Khentrul Rinpoche was in Juneau in early December. He is a lama and abbot of the Katog Mardo Tashi Chöling Buddhist monastery in eastern Tibet. Rinpoche visits Alaska twice a year to do workshops and bring Buddhist teachings to the West. During his recent visit, he held a two-day workshop on "taming the wild horse of the mind."

Rinpoche's style is playful, funny and light. He speaks clearly and uses plenty of visual images to make his points crystal clear. He's kind of a hip guy, too - smiling, laughing, laid back. He looks you in the eye and sometimes reaches out a hand to shake or put on your shoulder when he talks to you. He graciously answers questions and playfully banters with the audience.

At his retreat, Rinpoche sang sacred Tibetan blessing songs interspersed with his speaking. His voice was soothing and charismatic. A welcome chant brought us in and a closing chant sent us away. "Do no harm" was the overriding message.

The lama has CDs available, including "Mantra Songs of Peace" and "37 Practices of a Bodhisattva and Le Mon Tendrel Paksam." Find them at www.katogcholing.com.

Tibetan musician Karjam Saeji grew up in a community of nomadic yak and sheepherders. He danced for years with a performance troupe before stopping it all to study Tibetan literature. Today, he is a songwriter and performer who composes music reflecting his Buddhist beliefs. One of his songs describes a 1,600-mile spiritual pilgrimage he took on the Tibetan Plateau. He also has set ancient sacred poems to music, including one from Tsangyang Gyatso, the sixth Dalai Lama.

Saeji's recent CD release, "Pilgrimage," is available at cdbaby.com/cd/karjamsaeji.

Another Tibetan musician on the world music circuit is Ani Choying Dolma. She performs sacred Tibetan songs - mostly ancient songs passed from master to pupil over the centuries. Her voice is crystal clear and pure. Her concert banter is witty and entertaining. She is a nun and the proceeds from her music go to a school she has founded for other Tibetan nuns.

Some of her CD releases include "Cho," "Dancing Dakini," "Selwa" (with Steve Tibbetts) and her most recent, "Inner Peace." Her Web site is www.choying.com.

Tibetans are compassionate by nature. They are all about helping others. They say the more you give, the better things get for everybody. And Tibetan music reflects this altruistic nature.

Putting on a Tibetan sacred music CD in the morning is a great way to start the day. If you can get past the oddity of the guttural throat-singing or crashing temple cymbals, the experience can have a subliminal effect on your entire day.

Sometimes it's better than waking up to the news.