One of the best things about the Fringe, aside from the plethora of fantastic shows, is all the great workshops that you otherwise don’t hear about. This workshop being labelled as a ‘journey’ is a perfect description as presenter Joshika takes participants through a full mediative experience where every part of the body is focussed on to help remove any negative energy and replace it with positive.
The session starts with a literal observation of the universe as participant look up to the night sky in the planetarium which exactly matches the real night sky of that evening. Joshika then gives an excellent explanation of how sound healing works by drawing from both science and philosophy. She explains how Himalayan singing bowls are used to connect with each different body chakra and how energy wellness is crucial alongside physical and mental.
The meditation itself is given in three phases that allow for a deep relaxation state. Beginning with a general body relaxation this puts participants in the right frame of mind to begin the next stage. As Joshika begins to play the bowls, she asks participants to begin some guided mediation where they envision the energy from the universe entering and leaving their body. As she completes the sequence of chimes from the bowls participants sink deeper and deeper into their mediation. From here she moves into the thirds phase where the only sound is the bowls chiming as they continue to release and replenish energy.
The result is a feeling of being completely relaxed and refreshed, with some participants even falling asleep thanks to the soothing sounds and cool planetarium air conditioning.
As an added extra bonus, Joshika also takes the time to appreciate what the planetarium has to offer, and mentions some of the noteworthy things in the night sky above to give participants even more than they expected.
The experience overall is deeply satisfying and something unique in the meditation world. Those that have tried mediation before but have struggled may find this workshop is able to get them into the right head space, while veterans are able to go even deeper with their practice. Although the workshops’ Fringe season has ended, anyone interested can check the UniSA website for upcoming dates.