Friends in Deed Maui Weekly September 24-30, 2009 By: Barry Sultanoff

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Starting Wednesday, Sept. 23, Maui will be gifted with the presence of an extraordinary, interrelated group of teachers, yogis and musicians who will offer their finest expressions of spiritual art in a five-day program at The Studio Maui in Ha'iku.

 

Events will include an in-depth exploration of the Bhagavad Gita, among the most seminal of all Eastern texts, under the mature guidance of Maui resident and spiritual elder Ram Dass and visiting yogi extraordinaire John Friend.

 

A Friday evening concert will bring together three master musicians Ty Burhoe on tabla, Donna De Lory on vocals and harmonium and Cameron Stone' on cello- in the trio's first-ever Maui appearance. In addition, Friend will offer yoga instruction for both beginning and advanced students.

 

"This is all about celebration!" said Friend. "These gatherings and practices will lead us to a deepening knowledge and experience of shival/shakti (life energy). This focus on energy and aliveness is very apropos for Mauians, whose senses are already so alive, tasting [the island's] beauty every day!"

 

For seasoned guides Ram Dass and John Friend, this will be a first opportunity to co-pilot the starship of consciousness exploration surrounded by a group of approximately 100 eager students, poised and ready to travel far on their inner journeys.

 

The two men met 30 years ago when Maggie Austin, a wealthy widow, invited a group of friends and spiritual luminaries to her several-l00-acre farm in Texas. There, in retreat, the group delved into Eastern philosophy, meditation, and chanting-and listened to Ram Dass tell engaging stories about his remarkable visits to India.

 

"It's appropriate now to pause and honor that time," Friend suggested, "and tie what we are seeing now in the early 21st century back to the social changes of the '70s-basically, to take another look and value all that in a new way."

 

Friend sees the Bhagavad Gita, which he first read at age 13, as "a little text on life that is absolutely relevant to our modern times." Ram Dass, dazzled by the book when he came upon it in the early '70s, went into retreat and studied it intensively. His own book, Paths to God: Living the Bhagavad Gita (1974), sprang from that fertile investigation and became the text for his course that summer at The Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colo.

 

The events at Studio Maui will interweave three generations of serious students of the Bhagavad Gita. Friend, who credits Dass with guiding him in his own exploration, has now taken on the youthful Burhoe as his protege. According to all three, the practical essence of these teachings is to "walk the walk," offering love and service wherever one goes.

 

De Lory, who will perform at the Friday night concert along with Burhoe and Cameron Stone, sees her life being devoted to service, in harmony with universal teachings. "I approach music in its original spirit; I offer it to humanity to help heal for the good of all."

 

Burhoe and Stone share De Lory's view of music as a healing art. Their professional paths have included, as has De Lory's, tours with many world-renowned musicians. At 40-something, Burhoe is arguably one of the greatest living tabla players.

 

De Lory has traveled many unexpected roads. At 22, she toured with Madonna, who says of her art: "I've always admired Donna's voice; her songwriting is poignant and heartfelt." Donna has been called "the perfect combination of Earth mama and fairy child-with a voice that oscillates between the passionate laments of Janis Joplin and the crystal clarity of Enya."

 

With her undeniable leaning toward World Music that left some of her promoters nonplussed about how to market her, De Lory ultimately discovered that her so-called "work" could meld with her spiritual practices into a unique musical expression that fulfilled her audiences-and, more importantly, herself. She learned the harmonium and successfully produced several CDs, most recently, the sublime Sanctuary.

 

The trio of Burhoe, De Lory and Stone, whose vision soars light years beyond entertaining into the realm of world healing, promise an ecstatic treat for those attending the Friday evening event.

 

John Friend's anusara ("flowing with grace") yoga is transmitted through a rigorous training process and is taught internationally. Ongoing classes on Maui are offered at Studio Maui. Call Studio Maui, 575-9390, or www.thestudiomaui.com for details about this and other aforementioned events.