Last Sunday, one of my students reminded me of the 6th Annual Dirty River Reggae Festival at Guanabanas Island Restaurant. This particular student and I had met years ago at a Spred the Dub show and they were in the line-up. An hour so later, I was chatting with my Crossing Fam— a few of them are planning attend, and Julian Marley is the headliner! I’m totally in, this is going to be a pretty amazing event!

I arrive in time to catch most of Spred the Dub’s set, followed by Moska Project and SOWFLO— all amazing local bands. With much anticipation, I squeeze myself through the thick crowd, a few disorganized rows from the stage and moments later Julian rolls out, greets the crowd and the music starts. I feel a deep vibrating in my heart with the first few bars of Natural Mystic and when Julian begins to sing, cascades of energy roll down my being. I’m in awe at how reverently he offers this song to the crowd. I’m swaying or dancing, in rapture, in awe, in love. This sensational atmosphere continues right up to Julian’s last song, another ode to his legendary father, One Love. The groups of people that spent the last two hours bumping into each other link up in massive group hugs singing, swaying, dancing, in rapture, awe and love. Together, on that little stone dance floor, we all leveled up.

Through the days following the festival, the thing [for lack of a better word] that sticks with me the most is the sky high high vibration, sustained throughout the show by the presence of immeasurable reverence. When we revere, we have deep respect and honor the sacred nature. In the Rastafari tradition, all is one — the concept of I and I — and all is revered and sacred. This is a powerful energy to experience in an organized manner, at close range, over an extended period of time and I’ve been thinking of other ways that I experience reverence in my life.

My earliest memories of reverence were in church. My family would spend a lot of time preparing our bodies to sit in God’s house, we’d offer him our heart repetitively and if I was quiet, I could dig in someone’s purse for candy, chapstick or coins. When the congregation prayed, whatever I was doing stopped abruptly and I’d mimic the adults: fold my hands, bow my head, stop kicking my feet. I remember getting special outfits to wear to events like Christmas and Easter and I remember the slow progression of my maturing consciousness when I too became attentive and consumed the Word with faith; and afterwards, we would hug and shake hands with everyone. Mindlessly performed, all this [cleaning up, sitting quietly, praying, hugging] would just be a routine, but doing it to honor and appreciate the collective faith, it was a ceremony showing respect for God.

I no longer attend regular church services, but this ceremonial seed has grown into a practice of honoring the sacred & divine— like watering plants, caring for pets, preparing and eating food, lighting candles, watching the sunset, picking fruit from trees, walking through the forest, applying coconut oil to skin, teaching yoga, making my bed, entering the ocean, reading books, folding laundry, cleaning the house, weeding the garden, walking down the street, collecting pebbles fro exotic places. I began to tune into the reverence of people around me: the way we look into each other’s eyes and deeply hug as a greeting; the way my lover in Costa Rica honored and cherished my whole being as a pristine ecosystem before he ever touched me; the way some of my travel companions extend gratitude to the ends of the earth with every blessing they receive; the way my favorite yoga teachers begin a class with a brief moment of silence; the way the audience at the Julian Marley show reflects the irie vibe back to the musicians, creating a feedback loop; when the music ends and that loop breaks, we all go back to our homes, friends and family, sharing the sensations we experienced with those that did not attend.

As I follow this trail through my thoughts, I want to cherish and attend to more aspects of my life with deep reverence. I notice opportunities to be more present, set intentions, cherish and honor; and in doing so I see the unfolding of an uprising. As a lifelong practice, I see the creation of immeasurable levels of gratitude, devotion and reverence; and with that realization, I understand why Julian Marley and the Uprising moved me so deeply and completely that night.

Are you ready to raise your vibration?