“SilentWalk” Brings Musical Meditation to the Carpinteria Bluffs
Connecting to Nature Through Compositions and Concentration; Next Event on June 28
By Ellie Bouwer | June 9, 2022
If you happened to visit Carpinteria Bluffs this past Saturday, June 4, you might have seen a procession of about 20 people, hiking together in silence, their heads wrapped in wireless headphones. This was the latest session of SilentWalk, a guided musical meditation experience by composer, meditation expert, and MindTravel founder Murray Hidary.
Created in 2013, MindTravel uses music and meditation to help people deepen their connection with nature, their community, and themselves, and SilentWalk is just one of the many meditative experiences they offer. Hidary believes music, community, and nature are the three essential elements of a MindTravel experience. “When you put these ingredients together, most of the time, magic happens,” he explained. “They each have their own connective, healing properties.”
SilentWalk participants are given a pair of wireless headphones connected to a transmitter that broadcasts Hidary’s original compositions, along with his live voiceover. His microphone picks up small ambient noises from the environment, like birds, waves, and the group’s footsteps, which overlap with the gentle piano, immersing participants in the auditory richness of their surroundings. Other distractions, such as conversations from passersby, are reduced to a faint echo.
As he walks, Hidary urges his participants to notice sensations in their body and move with intention. His emphasis on simple sensory experiences allows even those unpracticed in meditation to enjoy the benefits of mindfulness. Through this shared human experience, Hidary hopes his audience is reminded that they are not alone.
This is the first time the SilentWalk has been offered in Santa Barbara since 2019 due to the COVID pandemic. Hidary shifted to offering his tours via Zoom, where participants can join from wherever they are. “We get people from dozens and dozens of different cities joining on a walk together,” Hidary said. “There’s something very uniting and connected about that.”
MindTravel is hosting a silent piano experience on Leadbetter Beach on Tuesday, June 28.
Read all of the stories in this year’s Blue & Green issue, “From Big Waves to Tall Trees.”
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