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Over hundreds if not thousands of years the voice has been recognised
as a major part of spiritual practice and healing. Whether mantras,
meditating, praying or in magical ritual the voice has been very
present in spiritual routines .It has also been a vital ingredient
in ancient healing systems and communities, the shaman’s incantation,
the community gathering around the fire to sing, artistic emotional
expression in song and music, the mother’s soothing lullaby,
the medicine man’s chant to mend bones, even the vocal expression
that comes from hitting our thumb with a hammer!
Over the many years of my own journey with sound I have experienced
sound working directly at a vibrational level on my being, my energy
body, my cells. Non-language sound seems to bypass the mental realm,
so avoiding the potential trap of over analysis (left brain) but
stimulating, instead, the creative holistic brain (right brain).By
its very nature it supports the process of self-expression and self-empowerment
(an element often lacking in today’s society) with simple
practices on yourself by yourself. Within a group it enables us
to break down barriers, creating common ground beyond conflict allowing
us to reach beyond self and separation to collaboration and unity.
Simplistically there are two paths: the structured practices (each
religion and spiritual tradition having its own) and the unstructured
“naked voice” with its deep reaching and alchemic quality.
Unstructured practice
Inside we know what is required for our process and healing, there
is a sound intelligence that if we allow it, operates from and for
our highest good. When this is combined with an external witness
(to strengthen and enhance our own internal witness) the process
can be even more transformative. As our “voices” are
often suppressed and/or unheard receiving a non-judgemental listening
helps to open and unlock our authentic being. By developing effortless
spontaneous ways of sounding, your authentic soul song is discovered.
Here are some simple practices to start on your own:
• Sighing and groaning.
• One breath one voice where on the out breath sound is allowed
to emerge spontaneously without edit.
• Free singing where the “soul song” is expressed
and liberated (using non-language sounds or creating “made-up”
language).
• Gentle toning (OOO through pursed, almost closed lips).
Directing this as a healing stream to your body.
Structured vocal practices
Vocal maps, such as:
The Bija seed mantra to align and cleanse the chakras
while strengthening the unchanging witness state, as all are chanted
on the same note except SO HAM which rises and falls back to original
note)
LAM (root or first chakra)
VAM (sacral or second chakra)
RAM (solar plexus or third chakra)
YAM (heart or fourth chakra)
HUM (throat or fifth chakra)
OHM (third eye or sixth chakra)
SOO HAM (crown or seventh then down)
The Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa, Indian scale which
rises up through the chakras (use notes as in a Do Re Me Fa So La
Te Do fashion). To energise and explore chakra energy and emotional
states - discovering the journey from unity into duality and its
many faceted and coloured expression.
Other examples are chanting the OHM and religious chants, mantras,
hymns and songs.
I have heard that our future medicine will be one of vibrational
healing. Therefore it’s not too hard to envision that sound
and the voice will become more and more significant and integral
to our soul and somatic healing. I encourage and wish you luck on
your sound journey too.
©Jules Heavens
Jules runs regular voice workshops throughout the year –
watch out for details of dates and venues on our Events
page.
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