Winter Solstice Celebration & Sound Journey
with Ruby, Jay, Brooke, Rachel & Susan

The Winter Solstice is a reflective time of year when we prepare to move into the light, not only physically but with our intentions as well. Utilize this powerful time to uplift your consciousness, balance your energy, and unlock the joy from within. This healing experience will be beautifully orchestrated from beginning to end with a handful of musicians from different walks of life. This event will use the modalities of sound healing, ritual, yoga/gentle movement, and guided breath work and relaxation to do just that.

This healing experience begins with some centering, movement, and intention setting. The event will begin with Susan Powell guiding us through an honoring of the land and ancestors through tuning into the four directions. You’ll then be led through a sequence of some gentle Hatha &/or Kundalini yoga, free movement/dance, and breath work (all beginner level) while Jay Darling plays his beautiful hand pan and then his African drums. You will then be led through some breath work and guided through a relaxing body scan with sound healing instruments in the background to allow your nervous system to prepare for the hour-long Sound Journey.

Ruby Koa is excited to work with her local sound healing practitioner and fellow gong enthusiasts Brooke Nilson and Rachel Santa Olalla. The three of them will play in such a coordinated way that you will indeed be taken on a journey with the sound. The volume of the gong bath meditation may vary and sometimes escalate to support you in resetting your nervous system and to help you release what no longer serves you from your chakras and energy field. A variety of mallets will also be used to bring out the full spectrum of beneficial vibrations and frequencies. Just as a body massage works out tight and knotted muscles, the "sonic massage" of the gongs works out emotional issues that we need to release in order to move forward in life. The listener only has to let go and let the sound of the Gongs do the work. The experience is effortless and the results profound.

While everyone has their own unique experience with sound energy, many have found it to open pathways to relax, quiet their mind, balance energy, meditate, release emotional tension, re-tune internal systems, have a spiritual experience, heal themselves, inspire creativity, or feel a deep sense of peace. Our innate intelligence appears to use this type of sound energy to promote well-being within.

Both metal and quartz crystal singing bowls along with various styles of chimes, rain sticks, and ocean drums will be included in the sounds of the evening.

A special combination of four Planetary gongs, two traditional gongs, and one stylized accent gong will be played for you.

There will also most likely be one or two intuitive energy workers there to support you in releasing and grounding. The event concludes with tea, sweets, snacks, and community.

With: Ruby Koa, Jay Darling, Brooke Nilson, Rachel Santa Olalla, Susan Powell, and energy workers Saralee Sky & Cathy Herford

When: Saturday December 21st, 4:00-6:00 pm

Where: Presence Studio, 1412 Cornwall Ave. (across the street from my old, Inspire Studio) The studio is just to the left of Bellingham Bar and Grill and is located upstairs. Allow for time to  find parking and please arrive 10 -15 minutes early to settle in.

Pricing Tier: Early Bird Rate until 12/18: $40*, Regular Rate until 12/20: $45*, Day of event: $50*. REGISTER HERE

(15% off for monthly auto-pay members and students, get code from Ruby)

*Payment Note: The credit card fee of between $1.50 and $1.75 will be included in your total.

To avoid the fee (if there are still spots available), you can send your payment via Venmo and include your name and email and/or phone number, my handle is @ruby-koa (just please don’t press the "purchases" button as I get a fee). The last four digits of my phone number is 8556.

Or you can use the email [email protected] to find me on Zelle, or to contact me to arrange payment by check or cash.

Just put in the comments 12/21 Event, and include your email so that once I receive your payment, I can register you manually.

What to Bring: The room may feel slightly cool as we'll turn off heater at some point to increase the sound quality, so dress in layers. The sound journey is usually experienced lying down on your back or a similar comfortable position. Some blankets, bolsters, and lovely silk eye pillows with optional lavender aromatherapy essential oils will be available to use.  We'll probably be lying down for at least an hour, on hardwood floor, so please bring whatever you need to be comfortable.

- yoga/camping/Pilates/folding futon/nova foam pad or mat 

- reclining camping chair or anti gravity chairs are ideal for folks with low back issues

- blanket and/or pillow

- water bottle

- ear plugs may be helpful in case you discover you’re sensitive to certain sound frequencies.

Each prop can have a powerful influence on your ability to relax and sink further into the rest & digest state, to receive the most benefit, so best to be prepared. 

Tea and snacks will also be served after, but feel free to bring your own water bottle and/or thermos.

Cancellation/refund policy: If you can’t attend the event, please get in touch. Refunds are usually only given when the cancellation is made 24 hours before the event starts as space is limited and we’d like time to contact anyone on the waiting list. However, you are always welcome to give your ticket to someone else or if you contact Ruby as soon as you can, you can let her know what future event or class you’d like to be registered in with your credit.

Ruby, founder of Inspire Studio has been teaching yoga in Bellingham since 2009. She offers a variety of classes including various forms of Vinyasa Flow, Gentle Flow, Yin, Restorative, and Kundalini Yoga. Ruby’s aim is to cultivate a sense of community and she loves working with the divine feminine as well as the medium of sound healing. She has crystal and Tibetan singing bowls, a Chau and a Planetary Moon Gong. In addition to her Kundalini Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga 200 hr. She has also completed a level 1 & advanced gong training and is now a 500 hour RYT with specific certifications for teaching yin, restorative yoga, and more.

Jay understands that music is food for the soul. Jay has been helping people of all ages move and cut loose in the spirit of play for decades. Jay plays instrumental and body percussion, handpan, and vocalizations. He can be contacted at: [email protected]

Rachel SantaOlalla: Since 2018, Rachel has been guiding others  through the transformative power of sound. Introduced to the art of gong  playing through Kundalini yoga, she pursued further training in playing  the gong and Gong Yoga Nidra and ultimately chose a 24” sidereal moon  gong for its supportive qualities to opening the sacral chakra.Drawing on her background in percussion, Rachel  guides the energy of the room with a dynamic interplay of sound and  silence, blending art and science to facilitate nervous system healing.  Her playing style is subtle yet powerful, designed for those who seek a  softer, more introspective healing journey.

Brooke is a passionate health coach who offers online training for caregivers and a lovingly curated gift box for patients after working 16 years as an EMT and after surviving leukemia. Brooke has fallen in love with the transformational healing powers of gongs, thanks to Ruby, and now offers sound bath experiences for all. Please visit www.brookesusan.com to learn more.

Reiki is a wonderful way to restore one’s life-force energy. It is an  ancient healing art and means “Universal Energy” in Japanese.  It is  believed to enhance the body’s ability to heal itself and offers  increasing wellbeing and resilience. Participants will  receive restorative energy and support with grounding themselves and  releasing blocked energy channels during the sound healing segment of the event. Saralee Sky,  MA, Reiki Master and Cathy Herford, Reiki Master Teacher are the  facilitators during classes and events. Saralee can be contacted at: [email protected] Cathy can be reached at: [email protected] or 360-689-5654.