You know when you know something, but you don’t know how you know it? You just...know?
That’s what singing is for me. I know that it holds power. I know it’s healing, even without the studies and the data. I just know. And I’m not alone.
So many people I have worked with have shared stories about the power of singing. They feel happier, lighter, freer after they sing. They feel more connected to others and to their inner self. They feel more confident. Their heart is literally happier and healthier because they sing. (Sylvia Allen, friend, author, and member of the St. Johns Women’s Choir, was actually told by her doctor that she needed to sing daily because it’s good for her heart!) On many occasion, I have walked into a rehearsal grumpy, fatigued, ready to call it a night and left replenished, full of joy and gratitude. Not only that, I can’t count the number of times singing has brought me to tears or allowed me to see something in myself that I couldn’t see before.
How is this possible?
If you know me, you know it’s not enough for me to just accept that this is how it is and leave it at that. As one who thrives on learning and whose joy and calling is in sharing what I learn with others, I want to know, what is happening in my physical body that leads to such heightened levels of energy when I sing? How is it that singing makes me feel more in tune with my inner self, the divine, and allows me to hear my intuition with more clarity?
Over the next few months I will be exploring these questions through practice and studying the deep wisdom of those who know and understand the modern and ancient sciences behind the healing power of the voice. I will be delving into yoga, Ayurveda, chant, and studies on the neuroscience of singing. As I journey down this path, I will share what I am learning here on my blog and in my monthly Soul Sings.
September Soul Sing
Last month, our Soul Sing took us on a dive into our vocal range, exploring the highs and lows of our voice and the sensations that come with various shapes and sounds. This month, we travel even deeper into the power of our voice as it connects to the seven main chakras.
The Seven Chakras
The chakras are energetic wheels that run up and down our spine, through our neck, and the crown of the head. Each chakra is a spinning center of energy that, when open and balanced, can lead us to feel grounded and aligned in our daily life, allowing us to hear our intuition and access inner knowledge. Each chakra has a bija mantra, or seed syllable, that can be used during meditation to connect with that chakra:
1 - Root Chakra - LAM (LUM)
2 - Sacral Chakra - VAM (VUM)
3 - Solar Plexus Chakra - RAM (RUM)
4 - Heart Chakra - YAM (YUM)
5 - Throat Chakra - HAM (HUM)
6 - Third Eye Chakra - OM (AUM)
7 - Crown Chakra - Silence / OM (AUM)
In our September Soul Sing, we will begin exploring the chakras and their bija mantras as a tool for further exploration and healing during our own practice.
Ready to explore?
Join me for my upcoming Soul Sing on Wednesday, September 16 from 7:00-8:00 pm on Zoom. All ages are welcome. $12 / household.
Can’t make it to the live event? No problem. Everyone who RSVPs will receive a link to the video recording.
Wednesday, September 16, 7:00-8:00 pm