Singing into Silence
I was introduced to sacred chant in 2000. It has since become one of my primary methods of connecting with wonder and peacefulness. Chant has always been an important arm of sacred music. Backed by everything from African drumming to the giant pipe organs of the great cathedrals, from the simple one note shruti box of India to modern electronica, chant has been a consistent partner of all the major faiths as a window to the divine.
There are three important elements to chant. The first is repetition which offers us a focus on a simple phrase that allows our mind to be freed from the usual tyranny of thought. The second is vibration; the movement of breath and sound through our bodies is healing and calming, and allows us to reconnect with our body in very direct ways. The third is not actually in the chanting, but in the silence that comes after the chant is over. In that silence, for a short time, we exist in a pure state of being, unfettered by the relentless monkey-mind that is so much a part of our everyday life. In these moments, we are filled with the wonder that arises from a sense of pure unity with the divine.
Chant requires no special skills other than a voice. Even then, it does not require one to be a good singer. This is because chanting is as much about the product as the process. As with all forms of Yoga (union with the divine), chanting takes us into our body in order to release us from our mind.
In this way, chanting becomes a bridge between our every day lives and that sacred spiritual place in which we feel safe, loved and whole. Through chant we can find moments of peace in an otherwise confusing and invasive world. And using chant as our bridge, we can learn that it is only through our own actions that we encounter the divine.
I choose chants from many places and in several languages. About half of my chants are in the sacred language of Sanskrit from the temples of India. Others are from Africa and Native American cultures. Still others are ones that I have written or adapted from sources in English.
For information about my appearances, see the events section of this website.
For information about booking go to the contact section of this website.
There are three important elements to chant. The first is repetition which offers us a focus on a simple phrase that allows our mind to be freed from the usual tyranny of thought. The second is vibration; the movement of breath and sound through our bodies is healing and calming, and allows us to reconnect with our body in very direct ways. The third is not actually in the chanting, but in the silence that comes after the chant is over. In that silence, for a short time, we exist in a pure state of being, unfettered by the relentless monkey-mind that is so much a part of our everyday life. In these moments, we are filled with the wonder that arises from a sense of pure unity with the divine.
Chant requires no special skills other than a voice. Even then, it does not require one to be a good singer. This is because chanting is as much about the product as the process. As with all forms of Yoga (union with the divine), chanting takes us into our body in order to release us from our mind.
In this way, chanting becomes a bridge between our every day lives and that sacred spiritual place in which we feel safe, loved and whole. Through chant we can find moments of peace in an otherwise confusing and invasive world. And using chant as our bridge, we can learn that it is only through our own actions that we encounter the divine.
I choose chants from many places and in several languages. About half of my chants are in the sacred language of Sanskrit from the temples of India. Others are from Africa and Native American cultures. Still others are ones that I have written or adapted from sources in English.
For information about my appearances, see the events section of this website.
For information about booking go to the contact section of this website.
Sacred Chant in Western Maine
Here I am appearing in a beautiful old church near
Lovell, Maine in the Western Mountains. I was
blessed for this evening to be joined by Well Heart
Community Kirtan who helped the assembled fill the
room with harmonies that lightened everyone's heart.
Lovell, Maine in the Western Mountains. I was
blessed for this evening to be joined by Well Heart
Community Kirtan who helped the assembled fill the
room with harmonies that lightened everyone's heart.