By Dan Shook
I’ve done some meditation in my life, but have often found it hard to quiet my mind. I’ve had friends tell me that like many other valuable life skills, meditation takes time and practice to really receive the profound, tangible effects. It is easy to be dismissive of something you haven’t experienced or can’t quite grasp, but there was something magnetic about Bruno Barbieri’s Encinitas home. Bruno, the co-founder of The Green Life app, a cannabis event and community engagement platform, was beaming with pride and appreciation throughout the event as patrons of this unique sonic experience gathered in his backyard on a warm Sunday evening. This event was coordinated by The Green Life and a man named Igal from Believe or Leave (BOL), a Los Angeles-based health, wellness, and fashion design group that facilitates meditation services and gatherings.
I asked Igal about the meaning behind his companies’ name, Believe or Leave- he admitted that some people initially interpret it as a “take it or leave it”, antagonistic-type attitude, but the message is much more simple: whatever you choose in life, do it with full intention and passion. Igal is on a mission to integrate and educate the sound healing community about the beneficial effects of CBD (cannabidiol), and this event is one part of the broader effort to grow his community. Igal became acquainted with CBD while studying the medicinal effects of cannabis, and came to appreciate CBD’s calming, anti-anxiety effects. Integrating CBD products into his wellness company was a natural fit, and has contributed to a deeper satisfaction from his services among members of his community.
I could feel the chill vibes radiating from Bruno’s welcoming home. I was greeted by Lauren and Kevin at a small table in the front yard. Kevin’s face was painted with white, floral markings, and what I sensed as deep contentment. Lauren had first come across sound baths at a festival years ago, and had been searching for more sonic experiences ever since. She remarked on how much sound baths had helped clear her mind and assisted with attaining deeper levels of meditation.
The entire experience is guided for newcomers and returning community members alike. BOL provides everything needed for a transcendental experience, from their in-house brand of CBD-infused tea, to comfortable designer clothes to relax in. I was given a cup of pleasant tasting CBD-infused tea and encouraged to enter and be mindful of my sound level as I walked in. I felt every blade of grass crunch under my feet as I entered the backyard. The air was thick with silence and tones; I was suddenly very aware of the sound of my breathing. A path of candles led me around the space, and I looked over an ocean of people lying on the grass, taking in the sweet tones gently played throughout the backyard. I noticed Igal walking among the attendees, deliberately directing and overseeing this calm landscape. Even the dogs were chilled out, lying next to their masters, seemingly deep within a state of meditation as well.
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An attendant tiptoed among the participants, gently brushing them with a sash or feather, while another played with tonal instruments that harmonized with the featured performers for the evening. Cloud People, a musical trio from San Diego, created a soundscape with a bevy of instruments I’ve never seen or experienced. Twins Brett and Anthony, joined by Reiki Master Marco, incorporate unique chimes, tones, didgeridoos and guitars to help guide attendees into deeper states of meditation. “We started as a metal band, actually,” Brett told me, and it was apparent this trio was very talented and inspired by the sound healing community. Thinking about it, both the metal genre and sound bathing create a feeling of catharsis to the listener; the transition to creating soundscapes seems like a natural progression.
I laid on the grass on the edge of the group as an attendant treated me to a zaphir chime- I closed my eyes and felt a galaxy of tones encircle my head. I met Karem Brulè, of Beautiful Sounds, a company that seeks out unique instruments and tones, and she showed me a music box much resembling the tinker-tone jewelry boxes with spinning ballerinas. We jammed together, as she assured me that rhythm was more important than coordinating our melodies. She also spun around a xylophone like instrument with ease and created alien-like tones. It’s amazing how much you can modulate a tone just by shaking the instrument or covering the sound opening with a palm. Karem is inspired by the sound healing community, and is passionate about connecting people with special, unique instruments to guide their self-healing journeys.
I sat with Mindy, a designer for BOL, and she told me about how sound therapies have helped her with stress and anxiety. She found peace within this community, and is inspired by their inclusiveness as evidenced by her clothing designs and fashion statements. Igal was wearing clothes she designed, and the mission of Believe or Leave became more clear. They are taking inspirations from their world, and building a new experience for their community by thoughtfully integrating elements that compliment each other. The ingredients to this evening were so simple, yet implemented with intention, reverberating the mission of BOL.
It feels nice to appreciate something as simple as a calming tone. Everyday life can get so complicated with the mass of information available from our phones; we are more connected than ever before, yet the feelings of isolation still permeate our lives. I couldn’t help but feel welcome among this group, everyone I spoke with gave me a hug and talked about what sound healing meant to them. This was a celebration of the soul, and an opportunity to settle spirits among friends.
I’m thankful that I was able to take this experience in, and to find a community where you can drop your guard and just take in the vibes.
For more information about Believe or Leave, check out bolmeditation.com. And for more cannabis community events, check out thegreenlifeapp.com and download the app for your phone- get involved in your community!
