EXPRE S SION
The courage in song
It’s never too late to begin playing and sharing our voices, and there is always deeper exploration.
by Michelle Morgan W
e sit in a circle, the lights are low and our eyes are closed. A quiet voice speaks, offering
the theme of ‘courage.’ A singing bowl creates a steady tone and one by one, we offer our voices into the space. In the deep listening each of us brings, sound rises effortlessly, interweaving in shifting harmony. There is an exquisite quality in the room tonight. It evokes spaciousness, expansion, wonder. I am transported. My earlier heaviness dissolves and dissipates in this sacred space, inviting gratitude in its place. I’ve been a part of choirs and sacred song circles for many years. There are
42 MARCH 2017
often gorgeous moments when the songs lift my heart and transport me to a new reality. Science demonstrates that singing, in itself, has positive benefits for health. But I find there is something extra special about sacred song and toning. Sometimes, I turn up heavy and exhausted, and leave buoyed with lightness. It is a transformative practice. In my life, creative practice is a
necessity. Whether it is singing, painting, drawing, song writing, or dancing, it is a way to bring presence to life, to self-soothe, sort through, find clarity, and heal. When I create, I am connected with the divine within me and open to the universe. Through creative practice, I learn how to follow myself, trust my impulse, and sit in the mystery, patiently waiting for the next step to arise. I have learned that the key is to be
more interested in the process than the outcome. If, in my making, I am too aware of the end product, the inner critic is activated and my flow is stifled. If I am able to attend to my process, noticing, “How is it to use this paintbrush?” “How does my body feel as I move in this
way?”, “What feeling does this chord evoke?”, then the practice becomes a meditation. Singing in improvisational contexts,
like toning circles, invites this creative process in such a pure way. In singing, we create something from nothing. Singing, like movement, is of the body; we don’t need any tools. The gifts of singing alone, and with others, are many. When we improvise with others, we cultivate the skill of listening deeply to one another, trusting our own voices, and having the courage to step into the spaces that wait for us. We support others by joining their phrase in unison, or creating a harmony with it. We follow the whole, noticing the shifts in energy. For instance, a light and floaty sound might find ground through the introduction of a rhythmic bass line. Or, a quiet and timid piece might swell in volume and power. It seems like magic, but is born of the presence, listening, trust, and courage of those in the circle. Singing does not come easily to
all people, and many of us carry old wounds inflicted through the careless comments of teachers, friends or family
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