A big part of our Silent retreat coming up soon (20/3 – 22/3/26) in Springbrook is finding tools and teachings you, the attendee, can take away from the weekend so that you keep up the changes and healing you will experience on this retreat. I love empowering my students and keeping it simple, and these Retreats continue to attract an amazing group of fellow yogis who continue to grow: in health, knowledge, spiritual depth and love. As every retreat is different, this group of yogis will find something, some teaching or practice that will keep them on that path of self-realisation. And growth as a human being, individuation, becoming who you were meant to be and stepping onto your true life path (dharma) is the most important thing we could do in this lifetime.
Vocal toning was one of those teachings that the first time I tried it (it was mantra chanting) I woke up the next day with these ancient, magical, deeply healing Sanskrit mantras reverberating in my head and I felt madly energised, like I had drunk several cups of coffee – bursting with energy. It was as if an old primitive memory had woken up and woken me up. I’ve never had any formal training in singing or music (actually my signing voice is terrible), although I do like public speaking and I know the power of words, so this idea of chanting out loud was fairly unique. But when the Universe beckons, I follow, and Nada Yoga was added to my teachings.
Nada Yoga means “union through sound.” It is the ancient spiritual art and science of inner transformation through sound and tone. Meditation on sound is one universal path to self-realisation. This Retreat is all about resonance, vibration, your electrical field (your biofield) and frequency. So, we are using vocal toning, mantra and chanting to change your electric body. We’ve chanted mantra together heaps, but what is vocal toning?
Toning is the creation of extended vocal sounds on a single vowel in order to experience the sound and its effects in other parts of the body. No melody, no words, no rhythm, and no harmony – just the sound of the vibrating breath. This tool is free, you can haul it out anytime and elicit a form of healing, meditation, calm or peace for yourself. In fact, your voice is so powerful you could use that same tool to help others. Think of how our children loved us singing them to sleep. Your voice was their safety and comfort as they drifted off.
Vocal toning and humming also increases nitric oxide, which can reduce blood pressure, slow the heart rate, and slow brain wave speeds from high functioning beta to slower meditative states of alpha, theta, delta. Sound healing is not just about audible frequencies, but also about rhythms and the frequency of rhythms within the body. The breath is one of the most fundamental rhythms we can access for reducing stress and restoring peace within the body. When we’re singing, toning, humming, and extending the length of that sound, we are essentially extending the length of the exhale to be longer than the inhale.
Super exciting and so much fun! Hope you can join us! Love and namaste Margot