Artists Larisa Stow and Shakti Tribe performed their music in concert on Sunday for patients during a special events program held twice a month at Atascadero State Hospital.

Stow performed with bass guitar player Benj Clarke, guitarist Kimo Estores and vocalist and percussionist Marti Walker for the special Sunday event. The group has performed at prisons and other correctional institutions for more than eight years and continues to reach out to those who are incarcerated with a message of peace.

“Sometimes the darkest times in our lives are the times when we are drawn closest to God,” Stow said during the inspirational concert. “It’s these times when we can’t see the light, that it’s right around the corner, brighter than ever, beckoning to us. We just need faith that we are loved and guided to be the gift that each of us is and can be.”

The concert included a variety of songs reflecting common and universal principles drawn from all world religions, including traditional Indian folk songs and songs about Mary, the mother of Jesus.

“When we praise the feminine aspect of love, we draw it to us,” Stow said. “When I focus on the unconditional love, such as the love a mother has for her child, I feel the arms of love surrounding me and the world. I am drawn to writing about the feminine because it symbolizes pure unconditional love. So, in a sense, we are singing love over and over again when we sing Amma-drawing love to ourselves.”

During the concert, Stow sang original songs, setting the words of Vedic prayer from the Hindu faith to music as a way of finding greater unity and commonality among world religions. She emphasized the importance of breaking free from and letting go of the anger and fear and continually dispelling negative thoughts and emotions.

“I was inspired to put this text to music as a way to give myself a sense of inner peace after so often finding myself deeply saddened and disturbed by the ensuing violence around the world,” she said. “This prayer from Vedic text could be from any of the world religions. It speaks of the beauty and universal desire for peace.”

During the concert, Stow challenged the patients to answer their own question of what they want in abundance; they immediately responded, shouting out their answers — inner peace, love, freedom, justice, music, energy, forgiveness, compassion, serenity, holiness, spirituality, hospitality, respect, beauty, equality and even to quit smoking.

Stow said she has moved from popular music toward more spiritual-oriented music since the Sept. 11 tragedy and the inner spiritual journey of discovery that came about in its aftermath. She said the band has focused its efforts on sharing unconditional love, forgiveness and compassion and carrying a message of love and peace through its performances, while making a stronger stand in other people’s lives.

Prisons and institutions are where she and the band need to be to help contribute to the rehabilitation of those in jail, Stow said.

“I feel that it’s my responsibility to share the love and light I’ve been given,” she said. “These men are at a crossroads and can use it and receive it. Those who are ready to hear it are like sponges. It feels good to give everything you have. There is that opening and a real turning point for them. It is a huge gift getting to do this concert. It’s inspiring. One of the guys told me he cried three times. There are so many opportunities in jails to share with people who are just like us and live next door. There is an abundance of feeling and need for connecting in love. We all have to be reminded because we forget. These men are sensitive, creative people.”

Brooke Hatcher, special events coordinator for the hospital, said the facility provides weekly events for patients, including tournaments and bingo, as well as concerts twice a month, usually on Tuesday nights. ASH also provides monthly birthday events for the patients and shows movies three or four times a week.

Judy Curtis, a vocational rehabilitation counselor, said patients at the hospital come to the concerts independently or are escorted by a hospital staff member so that every patient has an opportunity to attend. She said the patients learn a variety of useful interpersonal skills by participating in the special events and acquire necessary coping skills that will help them as they begin planning for discharge from the hospital.

“Our patients learn work skills. They learn about mental illness, anger management, their medications and interpersonal skills,” she said. “We want them to have the knowledge and skills to be successful when they leave here, whether that is in jail or they have conditional release. We want them to demonstrate a higher level of coping skills and deal more effectively with any problems they face. Some patients at the hospital are working to become competent to stand trial so that they can face their charges and have them either dismissed, go to jail or get credit for time served.”

Leanne Wood, manager of Shakti Tribe, said the music group was committed to providing more than just entertainment for the patients at the hospital. She said Stow, a trained yoga instructor, often incorporates principles of yoga into the concerts performed by the group to encourage audience members to use yoga, meditation and prayers for reducing stress and increasing coping skills for anger management.

“We’re very happy to share Sanskrit with you — it’s yoga for your ears,” Stow said. “Mantra practice is a powerful way to create the reality that you are working towards. Mantras hold the vibration of change and transformation. There are mantras to help remove obstacles, create peace, abundance, connect you to the divine, God and your own heart and transform what no longer serves you into something positive. It also helps dispel negative thoughts and emotions.”

Wood said even if someone is an atheist, it’s all about love.

“We want to reach out to people who are at a crossroads in their life and have the opportunity to make choices and make a change in their life,” she said. “They can transform from anger to harmony. They can begin to take responsibility and each of them has a positive gift to give the world. Our message is simple and it reduces anger and restores balance to their life. It clears the distracting thoughts in the mind and quiets and stills the mind and focuses it on intention.”

For more information about the group, visit its Web site at www.shaktitribe.com or www.myspace.com/larisastow.