Last weekend, I had an amazing experience at a yoga & singing day with Susie Ro Prater and her sister Joy. They are beautiful souls, and held a lovely sacred space. The event was at Angel Hall, Bowden House, in Totnes. It’s a special place, surrounded by wild nature, and truly was wild, the rain lashing down and strong winds howling outside. We felt we were in the eye of the storm, in our calm centre within.
We sang heartfelt songs, led by Susie, feeling free, naturally connected with each other. I find it so heart opening to sing in harmony with other women. It takes us to a place of knowing one another; it is deeply built in within our nature, and the genetic memory stored within our bodies, that we belong together. I feel harmony singing is healing and is a key for deepening awareness.
I found it heartwarming to meet beautiful, caring women; some of whom live in the Bowden House community. There are various houses on the land, around 60 people live there, with the main motivation of being more conscious and eco-mindful, in tune with land and heart. Three young women, studying at the nearby inspiring Schumacher International College for Ecological Studies, were from Brazil, Germany, and Italy. (I enjoyed the opportunity to speak Italian again!) Their studies are centred around practical, sustainable ways to face the challenges of this era. The vegetarian college aims to be self-sufficient, growing 50% of the food they eat and the rest is mostly sourced locally.
I studied several languages for years, to be able to communicate with people from other places. When people from different places sing in harmony, we are all united in the spirit of love. Nationality is an illusion; love is beyond this, love is togetherness. Singing together, we sing as one heart.
It was powerful to practise yoga asanas, led by Joy, with the view of swaying trees in the wild wind. It felt like we drew in the elemental energy from the storm and took this into our being. There were very sweet, gentle, nourishing moments as well, such as during yoga nidra (deep relaxation); Susie took us on a magical, musical inner journey. And the vegan sharing lunch was so delicious.
It appears to me that the way forward for a happier future, and now, could be created by those living in sustainable living communities around the world, who also inspire others by their example, to live simply, centred around peace and kindness, re-using materials, growing plants for food, and being aware of looking after ecosystems. We have to listen to the warnings and reality of climate crisis, and change our own lifestyle, such as becoming vegan, making conscious choices about if to fly, drive, or not, knowing the impact this has on others and the environment. We can live more gently, in harmony with the earth; finding deeper ways to connect, widen our circles of community, caring for each other and our beloved Mother Earth. We are Nature.