Dr. Dream’s bowl sonata will be somewhat of a postlude to a series of nightly sound baths the prior week at Shakti Fest.
Coincidentally, they are all at the same sacred space. The common venue is the very special Joshua Tree Retreat Center, about 40 minutes from the Palm Springs Airport. A not-for-profit center, it is the oldest and largest of its kind, in the Western U.S. It sits on many acres, above an aquifer, with buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and his son. Adding to the coincidences, I was born and raised in Frank Lloyd Wright’s hometown, and my brother mowed the lawn at his studio/home.
Sound Therapy in the Desert
So, for the last five years, I’ve headed to Bhakti Fest without fail. Now, I am headed to Shakti Fest. No typo. S. Not B. Bhakti is held each September. Shakti Fest is in Springtime. Actually, May 12-15 this year. Despite the fact that Shakti is a more condensed version than Bhakti, one stage will be dedicated to five hours of sound therapy, nightly.
Both Bhakti and Shakti Fest bring the best yoga teachers, Kirtan musicians, and workshop leaders to Joshua Tree. Namely, they celebrate the devotional paths of yoga, Kirtan, and meditation. Quite a few of the Bhakti/Shakti workshop leaders have influenced my teaching. Many more are staples on my yoga playlists.
Sridhar Silberfein is the man behind Bhakti and Shakti Fests. Interestingly enough, he was also responsible for getting Swami Satchidananda to Woodstock. So musical extravaganzas and spirituality have been with him most of his life.
A sincere bhakta, he has been expanding the festivals to meet the demands of attendees as more and more people head to these festivals. “For years many attendees were asking us for our sound bath programs to be expanded,” Silberfein explains. “For years, we had a small tent where some folks would do gong sessions. Now we have utilized our second stage from 7 p.m. at night to 2 a.m. Folks can come in, lay down on the carpets, relax, and go into another zone due to the gongs, crystals, and bells surrounding them. It is a very magical environment, and takes each participant into a relaxed, deep, meditative space within.”
Why Sound Therapy?
As a Certified Yoga Therapist, I have studied many different forms of healing, and try to tap into a colorful palette of modalities when I create lifestyle action plans, homework, or protocols for my clients. Sound therapy is most certainly a favorite.
I’m not alone. Dr. Oz is a proponent of sound therapy. In one of his shows, Dr. Oz explained how bi-neural frequencies influence the brain. He displayed brain scans of people listening to crystal sound therapy, to point out the positive effects.
His guest, Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, gave patient testimonials for sound therapy. Gaynor is an oncologist, who uses sound in his practice. “It’s critically important,” he responded, saying that it can help everyone. Dr. Gaynor explained that with sonic therapy, you can improve moods and much more. For those that are in good health, it is a proactive measure. For those battling health issues, the differences are more evident. As an oncologist, he incorporated a 15-minute crystal sonic therapy session into his patients’ first visits. Apparently, it was highly effective. Many said they hadn’t felt that relaxed, ever. For Dr. Gaynor, this was especially rewarding. Especially, considering the first visit to an oncologist is often filled with fear and anguish.
Shakti Fest Sound Therapy Lineup
Ten different Sound Dome presenters are part of the extended Shakti lineup. Among them is Danny Goldberg. His Sound Immersion Experience “weaves the restorative vibrations of singing bowls, gongs, and chimes to create a blanket of healing sounds. The sound provides a channel for release, opening, and transformation; tuning our vibrational frequency.” In the past, Danny led healing sessions at Wanderlust, Lightning in a Bottle, Lucidity, UC Santa Cruz, and Foothill College Music Programs.
Guy Douglas is a sound therapy practitioner with a longtime interest in the healing power of music. A traveling gong master, he performs Sound Circle Ceremonies, Group SoundBaths, Retreats, Gong Workshops, Gong Yoga Flow classes, and Gong Invocations. His focus is Eastern sound healing techniques that help clear dormant pathways and open the heart.
Lynda Arnold is a healing sound recording artist and certified sound healer. She taps into the power of sound therapy to help people reduce stress, and transform consciousness. Lynda was a Sound, Voice, and Music Healing student at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Additionally, she studied Tibetan Bowl Sound Healing with master practitioner and educator Suren Shrestha.
Michelle Berc has performed at Bhakti/Shakti fest in the past. She focuses on chakra balancing with Crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, percussion instruments, gong, tuning forks, and other rare instruments. She explains that “sonic experience allows you to; release blocked energy in the body, balance and align the chakra centers for greater energy flow, and elevate your holistic being for expanded awareness. Overall, a vibrational kinship between mind, body, and spirit will take place.”
She holds a certification from the Sound and Consciousness Institute in San Francisco.
For information on my Soothing Sound Sessions, find related blog posts from 2021, or contact me.