Sacred Singing Workshop

Singing with other people not only feels good, it’s good for us on many levels – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Every culture on earth uses singing to bring people together and connect in community. And many ancient traditions use singing and chanting to vitalize the body, to transcend the mind, and to connect to Spirit, to the Creator, and to sense of unity with all.

Come and join us on the Winter Solstice for the second in a series of Sacred Singing workshops – each workshop will explore a different tradition of sacred singing, as well as incorporate breathing, chanting and toning exercises to help develop, and strengthen vocal healing capacities. We will also explore the benefits of group singing and chanting with positive intention.

Our second workshop will be co-facilitated by Rufus Glassco and Shantachittam Monica Henriques, who will guide us in exploring chanting mantras from the Kirtan tradition.

“…Kirtan becomes the means by which we dive deep into our emotions and experience our inner expansiveness.” – Swami Niranjananda

Kirtan is a practice of the heart. It is a chance to express and harmonize emotions through call and response singing as a group. Often led with an instrument called a harmonium (a small organ), each phrase is sung by the kirtanist and then repeated back as a group. When the group comes together, something more than the sum of its parts is created.

Shantachittam Monica Henriques and Rufus Glassco met a couple of years ago at a a community sing-along class called Sing for Joy, and have been singing together ever since at this fun, community gathering. This summer they both attended Riversong, the first annual GTA community singing retreat created by Sing for Joy’s amazing Mila Redwood, where Rufus discovered Shantachittam Monica’s remarkable talents leading Kirtan chanting.

Rufus will lead the first part of the workshop with a gentle warmup, and Shantachittam Monica will then lead us on her harmonium as she teaches us a variety of mantras, their meanings, and how to sing them as mantras. She teaches using call and response, she sings a phrase, and we repeat it, and this can go on for 10-20 minutes. It begins slowly and softly, and almost imperceptibly, builds in volume and tempo until it reaches a peak of completion, before slowing again at the end. When we respond from the heart, and align with the meaning of the mantra, and with the melody and the rhythm, a beautiful feeling of relaxation, well-being and joy takes over, and leads us to a place of unity, clarity, awareness and peace.

Rufus will finish up the evening teaching some community songs that he has learned to facilitate under the tutelage of Mila Redwood’s Sing for Joy classes, which he has been attending for the past 2 years.

Community songs are catchy and easy to learn, and the songs we will be singing are particularly spiritual and up-lifting. You don’t have to be a trained singer either – it’s easy to join in singing one of the parts, or just enjoy listening to harmonies all around you that result from how these songs are put together.

We look forward to singing with you on the Winter Solstice, and connecting in vibration, positive intention, community and Spirit!

Many blessings!

Online In-Advance Price: $20

Older Adults (60 and Over): Free

At the door: $25

If our ticket price are a bit high for your current budget, just message us and we’ll figure something out, ok?

E-transfers can be sent (without a service fee) to [email protected], but must be received before 4 pm on May 4th.

The image used in our Sacred Singing Workshops Series was commissioned by Morgan Brent, founder of Singing Alive (http://singingalive.org/), and is used with his permission. The artist is Jiivanesha and can be reached (to share your appreciation or to commission your own work of art) at [email protected].