Singing is Essential!

Outer voice reflecting inner voice in flowers.

Outer voice reflecting inner voice in flowers.

“Song is not a luxury, but a necessary way of being in the world… To give voice to what lives inside is what keeps all things possible.” Mark Nepo wrote this in The Book of Awakening. The idea that giving voice to our inner spirit empowers our outer lives is well known to monasteries, where several hours a day are spent chanting, but not to contemporary life. Yet, chanting, even for three minutes, changes our fundamental vibration, including our brain waves and blood pressure.

Singing is not a luxury. When we sing, we breathe deeper, leading to physical relaxation and a visceral sense of being centered and focused. The noisy judgments of our inner monologue take a rest. Our heart beats in harmony with the song we are singing. We feel more embodied, more connected to ourselves, present in the moment. Research has confirmed that when we are present, we are happier. Singing can only be done in the moment.

There we are, singing, present, breathing, aligning all the vibrations of our body in harmony with each other. The static, fears and judgments of the mind are stilled for a bit. We drop into the only moment we have – NOW. On your own or with others, it works every time. Singing is not a luxury. It is essential and free.

TRY THIS: Tone an [ooh] for 3 minutes. Breathe when you need to and keep toning the same vowel and pitch.  Let me know what you discover.

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