Sep 302017
 

In my 20’s I watched my cousins, Donna and Paula ,clogging to bluegrass music. Clogging is a traditional American folk dance that began in the Appalachian mountains when people were  listening to Old-Time Music – claw hammer banjo ,guitar  and fiddle. I had been dancing since a teenager to rock and roll and soul music, but I could not keep up with the clogging- it can be 165 beats per minute. I went to the Jaycee Center in Raleigh and took clogging lessons by myself-none of my friends were interested in this “hillbilly music”. I met a life time friend there, Cindy, she was doing the same thing.

 I started going to bluegrass festivals and met Ron and Mark who invited me to Chapel Hill to attend a  weekly clogging event. Then they  asked to me to join the Apple Chill Cloggers. For the next 15 years, I danced, called dances and handled bookings for the clogging team in North Carolina, Virginia, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Ireland and Portugal. This first encounter of clogging changed my life in ways I could never imagine.  I had the pleasure of staying in people’s homes in foreign countries -absorbing their culture as a guest , not a tourist.

Ron, my friend, who asked me to be on the clogging team, met my roommate who soon became his wife. They are now celebrating their son’s 30th birthday and they also have a younger daughter. We discussed this last night at the International Bluegrass Music Association event in Raleigh, NC. It is amazing if you follow your heart where life may lead you. If you want to become more attuned to your inner passions, energy healing may help – for more information :http://omnigirl.net/energy-healing/

Many years later, I met Kathryn at a networking meeting just before I was supposed to lead a guided meditation at Lucky Tree in Raleigh. She and I never entered the meeting , we stood at the door and talked. I placed Katheryn on my email list and she and her daughter came to a guided meditation 6 months later. Within a year, she called me and I officiated her wedding – for more information on weddings : http://www.annmckenzie.net/ 

I believe there are no coincidences in life. Being aware of these subtle messages that come to you can be a bit more challenging. Keeping your mind and heart open to all possibilities can lead to a quite adventuresome life! A daily meditation practice –  only be a few minutes a day can bring rewards you can not imagine- reduce stress, boost immunity, enhance creativity, increase productivity and improve attention & memory. If you would like to learn how to start please join me at a monthly guided meditation : http://omnigirl.net/events/

My sincere wish is that when you leave this earthy plane , you look back and know you grabbed every chance to an spectacular  life!

Mar 032015
 

cloggerHave you ever heard a song on the radio, TV or live and been instantly transported back to a moment in time?  I had this experience recently in Raleigh, NC  at the International Bluegrass Music Association Festival.  David Holt starting singing Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “16 Tons” and it brought back memories of my mom who passed away 33 years ago.  Tennessee Ernie Ford was one of her favorite singers and I could see her watching him on TV singing this song.   It seemed like a motion picture playing before my eyes with the movie showing me  parts of my  life.

I remember as a teenager loving soul music: Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, James Brown, the Supremes and more.  I was  interested in dancing to the music, so I was naturally  more attracted to this music than the Beatles.  At age 14, I spent every Friday night dancing at the YMCA  teen night.  I learned all types of dance and fell in love with music and dancing.

As a young woman I listened to bluegrass music, but could not dance to it since it was so fast. My cousins were clogging, but it seemed foreign to me. I signed up for clogging lessons by myself and opened a new chapter of my life.  Meeting new friends at a bluegrass festival, led to me joining the Apple Chill Cloggers in Chapel Hill, and traveling to Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Belgium and Holland to dance at International Folk Dance Festivals.  This completely changed my life. I had not traveled outside the USA and now I was performing with dance troupes from countries all over the world. I would not change that experience for anything. It  came from being mesmerized by music and opening my heart to all possibilities.

I love going to music events and watching the performers. So many musicians I have seen are in “the zone”, it seems like their body is an extension of the instrument or their voice as it consumes their soul. It give me chills to see someone so living in the moment. I feel music provides an avenue for all of us to experience this.  Many times when watching live theater, a movie or a music concert , I have felt suspended at that point in time, without thinking about the past or the future. Can you imagine watching a movie without music, whether it is calming or exciting?

Recently, I accidentally stumbled upon my son’s speech for his Public Speaking final exam. I knew it was not a coincidence when his talk was music and it’s effect on moods. He discussed on how music can really affect teenager’s moods and the quality of sleep. He also discussed how music is the most effective means of verbal communication with some autistic and dementia patients. I feel that it reaches our heart and bypasses some of our limitations of  speech.

I meditate everyday,  but I can say honestly say that calming music helps me achieve a meditative state easier. It seems to reduce the “chatter inside my head” and allow for more connection to my inner spirit. Many of us have experienced the calming effect of music , sometimes without realizing it.  The next time you feel stressed, try a little “music therapy”. It is a much healthier alternative than pharmaceuticals for mood improvement. Play a favorite song or calming piece of music  and see how your heart opens! From my heart to yours, Namaste,