Fall Equinox Celebration & Cosmic Sound Journey

The fall equinox is a powerful time to slow down and shift gears to prepare for and bring some balance as we transition into the autumn season. Making time to reflect during the changing of the seasons more fully connects us to the cycles of nature and to ourselves. This event will use the modalities of sound healing, ritual, yoga, free movement or dance, and guided meditation to do just that.

This healing experience begins with some centering, movement, and intention setting. Rainbow Medicine-Walker will help orient us to the power of the fall season, the land, and our ancestors through a traditional tribal dance honoring the directions with her powerful voice and drum. You’ll then be led through a sequence of some gentle Hatha &/or Kundalini yoga, free movement/dance, and breath work (all beginner level) while Jay Darling plays his beautiful handpan and then his African drums. You will then be guided through a meditation known as Yoga Nidra with sound healing instruments in the background to allow your nervous system to prepare for the hour-long Sound Journey.

Ruby Koa is excited to work with professional gong player and teacher, Wayne Marto from Seattle to create a rich sound journey for you with eight Planetary gongs (listed below). They will be played from opposite sides of the room to give you a feeling of surround sound. The volume of the gong bath meditation may vary and sometimes escalate to support you in resetting your nervous system and to help you release what no longer serves you from your chakras and energy field. A variety of mallets will also be used to bring out the full spectrum of beneficial vibrations and frequencies. Just as a body massage works out tight and knotted muscles, the "sonic massage" of the gongs works out emotional issues that we need to release in order to move forward in life. The listener only has to let go and let the sound of the Gongs do the work. The experience is effortless and the results profound.

While everyone has their own unique experience with sound energy, many have found it to open pathways to relax, quiet their mind, balance energy, meditate, release emotional tension, retune internal systems, have a spiritual experience, heal themselves, inspire creativity, or feel a deep sense of peace. Our innate intelligence appears to use this type of sound energy to promote well-being within.

The gongs used for chakra balancing are Planetary Gongs and are tuned to specific notes and frequencies that correlate to particular planetary bodies and resonate at certain chakras or energy centers.

Pluto - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd

Synodic Moon - 2nd and 5th

Ohm Earth - 4th

Chiron - 4th and 5th

Mercury - 5th

Uranus - 6th

Zodiac Earth - 7th

Nibiru - 8th (electromagnetic field, aura)

Various styles of chimes, rainsticks, and ocean drums will be included in the sounds of the evening as well. There will also most likely be one or two intuitive energy workers there to support you in releasing and grounding. The event concludes with tea, sweets, snacks, and community.

Gong Bath Meditation Benefits:

• Promotes relaxation and stress relief
• Restores vibrational balance and mind-body harmony
• Stimulates immune system and glandular functioning
• Encourages the movement of life force energy
• Clears habitual negative thought patterns
• Supports deep spontaneous meditation
• Improves concentration, creativity and will-power
• Advances spiritual exploration and self-discovery

With: Ruby Koa, Wayne Marto, Jay Darling, and Rainbow Medicine-Walker

When: Sunday September 24th, 5:00-7:30 pm

Where: Presence Studio, 1412 Cornwall Ave. (across the street from my old, Inspire Studio) The studio is just to the left of Bellingham Bar and Grill and is located upstairs. Allow for time to  find parking and please arrive 10 -15 minutes early to settle in.

Price: Early Bird Rate until 9/19: $45*, $50* after. Register Here.

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(15% off for monthly autopay members and students, get code from Ruby)

A few sliding scale spots are also available as well as a few work exchange positions for set up and take down. Text Ruby if you're interested at 360-447-8778.

*Payment Note: The credit card fee of around $1.50 will be included in your total.

To avoid the fee, you can send your payment via Venmo, my handle is @ruby-koa (just please don’t press the "purchases" button as I get a fee).

Or you can use the email inspirestudiobham@gmail.com to find me on Zelle, or to contact me to arrange payment by check or cash.

Just put in the comments 9/24 Event, and once I receive your payment, I will register you manually.

What to Bring: The sound journey is usually experienced lying down on your back or a similar comfortable position. Some blankets, bolsters, and lovely silk eye pillows with optional lavender aromatherapy essential oils will be available to use.  We'll probably be lying down for at least an hour, on hardwood floor, so please bring whatever you need to be comfortable

- yoga/camping/pilates mat

- blanket and/or pillow

- water bottle

- ear plugs may be helpful in case you discover you’re sensitive to certain sound frequencies.

Each prop can have a powerful influence on your ability to relax and sink further into the rest & digest state, to receive the most benefit, so best to be prepared.

Tea and snacks will also be served after, but feel free to bring your own water bottle and/or thermos.

Cancellation/refund policy: If you can’t attend the event, please get in touch. Refunds are usually only given when the cancellation is made 48 hours before the event starts as space is limited and we’d like time to contact anyone on the waiting list. However, you are always welcome to give your ticket to someone else or if you contact Ruby as soon as you can, you can let her know what future event or class you’d like to be registered in with your credit.

About the Facilitators:

Ruby Koa:

Ruby, founder of Inspire Studio has been teaching yoga in Bellingham since 2009. She offers a variety of classes including various forms of Vinyasa Flow, Gentle Flow, Yin, Restorative, and Kundalini Yoga. Ruby’s aim is to cultivate a sense of community and she loves working with the divine feminine as well as the medium of sound healing. She has crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, a Chau and a Planetary Moon Gong. In addition to her Kundalini Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga 200 hr. She has also completed a level 1 & advanced gong training and is now a 500 hour RYT with specific certifications for teaching yin, restorative yoga, and more.

Wayne Marto

Wayne is a life-long musician who has studied the gong extensively under Gong Master Mehtab Benton and has taught in many gong trainings himself. His authentic style of playing, infused with passion and intention, promotes deep relaxation and transformation. Wayne is the Founder-Director of Beneficial Sound, a 501(c)3 public charity committed to bringing wellness to the mind, body and soul through sound and vibration. He has a degree in Psychology, is a Certified Gong Practitioner and is a member of the American Sound Healers Association.  (425) 296-6513 7607 NE 148th Place Kenmore, WA 98028

Rainbow Medicine-Walker is an enrolled member of the federally recognized Cherokee Nation. She is the granddaughter of Cherokee Admiral JJ Clark,  Chief Water Dweller and Chief Thunderbird.

Rainbow is an Elder, Veteran and Ceremonial leader with over thirty years experience in Spirit Warrior Trainings,  Individual and Family Healings and Public and Private Ceremonies for Special Events.  Rainbow has led ceremony for groups in Australia,  Finland,  Norway and Canada as well as closer to home here in America.

She can be contacted at: earthspiritministry@yahoo.com

Jay Darling understands that music is food for the soul. Jay has been helping people of all ages move and cut loose in the spirit of play for decades. Jay plays instrumental and body percussion, handpan, and vocalizations. He can be contacted at: jreclaim@gmail.com