From Sound to Silence.

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It was a night of music and songs with four international and some local AOL singers. Beautiful was this night of comradely, joyous, come-together fun for more than a thousand AOL members.

The four international singers were male lead singer Srinivas Piratla from Singapore, female lead singer Dolgion Tserendaava From Mongolia, Drummer Umesh Prabhu from Mongolia and talam (a small cymbal-like musical instrument)player Jayanth Narayanan from Singapore. Together with other local singers, they made the night of music and world peace meditation gathering a night to remember.

We were at Dewan Milenium, Kepala Batas, Butterworth on the last day of the year 2009. As one of the volunteers, I met the other volunteers well before the start of the evening's programme. We had our duties and we went off to get the 'Yes' teenagers ready for their 'peace' performance, put up AOL T-shirts and books for members to purchase, attend to food and drinks, direct vehicles to parking lots and the welcoming of members and the invited guests.

The evening started with our sponsors lighting the candle of peace to start the evening. With the singers on stage, we sang bhajans which are sanskrit songs, allowing the music to move us to stages of joy as the relaxing atmosphere took us to graceful swaying of our bodies and clapping in time with the music.

Then, as the evening wore on, the mood moved the participants to dance among ourselves. Smiles, laughter and joy filled the Milenium hall as bliss and happiness permeates the air with the dance of joy.

Later, the people cooled down to sit, close their eyes and meditate for world peace. After the meditation, our teenagers went on stage to form the word 'PEACE' with candles as the song 'We are the world' filled the hall.

Eventually, reluctantly, we had to wish our AOL brothers and sisters "Good night and a Happy New Year." before moving out back to our states to spread the words of peace and joy and as well as create a divine society among our other brothers and sisters who have yet to become AOL members.

Once again AOL members came together as one to fulfill a worthwhile cause, this time in the name of world peace. Once again, we experience the love and joy of One World Family.

Although the sound of rushing water is constantly there at a waterfall, it is a good place to meditate. In the above video is a lady I saw meditating on a bench near the waterfall.

Meditation is useful to our lives as it helps to bring calmness to our minds. If we can clear our minds of all those troubling thoughts which invade our minds each day, then we lessen the pressure they bring to bear on us.

Action is more effective than words alone. Therefore, starting today, let us try a little meditation.

For a start, try this and realise the effect it has on you. Tonight, when you lie down on your bed, just relax, let all the thoughts which come floating in and out of your mind be. Do not bother about them. To do that, concentrate on your breathe. Follow your breathe as it moves into your body and out again. Just do that and you will easily slip into slumberland. It is the calmness that this meditation brings.

As for me, I do the above only when there is a lot of stress and the mind is overloaded with all kinds unnecessary thoughts. I drive them out with my concentration on my breathe until I fall asleep.

For those who have no problem sleeping, to meditate, just sit comfortably on the floor (with a carpet or soft surface perhaps) or a chair with the spine straight and erect. Put your open palms facing upwards to the ceiling on your upper leg. Close your eyes and breathe in slowly into your stomach (Don't worry. I understand we breathe into our lungs.This is merely a method of breathing in which we extend our stomach so as to breathe deeply.) and exhale even more slowly through the nostrils.
Continue this slow, relaxed breathing for at least ten minutes or for as long as is comfortable for you.

As you breathe in and out, each time you breathe in concentrate on the very top of your head and feel the cosmic energy enter here and travel with the breathe down to the bottom before going up again to the top as you exhale. Do this every day, if possible every morning upon awakening in a private space where you are certain you will not be disturbed.

However, should the time given be not appropraite for one reason or another, another time, but not near sleeping time, can be chosen.

Do it if you wish and discover the calmness and energy that it brings. Do you feel the tingling sensation at the top of the head after a certain number of practices? Do you feel anything on the palms?

Those who wish to try this, please provide some feedback so that I know what else I should let you continue with. Your email address would be useful as those who progress faster can go on to the next step before others are told about them. Don't worry, this is a blog for sharing and learning. There will be no business conducted here.