Event Information

Make Noise + APLR Present: **Experimental Meditation Club with Kelly Kelbel and Tony Rolando** Tuesday, January 21st, 2025 AyurPrana Listening Room - 312 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806 Doors 7:00 PM || Event 7:30 PM **Experimental Meditation Club with Kelly Kelbel and Tony Rolando** Every Tuesday in January, we’ll convene as the Experimental Meditation Club. We’ll provide partially guided meditations with sonic accompaniment. Think breaths to let go of tension, sonic ambiance, a bit of grief work, heavy drones, and psychedelic introspection (without any drugs). *The event begins at 7:30 sharp, so please be prompt to avoid disruption.* You are invited to all four sessions, but don’t have to come to all of them. The first one will provide some more context for meditation, but if you can’t make it, still come to what you can and you’ll figure it out along the way. The best way to meditate is just to do it. That’s it! While everyone is welcome, this will be tailored to people who: \*are new to meditation & may be skeptical or rekindling a practice \*like the company of sonic vibrations \*are open to trying this experiment & okay with it being messy \*want to test their own rigidity and capacity for expansion \*like the idea of democratizing meditation (don’t need/want a guru) Here’s a general idea of what will happen: Each night will include some context, a guided meditation around the theme, a short conversation (no one is required to talk so introverts don’t run away please), and a longer meditation using only sound. **Night One, Tuesday, Jan. 7: Grounding** How do we get grounded? Not by sneaking out and not by our parents, but by being inside of our body, by feeling present, by the touch of our feet on the ground or our hand on our chest. This is for figuring out our homebase, our preferred position, what to do with your eyes, the logistics of posture **Night Two, Tuesday, Jan. 14: Equanimity** What is this bizarre word that I’ve never seen before, and how do you say it, and where do I find it? It’s an active concept of acceptance, not a passive giving up. Inner smoothness and getting okay with what is will be explored. **Night Three, Tuesday, Jan. 21: Self-Compassion** I know what you’re thinking. Eeeeeew and vomit, right? Oh, I’m projecting? That’s how I used to view self-compassion, but you know those people who love themselves? I’m trying to be one of them, without being totally insufferable to be around. Hopefully, you're thinking self-compassion sounds nice! It's a tool to help us like ourselves and extend that to others. It's also a tool for grief. **Night Four, Tuesday, Jan 28: Growth** Cool, yes, most of us want this- to grow. We often want it to just happen, and are sometimes resistant to the amount of work it requires and the level of change. We know that change is inevitable and a shapeshifter that's difficult to control. What if we greet it, invite it in for a warm cup of tea, because life is hard and change is part of it (as frustrating as that sounds)? **Note:** This is a rough plan and plans change so we aren’t 100% sure that it will stay exactly like this. We just wanted to give you an idea of what to expect, and invite you to be okay with the plan changing. Look at us- we’re already doing the work. Cushions, blankets, and backjack chairs provided. Just bring yourself and some openness. If you are sick, please stay home and take care of yourself. Free for all to attend. Donations accepted for Llight AVL. **Kelly Kelbel** Kelly Kelbel meditates every morning in bed, mostly using the Happier App. She started meditating shortly after she started chemotherapy out of desperation to find relief from her fear. It worked! Chemo Sessions is a project she created to offer support to folks going through treatment through a letter, music, tips from pals, and guided meditations. She is also a writer and co-owns a synthesizer company, Make Noise, in West Asheville. Previously, she served as a legal advocate for survivors of sexual violence in Chicago and youth being tried as adults in New York City. She was a founding teacher of the School for Democracy and Leadership in Brooklyn, and directed the Rise Project at Warren Wilson College. www.kellykelbel.com **Tony Rolando** Tony Rolando meditates irregularly, but notices a benefit every time he does a sit. He often uses the quiet. He is a self-taught electronic musical instrument designer who got started by obsessively reading Amateur Radio Relay League books at the public library, building electronics for artists, such as the light controlled remixer for Simon Lee’s “Bus Obscura” which debuted at the Whitney Biennial, working for Moog Music, and always playing music. Tony has recently released music with Important Records and the Asheville based Ceremony of Seasons. He is the founder, lead designer, and co-owner of Make Noise. https://tonyrolando.bandcamp.com/ www.makenoisemusic.com Presented by AyurPrana Listening Room. All ages