The Tranquil Traveler

I was standing in a private room looking at a huge bronze singing bowl. I was in Lucerne, the third stop on a trip to four regions in Switzerland, staying at the Palace Luzern.  The hotel describes it as the world’s first giant singing bowl and I had signed up for the “ceremony,” an experience that promised a “state of lightness and deep relaxation.”  Photo: Courtesy of Palace Luzern The giant bowl is struck, causing 1,000 frequencies to flow through the body and “Every cell unites in harmonious vibration,” states information at the hotel website. OK. Sure. The giant singing bowl took 15 years to create.  This process included studying the effects and functions of small traditional Tibetan singing bowls, making the mould for the bowl, which was cast in solid bronze and has a diameter of 1.76 meters and a weight of 1.2 tons.  It had to be housed in this cozy room on the ground floor instead of in the third floor spa (for obvious reasons.) It ...

[Storytelling & Song at Sheraton Wild Horse Pass] Photo: Gerrie Summers The Storytelling and Song program at a Sheraton desert resort follows the traditions of an Indian ancient culture There is something magical about the Christmas season in Phoenix, Arizona . Perhaps it is the charming contrast of cacti draped with festive holiday lights sparkling in the deep, darkness of the warm Sonoran desert at night. Or it may be the mystical feel of being on sacred Native American land. It is also a perfect time to visit and experience a tradition never before shared with the general public. Since 2005, the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort  located in Chandler , a city in Maricopa County, has featured the Storytelling & Song program to share the ancient culture of the Pima and Maricopa tribes with its guests. Storytelling is an important and valued part of Pima and Maricopa heritage. History is passed down through oral traditions and winter is the only seas...