The BORYNA Foundation. Centre of Sound and Music Therapy
ORIGINS AND MISSION Our foundation is a non profit, non-governmental organization in Poland, dedicated to spreading the idea of using music as a tool for healing, therapy, supporting education. We consider music, an international language of hearts and eternal power that creates and holds the Universe.
BEGINING We, Andrzej and Mira Boryna, started our activity in 1980s by getting in contact with spiritual centres all around the world and we were honored to connect with great personalities, getting their spritual suport. One of the most earliest contact was Yogi Bhajan, and also Shri Chinmoy, Swami Vishnu Devanada, Swami Omkarananda, Pir VIlayat Inayat Khan, who gave us their blessings. We got also in contact with musicians, like Michael Stillwater, Ani Williams, Jonathan Goldman. That gave the beginning and inspiration for us to establish The Association of Spiritual Unity for Love, Light and Life. Its mission was disseminating ideas of tolerance and appreciation to various traditions.
The seat of the Association was Stargard Szczeciński and its activity concerned East European countries. We established contacts with lots of musicians and spiritual teachers and got materials related to spiritual development. We provided interested people with writings and cassettes and passed information about events and teachers. We gave materials to people from other countries of East Europe, too.
TIMES OF PERSECUTION. THE 80?s We worked in times of communism and were persecuted by our authorities, who considered our large contacts with the USA and Western Europe dangerous to the system. We organized meetings in our home, participated also by leaders of the underground and Solidarity. We also joined Solidarity. Andrzej from the very beginning- as a co-organizer of several initiatory strikes of Solidarity in Toruń and Stargard Szczeciński. I,Mira joined Solidarity in 1981. We had also a revision at our home. Andrzej was interrogated by the security services many times and I never knew whether he would come back home.
Andrzej was severely bitten up by militia and security services and it took a over month for him to recover. It all was a part of our musical and spiritual way, in a big degree also because of Jacek Kaczmarski whose music kept us work and stay and whom we met personally in a concert in Toruń.
When we learnt about potentials of music and sound to heal, we decided to do all our best to make the knowledge spread and develop to serve people on all levels. We made accessible recordings of music to our friends and groups interested. That was unofficial activity till 1989. In 1989 we started official activity and established a firm ANANDA MUSIC publishing for Polish market relaxing and ethnic music.
PEACE UNIVERSITY IN POTSDAM It was a great honour for us to be listed in the Peace University in Potsdam as member of the Honorary Advisory Board, among outstanding personalities: Willy Brandt, Kate Bush, Prof. Fritjof Capra, Jimmy Carter, Leonard Cohen, Dalaj Lama Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Allen Ginsberg, Philip Glass, Stanisław Grofi, Vaclav Havel, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, Nelson Mandela, Sir Jehudi Menuhin, Van Morrison, Ravi Shankar, Sting bishop Desmond Tutu, Andreas Vollenwaider, Lech Wałęsa, Lucyna Winnicka, Stevie Wonder, and many other great people.
WEEK OF WHOLENESS AND HEALING. CRACOW. 1988. WAWEL MEDITATION We were honored that way because we initiated and brought to realization an international festival ?Week of Wholeness and Healing? in Cracow in 25 April ? 1 May 1988. The event was managed and hosted by Mr Krzysztof Jasiński, director of the the STU Theatre. There were meetings lectures, workshops and initiations. The Lecturers were teachers of different traditions, among them there were: Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi, Richard Baker Roshi, Keith Sherwood, Atum O?kane, Prof. Ravi Javalgekar, Brigitte Muller.
The most important moment of the festival was the peace meditation at the Wawel Castle with a beautiful performance of the Mozart Requiem by the Chambre Orkestra from Toruń.
MEETING RABBI SHLOMO CARLEBACH At the end of the ?Week of Wholeness and Healing? in Cracow, Rabbi Zalman Schachter told us, that we should get in contact with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach ? his friend and great, legendary world famous singer and philosopher. We were also told about Rabbi by our friend, Aleisha Jonai. At the beginning of 1989 we met him personally when he came to Poland, and were honored to personally invited and came to magnificent concert in Cracow at the Slowacki Theatre.
1989 ANANDA MUSIC. Introducing healing music to Polish market. Since 1989 we have been officially publishing music as a firm Ananda Music, basing on licenses given by musicians or companies representing them. We have a privilege and honor to spread pearls of music whose mastery and depth has potential to heal mind and body, music, that brings great message of peace and understanding and abundance of beauty and joy. This music is created by great masters, pioneers of sound healing. Many titles we brought to Polish market are considered milestones on healing and transformative music.
LOS ANGELES 1990-1991 We were in the USA In 1990/1991. Here we met musicians, from which we got licenses for their music. One of the most specific events was the EARTH CIRCLE CELEBRATION, that took place 29 December 1990 ? 1 January 1991 in Malibu Los Angeles. It was to commemorate the 100 th anniversary of the Massacre at Wounded Knee. The organizer was Jim Berenholtz, a fascinating, multitalented musician ,composer, artist, dancer, actor, author of the opera ?BUFFALO NATION? and a Neo ?Ancient musical masterpiece ?THE PSALMS OF RA?, co- founder of a musical duo XOCHIMOKI, together with Mazatl Galindo.
We also met Rahul Sariputra, a great sitar virtuoso, who was also a friend of His Holiness Dalai Lama and played a concert at the celebration of honoring His Holiness with the Nobel Peace Prize. It was a great pleasure to be on several concerts of Rahul Sariputra. One of them was organized in a house of a well known film star Goldie Hawn. A very significant event was also a mini concert for us held at Florian Riggs? a meeting of Rahul Sariputra and Howard Richman, a pianist, composer of healing music, creating also ?musical portraits ?.
Very important and significant was meeting YOGI BHAJAN, the founder of the 3HO Foundation. We had been given his personal blessing three years before.
1991. MOVING TO TORUŃ Since September 1991 we have been living and acting in Toruń.
ANANDA MUSIC INVITES JOEL ANDREWS In 1991 ?Ananda Music? organized a tour for American harp virtuoso Joel Andrews, a pioneer of healing music. One of the performances was for a group of children at the Children Hospital in Toruń.
1996. MEETING FLORIAN FRICKE In 1966 we were in Munich and we had a great pleasure to meet an outstanding German musician, composer of refined mystical music, author of music to films of Werner Herzog, Florian Fricke, the leader of the legendary group POPOL VUH.
THE RAHUL SAKYAPUTRA CENTRE OF SOUND AND MUSIC THERAPY. 2003 Rahul Sariputra, later Sakyaputra was a dear friend of us. On 17 th November 2003 he passed away. That was the moment for us to start the Rahul Sakyaputra Centre of Sound of Sound and Music Therapy.Two years later it became the ?BORYNA? Foundation. Centre of Sound and Music Therapy
THE ?BORYNA? FOUNDATION. CENTRE OF SOUND AND MUSIC THERAPY. ACTVITY Spiritual Patrons of the Foundation are: Rahul Sakyaputra, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and Florian Fricke. We created the Honorary Advisory Board of the foundation and invited our friends, musicians, scientists and people of good will to become its members.
As a foundation we act to provide music and workshops on music and sound therapy. We cooperate with the Hospice for children ?NADZIEJA? (Hope) in Toruń, working with children and their parents on ?groups of support?. We take part in medical conferences sharing knowledge and results of scientific researches on potentials of sound to heal, introducing also great music to medical authorities.
Music of Ani Williams, Erik Berglund, Michael Stillwater was honored by commission of medical authorities on oncology and diabetes to get a prize in category of rehabilitation equipment. We do workshops for teachers and for children on using music to learn languages. We work to involve personalities on medicine and science in promoting the ideas of sound healing, to get to media. We were on Whole Poland television twice, and we also gave programs in local television and radio. Some of our articles were published in Whole Poland magazines.
In 2005 we started preparations to organization of the World Congress of Sound and Music Therapy. It was to be held in September 2006 in Tricity (Gdańsk, Gdynia, Sopot), with the main celebration a Peace Concert performed by KITARO. It was to be done on 1st September ? anniversary of beginning of the World War II at Westerplatte, the place where it started. We were given support in form of Honorary Patronages from authorities of Tricity, Musical Academy in Gdańsk, and other institutions. We were happy to get Honorary Patronage of Kitaro on the event. Because of various causes we had to postpone the event. We focused on organization of smaller local projects.
PROJECTS 2007
SUPPORTING EDUCATION. JULY-NOVEMBER 2007 We were winners in a competition for non government organization for projects supporting education an were given a donation by the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodship. We organized 10 workshops called MUZIACZEK for teachers, therapists, parents and for all interested, related to possibilities of using music, sound and rhythms to support teaching, improve memory and concentration. There were also two conferences: at the Nicolas Copernicus University and at the International College of Tourism and Culture. We have also published a booklet reporting the whole project.
MICHAEL STILLWATER IN POLAND. 5-7 October 2007. TORUŃ We invited Michael Stillwater to take part in the World Action VOICES FOR HOSPICES, and World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on 7th October 2007. We realized the project in cooperation with the Hospice for Children ?NADZIEJA? (Hope), managed by Mrs Ołena Bożemska. During his stay in Toruń Michael Stillwater had a meeting with students of elementary school and teenagers, with children, their parents and the team of the Hospice ?Nadzieja?. He gave a beautiful concert at the Youth Centre of Culture as well. We invite to see more information and gallery.
PROJECTS 2008
ANI WILLIAMS IN POLAND. SOUNDS FOR LIFE. TORUŃ-KATOWICE. 1-8 MARCH 2008 We invited Ani Williams who visited the ?Nadzieja? hospice for children and gave a small concert and a healing session on 1st March 2008. In the evening she performed a concert at the ?Baj Pomorski? Theatre. She had a workshop and individual voice analysis sessions. Ani Williams was also the main guest of a conference at the Nicolas Copernicus University related to therapeutic use of music and sound. Ani Williams was also in Katowice, where she had a workshop and a concert at Musical Academy.
MY MUSIC FOR PEACE On 1 st September we started an action called ?My Music for Peace?. It is addressed to people in all the world to connect their thoughts and hearts in the wish for peace through music that makes them happy.
WESTERPLATTE 2009 Project relates to a big event Polish Government is going to held to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the 2nd World War and the 20 th anniversary of communism collapse.
It is to be done at Westerplatte, near Gdańsk, because it is the place where the war started. Our project concerns both musical part of the celebration and involves KITARO and Józef Skrzek as the main performing artists of a big Peace Concert and inviting laureates of the Nobel Peace Prize. We proposed to invite His Holiness Dalai Lama as the special guest of the celebration. (read more)
