Bedminster, NJ & Pitman, NJ
On Saturday afternoon, we headed to Bedminster, NJ after our time at the beach. We certainly tried to fit in a lot of things, and it was a bit rushed as we headed out. The travel was delightfully short, and though we arrived on time for setup, when we called our dear sister Noelani to inquire about getting into PS 108, the host venue, we were told that there was a change in venue due to a scheduling mixup, and we were directed to the church just up the street. I have to say, I was bummed to miss the opportunity to play in a former old school house building… after playing in a lot of interesting places, that would have been perfect! We arrived at the church and found the room filled with furniture, stuffy with no air conditioning, and grim faces of protestant church leaders staring at us from the walls. While I’m not new to playing in churches ~ and even offering sound healing work in them ~ this was an odd space, indeed. Fortunately, it was also quite large ~ our guest list was 22 people and counting! We cranked the AC, and set about a plan for how to make the space inviting for our night of bliss.
I usually need a solid 30-45 minutes to set up, and prefer an hour if it’s an unfamiliar 
space ~ feeling rushed is not my favorite. This evening was a challenge in this respect, as we were moving furniture well past 6:30pm for a 7:00 start time. I had no choice but to surrender into the flow of the night, accepting the circumstances at hand and feeling grateful for having a space to use, period! Noelani and one of the studio’s owners brought yoga mats and bolsters for the group, and when everyone was there, it was a full house! While much of the room was a bit too much like an old, proper victorian parlor for my liking, there were two beautiful handpainted screens adorned with blue skies and doves, one of which made a fantastic backdrop for my setup, and brought such lightness to the space.
I’m so grateful to have so many beautiful friends in the greater NJ/PA/NY area that encouraged me to plan this tour in the first place, and as the final days of tour came to pass, I was so happy to see so many familiar faces of people I love and *never* get to have enough time with. What a delight!!
We stayed at the home of our dear friends Noelani & Mary nearby ~ beautiful sisters who we definitely don’t get to spend enough time with ~ and then early on Sunday, headed out to Pitman, NJ for the tour’s final event. Pitman is south of Philly, about 20 minutes outside the city ~ and Yoga Inspired was a beautiful, serene space to share Sound Medicine. Traffic slowed our arrival to Pitman, which was a bit stressful, but we enjoyed a beautiful session on a hot, sunny Sunday afternoon. Barbara, 
the owner of the studio, was so comforting as I called in the thick of traffic, reminding me to relax and trust as I made my way. Yoga Inspired was another interesting space, too ~ the studio is in the upper floor of an old bank building, super cool! After the journey, one woman came up to me and said, “I feel like I’ve stolen something from you! That was definitely worth more than the price of admission, more like a million dollars!” I was touched by her words ~ I love offering this work so very much, and when it lands with people, it fills me up!
After the event came to a close, we headed back to Asbury Park to meet our friends for dinner, to celebrate the end of the 2017 Sound Medicine Tour. While I’ve toured in other ways, I have never planned and executed my own tour before ~ usually, I’ve travelled to one or two places in nearby locations. 10 events in 11 days is a pretty strong start, and a pretty ambitious schedule to manage, given that I was leading all the events solo, managing all aspects of the travel, and doing my best to get some sleep, too. From this point at the end of the adventure, I’m happy to say that I’m looking forward to planning the next one! I have so much gratitude to all the venue hosts, all the friends and community members who provided a comfortable and quiet place to rest, all the places that provided my meals, and all the Divine providence that kept me safe and in the flow during an almost 2500 mile adventure! Gratitude to ALL!!! At the final venue as I was leaving, I found the following framed message on the wall, certainly a gift of the end of the road, and a sentiment that I feel in my heart about this journey:
