Tune in to Hemi-Sync

An Excursion Workshop by the Monroe Institute

Have you ever felt like you are stuck? Had enough? Feeling unfocused? Are you having trouble sleeping, or experiencing a creative block? Do people sometimes make you uncomfortable by invading your personal space? Have you ever had a worry that just won’t go away, a problem that you can’t seem to solve? Who hasn’t.

That is why The Monroe Institute Workshop, facilitated for the first time in Cyprus by gifted healer Barbara Jones, is perfect for everyone, no matter what you are going through or feeling. It deals with all these issues and more, offering you - no matter who you are, or where you come from - a way to change your life for the better. Something simple to achieve, if only by introducing one new habit into your life by choosing to continue practicing any one of the things you have learnt afterwards. Experience this workshop and you can emerge from it feeling lighter, more alert, with sharper sensations and a deeper sense of awareness.

I didn’t know anything about the Institute’s vast array of programs prior to the workshop, but when I read up a little about Hemi-Sync, which is what this excursion was going to focus on, I was curious to find out more, in person. However there was nothing that could have prepared me for what I was going to experience. A patented, scientifically and clinically proven audio-guidance technology developed by The Monroe Institute, Hemi-Sync uses blending sound patterns to help bring both the hemispheres of the brain into unison, which in turn enables listeners to accomplish goals by achieving a focused, productive ‘whole-brain’ state. This 2-day Excursion Workshop digs much deeper than you would think, and uses practical - not just theoretical - exercises to actually enhance your consciousness and expand your awareness, in order to help you understand yourself better. Are you a bit of a cynic? I was... until I took this course. Even though I had already previously taken a meditation course, I was still not prepared to believe how effective and life-changing this particular method could be until I had real proof of my own. However, I took a leap of faith and threw myself into this with an open mind and an open heart, willing to make the most I could out of this experience. It helps.

Upon arriving at ‘R’ place, a renovated village house which was our chosen location for this particular event, I was charmed by the beautiful and peaceful premises, as well as the intimacy of the small group who was ready to share and move forward and upward towards enlightenment and self-discovery together. Barbara and her visiting overseas facilitator Thomas were both delightful and encouraging, and everything was organised to perfection, from the sign-up sheet to the healthy snacks and array of drinks available to the poster cards used in the introduction to give us an outline of what was to come.

We began with everyone introducing themselves, followed by a description of what this course entailed, and then a short and illustrating explanation of how this effective method, created by founder Bob Monroe, actually works. We were then told what our first exercise would include, and from there we moved to another room on the upper floor of the building where we found an oasis where we could practice and learn. After choosing an inflatable mattress where we would settle down on, and making ourselves comfortable with pillows and blankets, we put on our headphones and started to tune in to Bob Monroe’s recordings. As we fell into the rhythm of the soothing sounds, followed his instructions we began our journey. Step by step, we found ourselves falling - or rather, rising – into a deeper relaxation, where our bodies felt ‘asleep’, but our minds remained awake. As the lights were dimmed and we closed our eyes, we were guided from regular normal waking consciousness (C-1) to Focus 10 (F-10), which is defined as ‘mind awake, body asleep’. And that was just the beginning. From F-10, we learnt the following day how to access an even deeper side to our consciousness, F-12, which is a high energy state where even deeper work on the self can be achieved. I was amazed to learn that practitioners of Hemi-Sync can often reach up to level F-21, and even F-27!

Throughout the practical sessions, Barbara and Thomas were always present to make sure we were comfortable and to help us emerge from our state of meditation back into full alertness. After each practical exercise we would retreat downstairs for a short break, a debrief about how we felt, where if we wished we could share how the experience had affected us, after which Barbara would introduce us to the next exercise. When I say exercise, you may think of tiring repetitive movements, but although the steps to get you to F-10 need to be repetitive, there is absolutely nothing tiring in these sessions which exercise your mind while your body relaxes. Even the mind is not getting tired, because it is not being tested, nor is there something specific thing to learn in each exercise, but rather a guideline and the freedom to let your body sink deeper and let your mind explore.

What I personally enjoyed most was the experience of pure relaxation of the body and mind, once I had reached higher levels of consciousness, but what I found most interesting were the actual differences between each practical session, as each time we were given a new and useful tool to help us access another dimension of ourselves. For example, we would begin by listening to the soothing sounds of surf crashing on the beach, mimicking the rhythm of your breath, and then we would visualise shutting away all our issues, troubles or anything that might get in our way, by putting them into our personal imaginary Energy Conversion Box and closing the lid. I practised how to be comfortable with my own voice, by humming or making sounds while I exhaled, something called Resonant Tuning, which helped to release and gather energy while giving myself an internal massage with the vibrations of voice. We also learnt how to visualise the breath spurting out of your body as a fountain, creating a spiral cascade of energy flowing downwards around you before being sucked back into you from your feet as you inhale again. This is your REBAL, your Resonant Energy Balloon, and it was fun working in groups of twos afterwards to try and feel the other person projecting their balloon. Something as simple as having your own balloon can help protect you in times when you feel you require more space, or need to defend yourself against bad energy, physical attack or draining people. I was delighted when Barbara told me she could feel my energy blasting outwards when I was trying to inflate my REBAL! The self-exploration with Metamusic was pleasurable, and the Releasing and Recharging exercise was a truly emotional cleansing process. An important step, not to forget, is the Gateway Affirmation: an internal speech of acceptance and awareness where you express that you are more than your physical body, that you are willing to let others more experienced and knowledgeable help support you, and that you are grateful. After this, you are ready to enter F10... and beyond.

I was thankful to have had the chance to experience this workshop. I went into it not knowing what to expect and came out of it refreshed and relaxed. You may not want to have an out-of-body experience; perhaps you are just looking for a way to bring a breath of fresh air into your routine by introducing new, useful habits and helpful tools into your everyday life. Or maybe you are experiencing something troubling and need to find a new way to work through it. Even if you just want to learn something new, and meet a bunch of interesting people and have a peaceful and enjoyable weekend away, this Excursion Workshop is for you. The benefits can be endless: profound relaxation, accelerated learning, heightened creativity, expanded awareness, enhanced sleep and well-being, pain and stress management, and spiritual growth.

Don’t worry about the unknown. There are no subliminal messages in the recordings, no potential for injury during the workshop, no residual unwanted effects afterwards. There is only a new dimension of awareness: a mental universe waiting to be explored. Transcend to a place where you can perceive untapped sources of information and energy which extend beyond your physical body. Hemi-Sync’s beats will lead the way. Tune in.

Copyright © Nathalie Kyrou 2010