May Newsletter
Dear Friends,
I hope this newsletter finds you in good health, and wherever you are, I hope you are enjoying the blooming flowers.
This is a very late edition of May's newsletter, as I find myself a few weeks behind on things. It was a jam-packed yet beautiful month!
On May 11th I celebrated my birthday by holding an intimate concert for family and friends at one of my favourite spaces in Glastonbury, St Margaret's Chapel, also known as the Magdalene Chapel. Dating from 1444, over the centuries, pilgrims have come here to remember Mary Magdalene, meditate, pray and ask for healing. I find the energy in there to be quite palpable and transformative, and the acoustics are beautiful, so it was an honour to share my voice in that space.
Then on May 16th, we had another lovely Sound & Silence session at the Red Brick Building. It is always a pleasure to welcome people passing through Glastonbury on their travels. This time we had visitors from Malaysia and Germany.
The next Sound & Silence will be held again at the Red Brick Building next week on Thursday 13th June. Please do join us if you are able to!
Booking here
A few days later, on May 18th, Imogen and I had our first collaborative day retreat Journey Into The Heart at the Miracles Room, The Goddess House. People travelled from North England, Wales and London to join us in Somerset, and we spent a beautiful truly heart-opening day together.
Here are a few kind testimonials from participants:
"I would like to thank you both so much for creating such a wonderful day on Saturday. I have not experienced anything quite like that before and it was moving in all sorts of ways. Emotionally - yes, but also in a way that is harder to put into words. I feel a little more insight and depth in my heart, more open. And, I feel very much drawn to move further in this direction." - Matt
“Imogen and Ruhiya created such a relaxing, welcoming environment from the very start, and that simply deepened during the day. Their gifts of Divine Light and Sound Healing complement each other beautifully, and left me feeling deeply grounded and peaceful by the time we came to a close." - Helen
Needless to say, we can't wait to do it again! We are already in the process of organising the next event and will share details soon.
Another save the date is Saturday 7th September, when I am excited to be collaborating on a day retreat with my friend Elena Jessup (https://www.modernsanskritcollective.org) The theme for the day will be Song of the Self: Unravelling the mystery of Gaṇeśa. Elena is an expert Sanskritist, teacher and published translator of Sanskrit, with a deep knowledge of Vedic Philosophy, so it's a real honour to work with her. The day will include Gaṇeśa
themed discussion, activities, mantra, sound journeying and music. We have created a little artistic digital talisman, for anyone who would like to be added to our mailing list, simply send your email address to hello@ruhiya.com and we will send it to you. This means you will also be the first to receive the early bird discount for the day.
Last but not least, I have been recently mesmerised by Pandora's and The White Room, founded by my dear friend Katharine Ashworth. These are a few of the spaces inside the ZigZag building, a community arts space in Glastonbury, UK. A few weeks ago Katharine and I sat in this ethereal room and sang freely from our hearts, bathed in the White Room's resonant acoustics. (Look out for the live video going live on my YouTube channel in the coming days).
I hope that the ZigZag can continue to thrive at what it does best; inspiring artists and keeping the creative spirit of the local community alive. If you are passionate about the arts and community, please consider helping to keep the ZigZag going by supporting here: https://gofund.me/921b9bab
Thank you for your love and support, as always.