Singing Bowls and their powerful connection

When did Singing Bowl first come in to your life

When Anup and I were visiting family in Nepal we were walking up a mountain and came across a man playing singing bowls on the side of the road.  The sound surrounded and it felt like it came from far away.  We were mesmerised and knew we had to start bringing them back to Australia so share with more people.

Anup then had the idea of creating a global meditation for peace & harmony, with everyone raising their vibrational frequency by playing singing bowls.  This led to the need to share them with people and provide a better understanding and experience: so we started exhibiting at markets and festivals so more people could have this chance.

Each bowl has certain properties and purposes: why is that

Our bodies are affected by sounds and vibrations in different ways.  Some bowls have a high pitched sound: this is good for clearing energy in a room because the sound will cut through any dense energy trapped in the space.

The medium sounds have a soothing clear tone and are good for meditation or promoting good sleep as the sound is clear & focussed allowing your mind to be still and present.  The sound is usually deeper so it has a calming effect on the body as well as giving you a chance to become centered and relaxed.

The deeper vibrational bowls (which are usually beaten by hand) have a healing effect on the body: when we experience a lot of vibration, the properties of this particular bowl raises our own body's vibrational frequency and in turn allows us to heal better. In addition to this, the deep vibration is a wonderful form of massage (relaxing the muscle and joints) and can be used in Reiki and other energy therapies, as the vibration shifts blocked energies through the chakras.

What has been the reaction from folk who may have the "oh yeah...I've seen these things somewhere but never knew what they were about" vs those who are already in-tune with the bowls properties and purposes

I think ultimately everyone gets the same experience.  By "same" I mean that individual totally unique experiences you from tuning into your own self and centre. Whether you know much about them or only a little, the ultimate gain about singing bowls is the "in the moment" experience you have when you are playing them.

Some experience deep relaxation; some feel elated or enlightened...like they had a moment to forget their worries and stressors; others feel confronted because the sound is bringing up past wounds that need healing (which is a good thing if you are ready to heal) ;and for some, they feel like they are coming home: like they are being understood, especially when they find the tone that really connects to them. 

We all have our onset of frequencies that resonate with our body more than others. It really is a great feeling when you find that one which is "yours".

You are now a well entrenched and much loved stallie at Frenchs Forest Market.  How has market life impacted on you both personally and professionally

We love the markets because it's a way to bring ourselves and our business to people. Singing Bowls is a product that needs to be experienced in the holistic sense (as opposed to viewing in a photo) and  most specially in an environment where people are looking for new things to encounter. 

Frenchs Forest Market has such a lovely community atmosphere and people are interested in better health and wellbeing.  Personally, I love the wonderful friends I have made over the years and the comradery amongst the stallholders.

I also love the food: it would have to be the best food market that I know!  It is also a market where we have met many of our long term and much loved customers, and get to hear their lovely singing bowl stories!

If you could sum up the beauty that is known as Singing Bowls in 5 words, what would they be

Connection

Peacefulness

Sharing Experiences

Healing

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Could not have summed it up better ourselves.  We thank Anup & Brinley for sharing just a little of their story with us but more so for showing us how to connect with ourselves with the simple tone of a beautiful singing bowl which can bring peace & harmony to our ever increasingly frantic external world.

Reckon it's time to do a shoutout!

Katrina

Bar Pho

Amber

Edge Wellness

Hayley

Aneka

Muchos

Nolita

latteria espresso

Benji

Tiffany

Ilona

Audrey talks Gourmandise de Paris

From ham & cheese crêpes or galette to mouth watering quiches, Gourmandise de Paris now has an almost ritualistic following where it's a Sunday "must have". How satisfying is this for you

I am absolutely thrilled with it.  To start with it wasn't easy but as people got to know us and us working incredibly hard at providing good products, we are really proud of what we have achieved since starting.

How long does it take to set up stall each market

All up it takes about an hour

With samples, come smiles and with smiles which in turn results in purchases...as a chef how does that make you feel

Everyone who tastes our products really enjoy them. We've had people tell us that they love it and want to know more about how we make them and are above surprised when they learn that I am the chef!

You have created little corner of Paris that seems to draw people in.  Was this deliberately planned or did it come from observing customers seeking somewhere to sit and truly enjoy your French culinary creations

It just simply seemed to "fit" with what we were wanting to do.  Because some of our food is not take away, and needs plates and cutlery, it seemed a shame to not have a nice place to sit, chill, enjoy and eat.

For anyone who has NOT yet found Frenchs Forest Market, how would you sum up the fabulousness of it to them

Frenchs Forest Market has a lot to offer from things for the kids to do (jumping castles, dancing to the music, trying new foods), really nice fresh fruit and vegetable, cheeses and of course some FABULOUS French food.  For me it's interesting, it's friendly and it's relaxing.

To anyone who hasn't been yet, I would absolutely recommend that they come, have a look and enjoy it!

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We thank Audrey and her amazing team giving us a little French Quarter every Sunday and if you haven't found them yet the clue is in the "Quarter".  

So find them, take a load off, eat some sensationally amazing French cuisine and simply enjoy "being".

We looooove it!

twysden

Eri

studio2103

ekfairy

bec

Belinda and Olive Tree Providores

What initially drew you in to the world that is now known as Olive Tree Providores

I decided my passion for food and healthy lifestyle could also be a business that supported local farmers.

Olive oil also has amazing health benefits and Australia produces some of the world's best, so Olive Oil Providores was born out of a love of local food and a boredom with the conventional corporate business principles.

Why markets?

Because they are the best place to meet our customers and build a relationship with them.  I also detest the major supermarket manipulation of local farmers and growers, so I was keen to support an alternate place for growers to sell and market their produce.

Obviously market shoppers attend for varying reasons including promoting the Buy Australian mantra.  What other ways do you think this message can be given either overtly or by other means

We should encourage our friends and family to shop from sustainable and environmentally sound sources.  Big corporate supermarkets are none of those.  We simply have to encourage everyone we (personally) know to shop locally for fresh healthy food and by doing that we automatically help farmers build and maintain a sustainable business.

The more we enthuse the principle, the more it will happen and the more we protect our environment.

Do you have any new additions on the horizon that we can look forward to

Yes, we are about to launch a whole new range which we are very excited about which should be ready by Christmas.  The new range takes the "shop local" to an  entirely new level......so stay tuned!!!!

it ain't new but it's so yummy we simply could not NOT include it

What 5 words would you use to encourage conversion to not only organic but more importantly to buy Australian

Future proofing a sustainable future for all  (a little more than 5 words) plus it's a fantastic place to meet really friendly people!

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And on that note we thank Belinda, not only for having an amazing range of oils, soaps and dukka each week at market, but more importantly her determination to encourage everyone (and by that we mean everyone!) to shop and buy local 

5 minutes with Aimee

When did you first discover Frenchs Forest Market and what is it that keeps you coming back

I first discovered Frenchs Forest Market when I moved over from Perth.  As a Health Coach it is important for both myself and my clients to have access to fresh, high quality organic produce and to follow the pathway from farm to market.

I especially love the atmosphere, the community spirit and the coming together of people who truly care about what they are putting into their bodies.  

I also appreciate the time, effort and love that all the stallholders express each week. Their smiles, knowledge and eagerness to share their produce with customers is awesome.

Can you describe in layman's terms the definitions of "super food", "living food" and "super herbs" and how they can play a pivotal role in our overall wellbeing

Superfoods are foods that pack an extra nutritional punch.  They have a dozen or more distinguishing qualities that give them magical qualities and an ability to nourish us at a deeper level.  These are foods that supercharge our health.

Living foods are foods in their natural unprocessed, unheated from.  Foods of the Earth, that are not cooked,  modified or nutritionally deficient through processing.

Living (or raw) foods are foods the way nature intended.  When we increase our intake of these foods, we too become more alive - our ability to digest and process our foods is enhanced, because we're eating our food the way nature intended.  Living food include fruits, vegetables, grasses, seeds, sea vegetables, nuts and sprouts.

Superherbs are plants that are safe to take as a tonic, to help us maintain and prevent disease.  No longer do we need to wait until we get ill to "fix" the problem.  By incorporating Superherbs into our daily diet, by taking medicine as food, we are able to ensure we never get sick.

If you had to choose a particular stall that you simply can't not go by without purchasing something, which would it be and why

My favourite stall is Superfeast.  It is the one stop Superfood shop!

Mason Tyler has a wealth of knowledge in regards to Superfoods, Superherbs and Living Foods and is always happy to answer any questions related to health and wellbeing.

From your point of view, why is it essential for markets such as Frenchs Forest to keep on keeping on

Markets such as Frenchs Forest help consumers maintain a true connection to the land. They allow children to see where food comes from, how it's grown and how it should look, with the absence of artificial lighting, bright packaging and fancy marketing.

Markets also help farmers to discover what their customers are looking for and provide them with cheaper prices as they are dealing without the middle man.

It's a win/win.  It also keeps large industries from being able to monopolise our food supply.

If you could sum up the overall experience of not only shopping at Frenchs Forest but also making it a constant in our lives in on paragraph, what would it be

A day spent at Frenchs Forest Market is the best Sunday ever.  With such a variety of produce to experiment with, amazing people to visit and friendly faces to chat with, it is one of the best ways I like to spend my weekend.  I always come home with my staples: biodynamic berries, raw honey, superfoods, kombucha, freshly picked mushrooms, fresh organic produce and something else I didn't expect to buy!

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And with that we say thank you to Aimee for not only sharing some of her love, but also explaining the "mystery" behind the Superfood, Living Food, Superherbs.  Keep your eyes open cause we will be doing a feature with Aimee very soon which will go in to more detail about these and so much more!

Sharing a little bit of Frenchs Forest love with Inge

When did you discover Frenchs Forest Markets

I researched organic markets before we even moved to the Northern Beaches, so I would say about 5 years ago.

From shopper to stallie: was that a difficult transition

Hmmmmm...not really!  I still did all my shopping, even when I was a stallie.  There is such a great sense of community and camaraderie amongst the stallies and I loved being part of that!

Ask the Cappuccino Afloat crew if they miss our weekly dance sessions!  Dancing to funky music towards the end of market day....GREAT FUN!

Cappuccino Afloat

The masses obviously loved your fantastic gluten free goodies (ourselves included!). How long from start to finish would it take to prepare for market day

The would start at 4am with us packing the car to get to market.  It required careful and strategic planning to fit it all in!

By the time we got back home and unpacked it would be around 3pm.  So the whole day would amount to 11 hours!

Although now retired from a market life as a marketeer, you obviously still enjoy coming up and having a wander, buying organic goodies and catching up with people. What is it about these markets that attracts folk, from your point of view

The vibe, the vibe, the vibe! It's SO much fun!  

I still really enjoy catching up with our stallie mates!

Can you sum up this infamous "vibe" of the Sunday Institution known as Frenchs Forest Markets

Amazing range of organic and interesting foods that you just can't get anywhere else. I've always loved going to these markets.

The feeling that even though you don't personally know the others shoppers, you are having a shared experience.

Plus I often just talk to random people about what we're buying...it's more like the European way of village living.

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With that we thank the lovely Inge not only sharing some time with us, but giving us just that little bit more of an insight in to the stallie world as well as the shopper world at Frenchs Forest Markets!

 bet you didn't realise they had won had the Gourmet Gluten Free award!

TOLD you their products were yum, and we are thankful we got to sample and share before they became "citizens" once more!!

Sharing the love with Larissa

When did you first discover the delights of Frenchs Forest Markets

I decided that I had to visit it the first time about a year ago after seeing all the delights of everyone and their green smoothies on instagram

Your food photography and recipes look sensational! Do you try to use as much organic produce as possible when cooking

Thank you!  I'll admit it's hard to always get your hands on organic produce but I do whenever I can and you can really taste the difference.

Plus it's rewarding to know that you are supporting the organic farmers when you purchase from them, it makes it a bit more personal.

What is one staple that you simply MUST get each market

A good bunch of spinach - I won't go a week without eating it

Has your love of cooking and shopping at Frenchs Forest Markets infiltrated the lives of all those around you

There's nothing better than getting your hands on fresh ingredients to cook up a healthy, nourishing feast for a bunch of people you love

In 5 words how would you encourage those who have yet to be converted to organic produce to do so post haste

Not really 5 words, but one of my favourite quotes from a wonderful journalist Michael Pollan "Eat from a plant, not food made in a plant"

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Huge muchos to Larissa for sharing a bit of love of not only cooking and photography, but her time with us, and if you would like to see more of her beautiful culinary creations simply click "here"

5 Questions with the Queen of Sprouts

You specialise in sprouts and all things organic.  What was the impetus for you to choose this life's path

The chemicals used to grow conventional foods are damaging for our health, development of babies and young children.  We are organic creatures and therefore our bodies cannot assimilate non-organic chemicals.

Synthetic fertilisers used in growing conventional foods are salts and chemicals; some of the chemicals have been banned in other countries....Salt makes the plant thirsty, makes it drink up the chemicals and therefore the cell wall gets bigger and bigger making a great target for insect attack and therefore the growers use pesticides on food to keep insect attack to the minimal.

One study I read on apples 6 years ago found up to 17 types of biocides on conventionally grown apples....YUCKKKKKKK

can you spot the difference?

I studied organic farming and it's the only way to go ORGANIC!

During your time as a Frenchs Forest stallie, what changes have you noticed in the way that people not only choose to shop, but perhaps alter their lifestyles in way way (however small it may be) "we" can try to keep that carbon footprint a little less today than it was yesterday so to speak

It's not so much the carbon footprint that people are concerned about.  It's more about people realising the health problems resulting from foods grown with non-organic chemicals.

I have quite a few customers who have cancer and going through chemo buying organic and biodynamic seeds from me.

Why sprouts?

Sprouts are the purest form of "Live" food, nutrition and energy: if you understand the energy and nutrition laying dormant in a seed then you can understand why they are the purest form of live food.

What has been one of the more peculiar requests or discussions you have had at market

None

If you could summarise Frenchs Forest Market in 5 words what would they be

A market for everyone, everywhere

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Our Queen of Sprouts and "Compost Happens" has an incredible story: more than what she has shared with us here.  If you are interested in learning how to make your garden grow organically then why not swing by and have a chat and while you're at it, buy some sprouts, learn about the health benefits and introduce yourselves to "live" food!