TobyChristensen.com » francesco garripoli http://www.tobychristensen.com Toby Christensen's Blog Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:15:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Hanging in Hawaii http://www.tobychristensen.com/hanging-in-hawaii/ http://www.tobychristensen.com/hanging-in-hawaii/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:14:08 +0000 toby_christensen http://www.tobychristensen.com/?p=359 I’ve been here for weeks now. It’s probably time that I do some writing. So I want to share with you the fun and magnificence of the island of  Kauai! This is by far the most magical place I have experienced on the planet. Yesterday as I laid on the beach and watch the dolphins play in the surf I was overcome with a sense of gratitude and wonder.  The way the earth welcomes all of us, the way the other beings that share the planet with us welcome us. It is amazing. The interesting thing so far has been the weather. There has been a tremendous amount of rain. In the past this of course would be a disappointment since all I lived for was laying in the sun and playing in the ocean. But this rain has made the island so lush and so alive! The other aspect is that the rain is primarily in the morning and the afternoons have been beautiful and sunny. So the term paradise really fits.  I have been drumming and doing some private sessions, and working on some new music that will be released this fall. I am trusting that the magic of this island will be felt in the magic of the music. The longer I stay more connected I feel to the indigenous spirit of this great island. As I have talked to some of the locals and some historians in the area the power of this place and the blending of cultures leaves me spellbound.

Tonight I will be jamming with my friend Francesco. We are preparing for a performance of one of the local clubs which should be a blast! The mix of old and new, the healing drum with modern music, the voice of the heart and the rhythm of the drum, combined to bring a gift to all that listen. A powerful time on the island full of fun! I will update regularly and I’m looking forward to those who are coming to visit. By the way, there is still room in the September workshop for those who would like to attend!!!

Aloha,

Toby

]]> http://www.tobychristensen.com/hanging-in-hawaii/feed/ 0 Kauai Wellness Expo – Fun Energy and Celebrities! http://www.tobychristensen.com/kauai-wellness-expo-fun-energy-and-celebrities/ http://www.tobychristensen.com/kauai-wellness-expo-fun-energy-and-celebrities/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:54:40 +0000 toby_christensen http://www.tobychristensen.com/?p=320 While on Kauai last month I had the pleasure of attending the Kauai Wellness Expo. What a great event! I was in some great energy and met a bunch of people who are committed to making the world a better place. One such person and one of my favorite people in the world is Danny Hoshimoto. Danny is kind, loving and the true embodiment of Aloha. He is also a master raw dessert maker! I enjoyed many of his amazing creations while at the expo. Below are Danny and I posing while I take the shot! and Danny creating his favorite Coconut Cream Ambrosia. It is the most delightful food I have ever tasted!!!

Another aspect of the expo are the celebrities that hang out incognito. You never know who you will run into. I have seen music great Taj Mahal, actors Jeff Bridges and Pierce Brosnan, Bill Kreutzmann from the Grateful Dead and many others. While walking about I ran into a friend who I just came to know is a world famous Qigong Master, Francesco Garripoli. This guy is amazing. Each morning he leads the people at the expo through a Qigong routine. Here is a little scoop on him from a website I found.  Francesco Garri Garripoli is the Chairman of the Board of the Qigong Institute and enjoys being an author, television producer, Qigong practitioner and wellness advocate. He began his formal training in Eastern healing in Hawaii in 1977 after leaving a full medical school scholarship. His documentary Qigong: Ancient Chinese Healing for the 21st Century, airs on PBS Television, where he has produced programs for 20 years. Francesco teaches Qigong workshops around the world and through www.wujiproductions.com and is a past Chairman of the National Qigong Association. Author of Qigong Essence of the Healing Dance and Tao of the Ride, Francesco currently resides on Kauai, Hawaii at the non-profit Kahuna Valley Retreat facility www.kahunavalley.com . Here I am with Francesco, he is also a prolific song writer and guitar player.

I also ran into this person who requested to stay anonymous. Any ideas????

We shared some of Danny’s raw chocolate delight and then it was time for me to hit the beach. Thats the report from the Kauai Wellness Expo 2010. ALOHA!


]]> http://www.tobychristensen.com/kauai-wellness-expo-fun-energy-and-celebrities/feed/ 0