Day 1 of 40 days of Vocal Meditation practice

Today I started what is the beginning of a 40 day vocal meditation practice that I will be blogging about daily, documenting the transformation that occurs from a daily practice. Initially there was no set intention or goal for this other than to be an open and receptive channel to messages, visions, insights and transformations that come through a consistent practice of opening the voice. I am using a shruti box as the drone for my voice. The shruti lays a steady foundation in which the voice can play and weave in and out of. Explorations in mantras, affirmations, prayers, words, made up languages, and ultimately losing the sense of any permanent "I" is part of what I will be looking at throughout this process. Establishing this practice is a way to become more connected with the shruti box as it's own magical instrument, and a vehicle to feel more deeply connected with my voice and inner experiences while singing and chanting.  I am holding the potential of global and individual healing as the foundation for doing this practice.
I am also in the beginning stages of finding a producer to work with on reconstructing my songs into an electronic/folk hybrid album. The daily vocal meditation practice is a means to singing/expressing to the universe that I intend to keep singing on the front burner for the rest of my life. The form that this takes will change daily and I am meaning to make peace with it looking however it looks for me, acknowledging that my way is unique, and starting to remove the comparison trap that has caused me to not move forward in any significant way for many years. I am giving myself the PERMISSION. Permission to sing, permission to authentically express my truths, and ultimately permission to share anything of value to anyone else who wants to listen and is interested in honesty, humor, creative expression and truth.

I will be blogging daily to share what happened during the meditation.

Notes from my 1st day:

- Spirit of my Granny Jones (my mom's mom's mom) unexpectedly appeared and was sitting on my bed behind me (whoa, don't think I have ever had a visit from her spirit!)
- I could feel the lineage of woman and my ancestors in a row behind me
- the sound "ah" opens the heart
- the sound "om" seals and grounds
So chanting ah - om is a way of opening and then sealing the energy in a way
- chanting and singing the pain of woman who have come before me
- started singing in "someone else's" voice, my facial position and jaw placement changed and I was making some form of crooked opening with my mouth. felt like it was relieving pain and tmj issues I have had for over 3 years in my jaw...

Ok - more tomorrow : )

Love, Light & Play