Spa Day weekend Aug. 28-30, 2009 by Marjorie Eaton, photos by David Sand
I came in early to the "Listening to the Loving" Spiritual Spa Day to just sit and listen; first, aware of the buzzing of voices rising and falling, sprinkles of laughter, and with background music playing providing a cacophony experience. Soon, tuning out the outer volume, or hearing it lower in the background, it just became a humming sound. I was aware of Steve Chopyak, John Morton and Leigh Taylor-Young in the room as everyone gathered for the workshop. Kevin McMillan, Prana Guest Coordinator, welcomed everyone to Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens (PAL&G). He shared about the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA) whose headquarters is at PAL&G, referred to as Prana by the residents who live here. Soon Kevin was introducing John Morton and Leigh Taylor-Young to the audience. Next he introduced the program for the Spa day -- a retreat to "Listen to the outer music and Inner Truth of who we are" – and the facilitator for the day, Steve Chopyak, MSIA minister and composer of many instrumental pieces we hear at MSIA events. Steve first called in the Light, which he explained was an Invocation asking for the presence of Spirit, followed by chanting 2 tones, ANI - HU. He asked us to sit quietly for a few moments listening to the inner loving of God and loving of Spirit. Steve quoted Dr. John-Roger , Founder of MSIA: "We want to listen to the sound of Love, that greater feeling that is the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness" ...and "When you stir the Soul, you have a sound, it is the sound of God. Wherever you are, be sure you listen....." Steve spoke of his own music, and said, "It is to take and use as a tool for stepping off, to use in your own experience." He said, "I do inner listening, and then bring it forward. The physical sound isn't the issue, it's listening to the inner silence. Listen to what it is, rather than what you think it should be. Listen to what is." He then quoted John-Roger again, "We come under grace when we're willing to listen and look at the face of God." Steve then strolled over to the piano for the first demonstration. He shared about his first piano lesson, where his teacher played just one note; and then said to Steve, "Okay. I'll see you next week." Steve started to play. In my listening to him play the same tone, middle C, that one note multiple times, in multiple ways, I could hear a melody much as a rock anchors in a stream of water, yet the bright shining water sparkles around the rock. Soon little grace notes turned into chords cascading, and yet that one note anchored, as Steve returned to it over and over again. I noted heads nodding in the room, as some slowly, lovingly, listened and gave way to ease and relaxing. Soon Steve ended his playing on that one note reverberating. The room became still, quiet in the silence as we were meditated within. Silence. The note was being played again, and many of the neighboring piano keys chimed in 'till all the piano keys were in community -- harmonizing a joyous sound skipping along with undertones reverberating in waves. Steve finished and came to the stage saying that listening can bring quite a range of experience. "Listen. Not just hear, listen", he said. So next he brought out an accordion. He explained the keys were like a piano, and the other side had buttons. He invited us to listen to every part of it, the clacking sounds, the hissing sounds, not just the music, but all of it is the sound. As he played, I listened first hearing sounds of Italy, a cafe, merged with a deep pipe organ in a holy cathedral church service. The effect went back and forth, 'till the organ sound swelled like a Bach organ Cantata. Wonders! When the accordion sounds stopped, we once again listened within, as it was a time to pray. After this experience, Steve took questions. A lady asked if he heard the music first in his head or his heart? Steve's response was it was "from my heart." There were many sharings, one participant said that they were listening to God's note, and connected to the sound of God. Someone asked Steve "What do you do to practice listening?" Steve said he just allows himself to hear it all. Listen to what's present, accept it, including accepting his hands when they don't always play what he hears. It's not pre-constructed music. He said, "I encourage you, just to keep listening." I found it fascinating that many others also shared of hearing the accordion sound like a church pipe organ. Another participant asked Steve, "The healing aspect of the sound of music, how do you experience that?" Steve said, "The frequency acts as the healing facet. It is how we tune ourselves to the higher consciousness." He said that "It is desirable when we try to let go, and go for the experience, to really listen. Sometimes the outer music disappears and the inner takes over." Steve also explained, when asked how the accordion was a reed instrument, that inside the accordion there really are reeds, and the bellows blow the air over the reeds making the sounds. He then shared that "we're all creating this music together." Steve sat down at the piano once more. Silence first, and then I heard the sounds of the "black" piano keys first creating a melody. Soon after, many chords flowed to meet them. Then a wave of the major chords came in with a "modern" touch in the higher tones, as if they were walking all across the keyboard 'till they sounded as if the chords were running along merrily creating a "brilliance" of sound. The music kept moving 'till it seemed to soar skyward, the earth and sky embracing. Now I was aware of not just music flowing along, but also the energies flowing throughout my body and swirling around me from others. Everything was flowing frequencies of energy and sound. And finally in the last twinkling notes, moved to silence, the quiet low tone of the air conditioning echoed the inner Light frequency and humming sound inside. Steve quoted John-Roger again: "Take the time to prepare yourself in a listening state, then you will hear the Sound current." As this portion of the workshop came to a close, we all went to the dining room for brunch - a repast in multiple levels too! At the top shelves were tiny cupcakes and muffins, and under them salads, fruits, pancakes, eggs, sausages, etc. The coffee/tea bar was open and flowing. Our tummies replete with goodies, we went back into the seminar room to continue this amazing listening experience, and Steve called in the Light once again. All of us chanted Ani-Hu in sweet harmony. Steve introduced John Morton, Spiritual Director of MSIA, and explained, "John continues to surprise me and constantly inspires me." John told us he had some prepared scripture ready today. He spoke of the many things in his life that serve as a wake up call, or signs along the way. He encouraged us to listen to what's in accord and in harmony, and he noted that when we attune to God, it is in complete accord. John opened the Bible and turned to relate the story of Saul on the road to Damascus, sharing that he "found it very poignant in terms of what we are here to do today." John shared "whatever we are in discord about, there is still Love." Then John went forward in the Bible to the part where the Disciples come together in the upper room, after Jesus had ascended to heaven. He shared about the name Pentecost, and how "penthouse" comes from this word. John went on reading about the experiences of the Disciples in the upper room, and how they came into one accord. John read: "And suddenly comes a sound of a rushing wind". John then shared about MSIA, that this is a school of the Light and the Sound of the Holy Spirit. John asked, "what level of the Sound of God are you listening to?" John mentioned that we bring the consciousness that listens, that looks for the Truth that goes for all eternity. As the Lord said in the Bible, "How will you know that you are my disciples? Because you do love one another." So the news today is to love one another, and regardless, to love our selves. After a stirring, uplifting sharing, John took questions from participants. Next, Steve introduced the Labyrinth experience and a number of the participants went out to walk the Labyrinth. The Spa Weekend continued on! A number of the workshop participants stayed for Prana's Saturday night at the movies. Yes, popcorn was provided, and on the giant screen in the seminar room we watched an exquisitely uplifting movie called, "August Rush". If you haven't seen it, it's awesome! It's about a young boy who, from his earliest age, can hear the sound of God, in and around him, wherever he goes, and he hears it as music. It doesn't matter if it's on the streets of New York, the cacophony of sounds melding together creates dynamic music to his ears. Afterwards, I talked to a number of the participants, residents, and guests who had stayed to participate in this retreat weekend. One lovely lady from Florida shared with me how the entire weekend seemed to be so coordinated, like it was all "orchestrated" together. Many of our guests had arrived on Friday for a weekend retreat, starting with a taped seminar on Friday night, and on to the Spa day on Saturday, the Saturday night movie, and they also received MSIA Services -- aura balances, polarity balances, and innerphasings -- that were provided on-site. One lady flew all the way from Hawaii for the weekend! For me, the whole weekend reflected back to me, Listening to the Consciousness of God. Ah, that's it, it's replete inside of me, Living Love is perfect harmony. For a list of upcoming events at Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens, click here. |
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