how sound is sound?

Ever wonder how sound affects you? Ever wonder why people are so drawn to music in general? Like how we all have our own 'flavors' and we're dead set on it's THE BEST, regardless of anyone else's opinions? Yea. Me too. Sound is cool. Sound is deep. Sound is life-changing sometimes. Used to have a shirt that read:

Life without music isn't worth living.

Still believe that. I loved that movie "Mr. Holland's Opus" when the son who was profoundly deaf cranked up his dad's stereo and sat on the speakers so he could 'hear' the music. Makes me sob every time I see it. Music does that to me.

So...recently I got invited to go to a 'gathering' where there was to be chanting. Now, first off I gotta tell ya...I've never been big on religious kinda stuff. Actually that's understating a bit. I've always been quite against religious gatherings...for myself. I don't begrudge anyone who's into it. In fact, I think it's terrific if it makes your life better and YOU a better human being. It's just that I've had my share of nightmares in this particular arena...and so have spent most of my adult life avoiding such things. Just doesn't work for me. But then...that's me, right?

So I got invited to this gathering and a some very cool 'synchronicities' had occurred prior to the invite, so I decided to forgo my usual "anti" attitude and go for the fun of it. What was the worst that could happen? I'd not like it and have to get up and walk out until they were done. That was the worst that could have happened. Turns out, I was dead wrong. Turns out it was one of THE most amazing experiences I've ever experienced (is that a double entendre?). Turns out that by the time the chanting was over...I was hoping there would be more.

Imagine that???

And here's something else that's really cool:

Turns out that this whole chanting thing actually helps me to NOT feel pain in my body. Honest-To-Pete! Whenever I'm hurting real bad, if I just go sit and chant for a while, the pain seems to dissipate at rates previously unknown. Even more than the Qi Gong I've been doing. Now...if I do both...that is chant AND Qi Gong...wonder what would happen then?

Hmmmmmm. All these new mysteries.

How fun is life?!