June was a fruitful month.  I completed Gary Diggins series, continued my lessons and found ways to be involved in the sound community. CASP met at the Park at Woodbine and we all jammed together for a few hours.  I attended the conference with Barbara Marx Hubbard and I was asked to play my didgerdoo at the closing cermonies.  I felt honored to have been able to give using my breath to sustain me.

During the later part of June I sat in a one week solo meditation at my home. I do this twice a year and other times I sit in community.  I have been learning to play the shofar and work with my breath to sustain me. After a year of practicing I was able to sustain a long and short drones.  I often sound the Shofar as it awakens my heart and allows me to hear the calling, my didgerdoo sustains a deeper resonance within my body.

During my silent meditation retreat as you can see from the pictures added, the tree with two tallit and the shofar resting within the branches. Each day of my retreat at each sit, I davenned with one chant and I asked 3 friends to borrow their talliot. I prepared in my home a tent, using each tallit at the doorway of my living room and other openings to act as a place to dwell, bringing in ritual and ceremony to support my process. My home felt sacred.  I chose gardening as my jogi job, each morning for 1 hour or more, I carefully trimmed over grown trees, tended to the earth, and I listened for stories.  I was called to this particular tree and was guided to put two talliot on this tree. I felt as though I was standing at the burning bush and with awe I followed guidance. I was not called at this retreat to play my didgeridoo to the extent that I had chosen last year. This year was much more disciplined.

I do believe that sounding with our voices, through movement, deep listening, and using instruments can support our process of raising consciouness.  My meditation and prayer practice supports this for me and creates a foundation.  I had the opportunity to sound with a concert at Whole Village Community in Caledon. The World drum was presented and we each were able to drum to what our intention was for the afternoon.

While people drummed I played the didgeridoo.  I look forward to taking part in other sound journeys during these next few months.

As a final note, I will be holding a special performance on August 11 – see the image below. Email me at shericohen@rogers.com to register by August 1. Hope to see you there.