Kei

”One of the memories I deeply appreciate about going to the event is the transformative moment where we all gathered and made music together with bamboo instruments on the spot. To make it more descriptive, we sat beside each other not in a classroom-arrangement way but more randomly, holding our own bamboo instruments that we made a few hours ago. Then, everyone started playing (or should I say, making sounds:3) tunes of their own. At this stage, I was so lost about what to listen or to play. As the minutes went by, I (and most of the people there too) found myself enjoying the music and was able to recognize the overall rhythm of the music from everyone’s instrument. Being able to hear the rhythm I want to replicate was useful for me to make my own music. 

After a while, I got the hang of playing in harmony with everyone else. We sounded like a little orchestra. Here comes that spiritually transformative movement I personally had. With all the music, I could barely hear my own thoughts or ego which usually causes me to cause all kinds of problems including anxiety. For once, my inner world has become silent. I felt nothing but just a tiny part of a team. That little voice that I had had saying “You have to be successful in whatever or you’re a failure, blah blah blah” completely disappeared. And I felt the most peaceful state of mind.  I paid attention to the music and the movements of my hands, nothing else on my mind. It made me realize how being in the present can reduce all the stress I have been carrying most of the time. 

This kind of state of mind is something that happens when I am creating something as well. When you pay attention and pour your efforts into a single thing genuinely, it can really make you forget your ego. For us living in these modern days, most of us cannot afford this kind of transformative experience during our daily life(maybe some people can, I have no clue). I believe engaging in such activities, enjoyable and meditative, is beneficial for anyone. We need them as humans to recharge yourself. Definitely, one of the most valuable moments of my life :)”