mantra & voice   didjeridu   singing bowls  

"If the sound generated by the vocal cords into the vibratory network of the universe has the faculty of tuning one, it is because it links one with the cosmic symphony." - Vilayat Inayat Khan

Chanting is present in all cultural traditions, with the common goal of uniting with source. Hindu and Buddhist chanting is called Kirtan, and it translates from Sanskrit to mean 'remembering the name of God.' Native American songs, Gregorian chanting, Gospel, and pagan songs are all forms of devotional chanting, where the most important element is honouring the creative force. Chanting helps to dissolve boundaries and create an awareness of the connection of all things.

Mantra translates from Sanskrit as 'freeing the mind.' Some mantras are only one or a few syllables that embody a spiritual deity, archetype, or quality. Others are phrases, or a series of phrases that express a wish or affirmation. Mantras are usually chanted in sacred languages such as Sanskrit and Hebrew because they are closest in vibration to the natural rhythms of creation. When you chant a mantra its vibration is carried on your breath and affects your body and environment.

Toning means making sounds using the voice, without the structure of specific words or meaning; often simple vowel sounds are used. Toning can also be improvised sound - instinctual, individual expression of emotion using the voice.

Overtone chanting is a practice indigenous to Asia, especially common in the cultures of Tibet, Tuva and Mongolia. By altering the resonant cavities of the body, including the shape of the mouth, audible, bell-like sounds simultaneous to the lower fundamental note are produced. These harmonics or overtones are the component parts of the one note that are filtered in such a way that they become louder than the note itself.

The intervals between the fundamental note and the overtones correspond to mathematical proportions of balance found throughout the universe. When we listen to them, or even better, produce them ourselves, we create harmony in the molecular structure of our bodies and the vibration of the space around us.