By: Kenny Kolter, Gong Meditation & Sound Therapy

I’m extremely fortunate to work with some incredible, dynamic and heart felt people. I thought it might be fun to get to know some of these hard-working teachers, practitioners and therapists in our community. In the coming months, I’ll be introducing you to some of them.

Meet my friend Christy Maskeroni!

I met Christy at one of my sessions around eight or nine months ago. She expressed interest in learning about gongs, Tibetan bowls and other sacred instruments. We have been studying together ever since and Christy recently purchased a full Chakra set of crystal singing bowls. She has a unique and varied skill set along with a relaxed, highly approachable demeanor.

Christy is a Yoga Teacher as well as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Personal Trainer.  She truly believes the key to long-term health and enjoyment is thru an integration of lifestyle components including good food, movement, and a healthy balance of stresses.  As a teacher, she blends her background in physiology with her studies of yoga/philosophy including Katonah yoga, sacred geometry, Vinyasa yoga, Taoism and sound to create a well-informed, well-balanced class.  It is her pursuit to help her students gain access to the information necessary to help them transform their mind and body.

At one of our learning sessions I asked Christy why she wants to work with sound, what is the lure? This is what she had to say:

“Sound. One of our 5 senses. And, what a beautiful thing it can be. Imagine being wrapped in a blanket of your most favorite sounds or lying in the middle of an open field with the bright sunshine warming your face or in your most favorite dream with just enough alertness to really experience it. This is what it feels like when I am in a sound therapy session…this is the beauty of sound. It is feeling the physical vibrations run through the body. It is the release of areas of the body that need it…physically, emotionally and sometimes even spiritually. It is the deepest state of meditation I have yet to achieve. It is the multitude of frequencies that help heal. It is real. And, it is esoteric.”

From the start, I was impressed with Christy’s sense of musicality and sensitivity working with sacred instruments. She is a natural and intuitively understands and honors the use of space and silence. I asked her how she came by this.

“I have always had a fascination with sound, songs and music. I have often wondered why people gravitate to certain genres, why a song ignites a certain feeling and why does a song choice say so much about a person or situation. A big part of it is the words but the other part of it is the sound behind them. Sound, frequency and vibration are very powerful. And, in the context of mediation and sound therapy it goes even further.”

I asked Christy to share her insights on the benefits of working with sound.

“Calmer mind, healthier body and happier life are just a few benefits. Research continues to support these outcomes. Sound therapy is reaching bounds…schools, hospitals, yoga studios, mental health facilities etc. So, when I walk away from a sound therapy session and feel more grounded, more balanced and more present, I can’t help but want the same for others.”

Anything else you’d like to share?

“Thank you, Kenny, for showing and helping me evolve these thought processes. Looking forward to continuing to discover with you and my students. I am eternally grateful.”

Christy is fairly new to Dallas (via NYC) and is enjoying all she is experiencing in the Dallas yoga community.  You can catch her teaching classes, privates, and workshops around town at Super Yoga Palace and Lotus Yoga.  And most recently, working her nutrition magic over at Carpathia Collaborative.

For more info on Christy, feel free to check out her website www.christymaskeroni.com

You can reach Kenny at www.gongmeditation.com and check out our calendar for more information on his August events.  Tickets go quickly so purchase ahead.

Kenny Kolter August Events:

Aug. 2^nd – Tibetan bowl private lesson

Aug. 3^rd – 10:00am Drum Circle at Methodist Hospital Charlton campus in Duncanville

Aug. 4^th – 6:30pm Restorative yoga and Gong meditation at The Salt Cave in Southlake with Logan Bennett

Aug.5^th – 4:00pm Gong meditation & yoga at Soul Space Yoga with Lauren Dashiell Wessinger

Aug.6^th – 4:00pm Sacred sounds exploration at The Sanctuary Yoga Room with Rebecca Butler

Aug. 11^th – 6:30pm Gong meditation at The Dallas Yoga Center

Aug. 12^th – 6:00pm Restorative yoga, Reiki and Gong meditation at Blue Anjou with Lisa Nicholson

Aug. 13^th – Acupuncture and Gong meditation at The Dallas Yoga Center with Mark Hernandez

Aug. 16^th – Tibetan bowl private lesson

Aug. 18^th – 6:30pm Restorative yoga and Gong at The Sanctuary Yoga Room with Rebecca Butler

Aug. 26^th – Creative Writing and Sacred Sounds Workshop for The David Lynch Foundation MFA Screenwriters Intensive at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa with Professor Nynke Passi