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Sing!
by wah!
(photos by Kailas and Wah!)
Actually my job is very easy. I don’t have to explain how the DNA lengthens during moments of prayer. I don’t have to reiterate the health benefits of long deep breathing and meditation, which activate automatically through singing. There are no lectures on fractal physics, astrology or the galactic alignment predicted for 2012.
No I just sing with you. I’m praying actually. I’m changing my brainwaves to a higher frequency. I’m using sacred geometry, light frequencies and thoughts to enhance my devotional practice. I’m not doing it consciously, I’ve never been taught any technique; I’m reciting the mantra as I have done for many years. Scientists do tests on my CDs – they say my music activates beta and theta waves – but do you need to know all that to sing along with me? I don’t think so.
I know that brainwaves change through chanting. I can feel the intensity of scattered thoughts in the room when we begin. I can feel as I and others present let go into the current, releasing heaviness of heart and busyness of mind. I can hear people breathing together as they sing, naturally slowing their rate of breathing through the phrasing of the music and breathing in the same rhythm, singing in the same key. I can feel the thought forms become simpler, more universal, more loving, wider… I believe this frequency is what people call prayer or meditation.
The scientists can prove that my devotion affects your devotion. The photons around me become symmetrical and harmonious as I pray. This invites your field to do the same: one electro magnetic field influences another. A room full of prayer is easy on the eyes, easy on the heart, effortless to absorb. It’s interesting to know but not required before joining the chant. Here’s the thing: chanting is something you do; it’s not something you watch. If I wanted to do a concert of pretty songs, you would come listen to me sing and then comment, “Oh, she had a pretty voice.” Or “I don’t think she was too well prepared this time.” Or “Do you think she should change her style?” You could watch me connect and either like it or dislike it; but you wouldn’t connect with your self. It would be like coming to yoga class and sitting on your mat for an hour and a half watching your instructor demonstrate the poses.
Chanting is not something you can talk about; if I talk about the experience, we are quickly devoid of having it. If I talk about This or That, some of you will relate to This and say, “Yes I have experienced This. She’s right. This is the most important point.” And others will say, “I disagree. She didn’t really go into That, which is the crux of the whole thing.” And we could chatter on endlessly about This and That and miss the entire experience.
Chanting is all about you. It’s all about you connecting to yourself. I connect to my inner self through singing; and you do the same. We all connect in whatever way we know how; you are given the space to be and do. I won’t monitor your experience. Your voice connects to your soul. Did you know your voice is like a fingerprint? No two are alike? Your voice is unique only to you, and your soul tunes in the moment it hears your vocal frequency.
People sing in the shower. Why? Is that really the most inviting place to sing? It’s flattering because the bathroom has a little reverb built in; you think no one can hear you… let me tell you a secret: we all can hear you! It echoes throughout the house. And does anybody mind? No. You sing when you roller blade with your ipod and earbuds on. Most people like to sing; it feels good! Once you get past the criticism of your own mind and just sing, you can probably carry a tune reasonably well. And I tell you, it makes the spirit soar. I can’t tell you why your soul likes your voice.. I think your soul probably just loves you – loves the fact that you agreed to take an incarnation, loves how brave you are to continue going through your lessons of transformation and evolution, loves how you care for yourself and others, loves how you do those small details no one else notices... I think your soul is enamored with your thumbprint whorl just as much as it is with your voice. It’s just that your voice can carry sonic vibrations through solid, liquid and gaseous matter; it has far reaching abilities to affect the space and beings around you. I think the soul is sensitive to thought and vibration. It activates when you vibrate your vocal chords.
Dr. Michael Newton, PhD, compiled 30 years of clinical research and practice into his first book Journey of Souls published in 1995. He was one of the first scientists to document a scientific approach in discovering and explaining soul experiences. One of the things he found in his research was that each soul leaves a portion of its light in the Universal Frequency. That is to say, when a soul takes an incarnation it decides how much light to take into the incarnation and how much to leave behind. The new souls tend to take more (70-80%); the old souls tend to take less (50-65%); but everyone leaves a part of their light in the Universal Frequency. Think of it as a bank; you take out only as much light as you think you’ll need and leave the rest for safekeeping. It makes for an incredible reunion at the end of your life – part of the light you see at the end of the tunnel is your own light waiting to reconnect with you!
What this means for chanters is that when you open your mouth to sing, your soul hears it. You reconnect with the light you left behind in the universal realm and feel whole. I don’t know of a person yet who doesn’t feel this re-connection and feeling of warmth when they chant or pray. There might be a feeling of awkwardness in the very beginning, struggling with words in a different language or self-criticizing, but this passes quickly as you get absorbed in the experience of it. With time it’s an easy connection, as easy as hooking up to the internet.
When thoughts or situations are too much to handle, shift your vibration through chanting. Just this morning I took a walk and chanted a simple tune of Om Namah Shivaya to uplift the sorrow I felt in the house I was staying at. I am convinced it helped the people who lived there; and it sure made my day a whole lot nicer. Sing! It’s easy to do and so effective – even five minutes can change your whole outlook for the day.
WAH! has spent a lifetime immersed in spiritual pursuit, beginning yoga and meditation at age 17. She has worked with various jazz, pop and world musicians to create trendy meditative music for the yoga community. Her latest release LOVE HOLDING LOVE (Nutone Music) is critically acclaimed. www.wahmusic.com