folks at “Team Joshua Tree Music Festival.” Created by Chris and Barnett English & friends seven years ago, the JT Music Fest and its companion October “Rootsicana Festival” (www.joshuatreemusicfestival.com) are one-of-a-kind events that are slowly gaining in world-wide notoriety. The format of the musical line-up over the years at first may cause someone to comment that they’ve never heard of most of these acts before. But that doesn’t remain the case for long, because the whole idea all along has been to give exposure to lesser-known, but up-and-coming quality acts, and then the next thing you know you’re seeing their names pop up at festivals across the nation.

Let me segue now back to the release in 1972 of one of the first “New Age” films, aptly titled “Rainbow Bridge,” which features the trend-setting Jimi Hendrix playing his last free concert in Maui, Hawaii. The film is about actress Pat Hartley's "spiritual awakening" via a visit to the 'Rainbow Bridge' planetary meditation cult on Maui, where, as part of the movie’s “plot,” Hendrix visits to play a concert during a 'Rainbow Bridge' mass meditation/color/sound "experiment." (You can see parts of the concert on Youtube.com now- enjoyable in spite of the intense winds on Maui’s Haleakala volcanic crater, on that July 30, 1970.) I became friends back then with the movie’s director, Chuck Wein, who, not only directed, but acted in the movie as well. Known as “Wizard,” his moment in the movie’s spotlight was in the interview scene with Jimi & Pat in the “cult’s” basement, which gave the Hendrix fans back then a ‘behind-the-mask’ glimpse of the rock star. The reason I mention Mr. Wein here, is because one of the many awesome (to me) things that he told me back then was that he and his fellow “Light-Workers” traveled “out-of-body” to the souls of Warner Brothers Movie executives (while they slept) to convince them to fund this “new age culture” film, & that it worked. Another thing he told me was that Jimi had a planned meeting with a psychic woman (not Charlotte Blob, the one featured in the film who announced that “E.T.s” [Extra-Terrestials] had contacted the “Powers-That-Be” on this planet to freely share the technologies of non-polluting free energy with the world, but the oil & electric companies squashed the plan). This other psychic woman was going to share with Jimi what colors his music produced metaphysically and what powerful revitalizing & balancing effects it had on the spinal “chakras” (Sanskrit for “spiritual-energy centers”). That is actually the reason that Chuck and friends chose the English title of the Sanskrit “Antah-karana,” or “ Rainbow Bridge ,” which is the “bridge between the lower & higher self.” Unfortunately, Jimi left his body within a couple of months (and yet ANOTHER amazing thing Chuck told me that you can check out for yourself, is that Jimi predicted his own murder in the song “Belly Button Window,” which was written 200 days before he “choked” to death, with the words “I’m looking out my belly button window, and all I see is frowns- Guess you people don’t want me around…”).

NOW let me return you to a more recent time, say approximately a year ago at the aforementioned Joshua Tree Music Festival, where I had the cosmically-tantric pleasure of experiencing a group of young women out of the Bay Area who call themselves the "Goddess Alchemy Project." With songs like “Song of the Serpent,” “Kundalini Manifest” & “Transcendant Realms,” they musically energize the Kundalini (Sankrit for the “Serpent Power” that activates the chakras as it rises) with their spiritually-based poetry sung over very dance-able hip-hop beats. Two of these alchemically-musical goddessi: “Dakini Star” and Lilla D'Mone returned to the festival this year and joined the group Medicine Drum to share their spiritually-empowering grooves once again. Tying this in with the previous Hendrix-Music-Color rap, is the recent discovery of the phenomena of “Orbs.” Upon your internet search on that word, you’ll find that there are now even conferences dedicated to these “ancestor-spirit-globes” of light energy that appear in more & more photos these days. Submitted for your perusal: a plethora of Orbs surround the G.A.P.-rappers during their set with Medicine Drum at the JTMFest! (If you ask them, they will come!) To see more Orbs, even some captured during Buddhist Meditations, come by the HAALOS Emporium, 12078 Palm Dr. DHS 92240 (760) 673-7580 email: conchustimes@yahoo.com

Moving Meditations


Jackson Browne and Mark Hammerman (in his "Dr. Johnny Fever" disguise) in their pre-Tai Chi stance

Photo by Sundowner: Dr. Robert Haberkorn leads "World Tai Chi Day" attendees in "Medical Qi Gong" techniques

("Moving Meditations" was my original title for this piece published in the Desert Valley Star May 21 2009 [gregorian calendar] but someone at the DVS, with their "Editorial License" added to Moving Meditations "...Tips for Trips" which I still don't get, but just happy to be published in a 3-Dimensional paper these daze, did not question... I will add, though, "What a Long Strange Trips It's Been..!-=0=-)

In my last article, I discussed the practice and benefits of "sitting meditation," which gained popularity in the West in the Sixties with help from such musical icons as the Beatles and the Beach Boys.

I now wish to share information about the “moving meditations” called Tai Chi, and it's "sister healing art," Qi Gong (pron. "chi gung"). In that the seeds of "New Age trends" took root here in the West in interesting ways, I am compelled to fall back on the "rock and roll musician" default. Talking with Desert Hot Springs resident and former Jackson Browne-manager Mark Hammerman recently, I found out another bit of "Tai Chi trivia." Jackson 's long-time guitarist extraordinaire, (Clairmont, CA-based) David Lindley, was "instrumental" in "enlightening" us to the benefits of Tai Chi practice in interviews a couple of decades ago. David was the inspiration for getting Jackson and his band & crew to practice these energy-restoring martial arts as far back as the "Running on Empty" tour, apparently to keep from "Running Out (of Energy)" themselves (heh-heh!)

I was notified recently by the good folks at Dancing Light School in Rancho Mirage about ‘World Tai Chi Day” on April 25th, at Whitewater Park there. Over 30 health-loving people were first treated to instruction in "Medical Qi Gong" techniques taught by Dr. Robert Haberkorn of the Center of Motion in Palm Desert . This was followed with Tai Chi instruction by the event-organizer, Noel Pittman, of Palm Springs Tai Chi (Noel has an astounding history of polio affliction at age 2 and was told that he would live his life in a wheelchair, supposedly starting 12 years ago! He attributes his Tai Chi practice to preventing that from occurring). I found myself happily engaging once again in these ancient Chinese martial arts which are over a thousand years old. The slow, flowing practice heals and strengthens our internal organs, glands, muscles, etc., and has proven effective in reducing arthritis and other joint-related problems as it promotes the natural flow of “chi” or “energy” in the human body. Not only do they enhance the “Mind-Body Connection,” but the other benefits include increased strength, flexibility and stamina, improved balance and coordination, and improved cardio-vascular function while promoting the body’s natural healing energy. These moving meditations are recommended for all ages, but especially for those of us, who, like myself, recently found that “life begins at 50!”

Dr. Rai "Rainbow" Casey (MD, DD), a Qi Gong instructor who also participated in "World Tai Chi Day," teaches a special form of Qi Gong called "Nei Kung." The martial art school of Nei Kung emphasizes training the coordination of the individual's body with the breath, which harmonizes the inner and outer energies, and creates a basis for utilizing the power and technique of the art. This type of practice is said to require concentration and internal reflection which results in a heightened self-awareness that increases over time with continued practice. Nei Kung practitioners report increased blood circulation, muscular movement, skeletal alignment, balance, etc. What is said to be occurring as the result of continual practice is a type of "internal alchemy," that is a refinement and transmutation of the "Three Treasures"- Essence, Vitality and Spirit.

This art is also designed to produce relaxation or releasing of muscular tension, and, aside from the other potential health factors, the fundamental purpose of this process is to develop a high level of coordination, concentration and technical skills. The ultimate purpose of this practice is for the individual to become at one with Heaven or the "Tao." As Zhuangzi, an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BC states, "Heaven, earth and I are born of one, and I am at one with all that exists."

Classes in these amazing life-strengthening & re-vitalizing techniques are popping up all over the low and high deserts, from Senior Centers to Healing Arts Centers such as HAALOS in Desert Hot Springs, where Dr. Casey offers a class in Qi Gong Monday evenings @ 7pm, and where you can also experience Buddhist Meditation and Yoga instruction. Please feel free to contact me for more info at conchustimes@yahoo.com or by calling 760-673-7580.

Until then, remember: (Sitting &/or Moving) Meditation is the Best Medication!

Meditation: The Best Medicine

Here's the link to my first article for the Desert Valley Star Newspaper published April 30, 2009 (gregorian calendar), originally titled "Meditation- It's Not What You Think!):
(you'll most likely have to copy & paste into your address bar)

http://desertvalleystar.com/article.php?a=337

(While i could have just given the text of the article here, i would love for you to experience the "Buddha-Full" meditation-buddha on the DVS site! Enjoy!)