I was interviewed on September 9th, 2012, by HiC Luttmers of Firefly Willows LIVE on Blog Talk Radio. I discussed my therapy practice and how I use Hakomi, expressive arts and hypnotherapy with my clients. We also talked about the role of doubt and uncertainty in our lives. Enjoy!

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Check out my friend Travis’ poetic and hypnotic piece, Oceansong.

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Although it’s been unseasonably dry here in Northern California, perhaps we can invoke some water with these soothing sounds of flute and rain stick. “Monsoon Rain” from Archibald Bismark.

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More immersive soundscapes this Friday. In his own words Steve Swartz makes “Ambient sound, noise, recording experiments, etc. from deep within Detroit”. Perfect to ease you out of the week, and in to the weekend. Enjoy today’s Soothing Sounds.

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This Thanksgiving I am grateful for the wisdom of the Native Americans and all the rich culture they have sustained despite their suppression throughout the years. Here is one of my favorite Native musicians, R. Carlos Nakai.

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We are approaching the winter season, the quiet time of year. At least, the natural world is quieting down. Bears go into hibernation, birds fly south, people stay inside more, rivers and streams flow less vigorously. Walking outside on a crisp winter morning it’s easy to hear your breath and the crunch of your feet on the frosty ground. This quiet allows us to hear more of what we don’t normally pay much attention to.

As I mentioned in my seasonal reflection on Samhain, in this darkening time of year we reflect on our ancestors. Perhaps we may even remember what their voice sounded like, or perhaps a favorite song. One tradition at Samhain is to have a “Dumb” supper – a dinner in silence. Celebrants may make a dish which reminds them of an ancestor and sit in silence to honor and remember them. What do you hear as you taste and smell this food, remembering your loved ones? Can you hear them singing and whispering from the great beyond?

At a conference I attended last year, I went to workshop by Ivo Dominguez Jr., author and ritualist. He taught us how to listen with the ears behind our ears, our auric or psychic ears (much in the same way one may see with their “third eye”). He taught us a chant which we sang to build up the energy in the room, and then we stopped and just listened. And there was something there! It was palpable, this remnant and echo of our chant. It makes sense if we think about what the physiological act of hearing is. The mechanics of our ear and drum are being vibrated by sound waves and the brain interprets it as a sound. But do those waves ever really totally stop? (I do a mindfulness practice, where I ring a bell and try to hear when it stops.) And how does our brain translate or make sense of something we have not been taught? Was that a voice, or just the wind?

Pauline Oliveros is a composer and performer who has been studying music and sound for over four decades. She developed a practice and philosophy called Deep Listening. It “distinguishes the difference between the involuntary nature of hearing and the voluntary selective nature of listening. The result of the practice cultivates appreciation of sounds on a heightened level, expanding the potential for connection and interaction with one’s environment…”

So as the natural world begins to cool and quiet and slow down, I invite you to listen. To hear what you usually cannot – the softest breeze, the voice of an ancestor, the longing of your hearts desire, or the song of your soul.

– Nick Venegoni, M.A.

Personally I find music and ambient sounds to be very relaxing and soothing to my senses. Because I work with many people who are stressed by every living and a variety of anxieties, sound can be a quick and effective way to soothe the soul. Here is my first installment in Soothing Sounds. This is an audio sample from the nature sound album: ‘Dawn Chorus: Australia’s Inland.’ I especially like listening to this one in the morning with my first tea, to welcome the day. Enjoy!

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