Ann Martin and the BLISSbowls™ were invited to attend the "Wild Women" Retreat lead by Jeanne Thornton at the Mandala Center in New Mexico. This annual 4-day get-away for 17 Denver women took place mid-September and featured small group activities, vegan cuisine, and daily yoga classes. Interspersed throughout the planned activities were unique and powerful singing bowl events for all to enjoy. A "BLISSbowls™ Buffet" of different sized metal singing bowls was available throughout the retreat for anyone to grab a bowl and learn to meditate with sound and vibration. Here are some of the other "bowl highlights" of the retreat:

Thursday: After dinner, Ann prepared a very special Quartz Crystal Water Purification Ceremony for all the attendees. Five quartz crystal singing bowls with water in them were dispersed around the meeting room. Three to four women were seated and each bowl and everyone was taught how to play, using the suede strikers around the rim. Ann led a meditation to help the women infuse the water inside the bowls with personal positive intentions.  "Purify" essential oil was added to the "charged" water. Finally, the ladies were instructed to dip their fingers into the water and anoint the chakras and various points on the body with the water. The women enjoyed learning to play the bowls and stayed long after the ceremony was complete, just to talk and bathe in the vibrations.

Friday: The morning was foggy, rainy and cold for the trek to heart of the dynamic, extinct Capulin Volcano. Ann planned a unique meditative event around the theme of "taking your special spark to a dormant place." Each woman was given a lava ball to infuse with Volcano Fire essential oil and place in a commemorative necklace to wear for the rest of the retreat.

Next, everyone set forth on a silent walk down the path to the center of Capulin while visualizing their special gift or spark that they bring to the world. Once at the heart of the volcano, the meditation continued with each woman declaring her "spark" and sending it's powerful energy out into the universe on waves of resonance from a large Himalayan singing bowl. Ann taught everyone the Fire Song; created just for this event. Once back at the top, participants posed for a quick picture and then headed back to the retreat center for hot soup!

Saturday: The BLISSbowls™ were laid out carefully for the final event of the weekend, the "Gifts of Fall Meditation." Each woman was invited to take a fall leaf with a word on it to contemplate during the meditation and then to keep for the days to come. Yoga mats were unrolled around the bowls and participants made themselves comfortable for the 45 minute sound bath. The Atlantis gong, ocean drum, and crystal triangle were walked through the audience for a more personal experience with sound and vibration. Next, musical magic from the crystal and metal bowls filled the room and served to calm minds and relax bodies so meditators could connect with spirit.

Here are some of the comments from the evaluation forms about having BLISSbowls™ on retreat:

"The singing bowls were a highlight. What a talented and inspirational person Ann is."

"Ann's part in this was so amazing and beautiful. I am so glad she was here and I got to experience her and her gift!"

"Ann's addition with the bowls was also a wonderful experience."

"The singing bowls and having Ann was very special--a wonderful addition to the retreat."

"To hear you sing with the bowls was magical!" 

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BLISSbowls™

On

RETREAT

in

New Mexico!​

ANN MARTIN

martin.ann@live.com

303-378-6250

TM

Mile High Healing Vibe​ 

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