I have recently decided to have yet another attempt at practising daily meditation. The benefits of meditation are well-documented and I think it is something a singer should do if possible. However, I have never had a great deal of success with it and I have tried using various methods. Either I completely nod off or I continue to sit there with thoughts cascading around my brain at a rate of knots. I did, however, discover that I can meditate very successfully using Overtone Chanting. The process of creating overtones takes so much concentration that it is almost impossible to think of anything else but the sound. This is the essence of great singing as well – to lose yourself completely in the creation of the sound.
However, the disadvantage of this method (and also with the use of mantras) is that you make quite a lot of noise. I really want to meditate first thing in the morning and of course husband and son, who are not early risers in the main, are often trying to sleep upstairs. Understandably they are not too enamoured with me making this racket! However, through a friend I made on a voice workshop which I attended a few months ago, I heard about the Clairvision School of Meditation founded by Samuel Sagan. As it happened two students of Sagan’s who now train people in this method recently ran a short course of weekly meditation classes in London which miraculously fitted in with my work schedule and within the first five minutes I knew the Clairvision style of meditation was going to solve my problem. Sagan prescribes what he calls friction breathing which you do while you meditate which involves making a sort of “Darth Vader” noise low down in the throat (very similar to the Alexander whispered HAH breath). Not only does the generation of this friction breath (just as in Overtone Chanting) involve you in a sound which focuses the mind but it also connects you immediately with the Third Eye. The Third Eye is the area between the eyebrows and is held to be the gateway to inner consciousness.
This school of meditation is very practical for the modern world – it is systematic, effective, does not take up huge amounts of time (20 minutes each day suffices) and there is a lack of cultishness about it that I like. Sagan himself, who was trained in neurosurgery and psychiatry before he became disillusioned with conventional medicine, states quite categorically that his Clairvision School is not a New Age organisation. I find that my 20 minutes in the morning is a welcome time of inner stillness which is difficult to find in the modern way of life and as a singer I seem to need SOUND to connect me to this inner world.
I too have found that sound meditation is something I can use quite effectively. I have also used chant in my voice teaching to demonstrate harmonics. It’s been great to have students spend some time chanting with me and many leave with a much greater understanding of resonance and registration than they had before. Besides, it sounds so great in the studio to have two people chanting together!
Thank you for your lovely web site. I love your approach. It reminds me of what I always say about teaching voice…you’re really teaching Life!
Many thanks for your great comment – I had a look at your blog which I found really interesting, in particular your mention of Alfred Tomatis’ work. I did the Tomatis therapy over the summer with the Listening Ear and it was an extraordinary experience. I have yet to write about in my blog: I have been hesitating to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard actually!) because so much came out of it for me that it is difficult to know where to begin. Watch this space!