Poetry Chaikhana Blog

How do you describe this? Fingerpainting with light and sand? It’s also story telling, scenes being shaped before your eyes.

I could imagine someone combining this artform with poetry — Rumi or Mary Oliver or your own poetry, accompanied by shifting sand paintings. Wouldn’t that make a great video or live poetry reading?

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To see the full playlist of videos, visit the blog’s Video Channel tab.

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I first saw this video when someone posted a link to it on the Poetry Chaikhana Forum. Watching this video, I am reminded that, despite all its movement, the world, the whole universe, is in meditation… and asks us to join in.

Everyone I show this to loves it. I hope you do too.

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To see the full playlist of videos, visit the blog’s Video Channel tab.

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David Hykes and The Harmonic Choir
Harmonic Worlds

Listen – Purchase

“By THE legendary original overtone-singing/throat-singing pioneer, composer-mystic David Hykes, with The Harmonic Choir. David Hykes’ visionary music, Harmonic Chant, helps us find deep harmony and healing. It transforms our abilities to listen to ourselves, to each other and to the universe.”

The music of David Hykes is beautiful and otherworldly. I find I slip almost immediately into meditation as I listen. Some aspects of his vocalizing reminds me of something I heard several years ago that was described as Mongolian throat singing. It’s like chant, but somehow more primal, getting down beneath words and concepts. Really beautiful work.

More Music Selections

This is a truly delightful short animated film about origami (“papiroflexia” in Spanish) — and reshaping the world we live in. Take a moment (2 1/2 minutes, to be exact) to watch this. You’ll be smiling and reaching for a sheet of paper…

Created by Joaquin Baldwin at the UCLA Animation Workshop, 2007.
Original Score written by Nick Fevola.

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To see the full playlist of videos, visit the blog’s Video Channel tab.

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John Trudell
Bone Days

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“Spoken word that weaves from Native to rock to middle eastern-twinged, with traditional vocals underlying John’s intense, forthright message.”

I love the spare guitar that often accompanies him on this recording. And the native chant. Creates a feeling of big spaces, plains, wide skies… wide, heartbreaking questions. John Trudell asks fundamental questions of what it means to be a human being, and the craziness that passes for “normal” in the world. I consider him to be a cultural healer, a prophet of sorts, someone who brings us back to ourselves, even when it’s painful. Worth a listen.

More Music Selections

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To see the full playlist of videos, visit the blog’s Video Channel tab.

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Robert Bly’s sleepy voice, Kabir’s words, the music of a sitar…

Enjoy!

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To see the full playlist of videos, visit the blog’s Video Channel tab.

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