Mindful Singing: Moving Beyond the Small ‘I’

I did wonder what they would make of it when I offered to lead/facilitate some mindful singing at the Joyful Club weekend. I am not a great singer, but there is something about the connection to other people and the sense of being more than just me, the small “I”. At least this is true some of the time, until I get caught up with “Am I doing this right?” So, I wanted to share this mindful singing and see if others got it in the way that I do.

I had the good fortune to go to Plum village a couple of years ago. In the Community of Interbeing, singing is an important part of the expression / practice of mindfulness. I realised how sharing and singing together allowed and even helped me to open and soften, very close to the experience I have of connecting with compassion, and it also  supported  being in, and aware of, the present moment . The daily singing allowed or helped me to drop the internal yadda-yadda dialogue, and  the daily practice and silence allowed my throat and heart and chest to open so that singing came from a deeper gut, more relaxed place. If you do any singing you will maybe notice how at the end of a session your speaking voice can sound/feel deeper and richer.

So there is a loop, singing gets me into the place and gives me a small echo of resting in awareness, being in the “is-ness” of the present moment. You don’t hang on to the notes. Once you sing a note, it is out there and you bring the next one. Once there is some familiarity with the song, I think it is possible to get the feeling of being in the song while singing, even though I guess I am still doing something.

And from the other perspective, my formal mindfulness practice has an effect on my groundedness and openness in singing. Also, the feeling of being with and being in harmony with others, allows or enables a softening and opening up in me. It also helps to get me out of that small “I”, really demonstrating the connection to others and the sense of being more than, being a part of something outside myself.

And all of this perhaps allows me to glimpse what Tsoknyi Rinpoche is talking about when he talks about experiencing the freedom within ourselves, and awakening the heart.

It was such a pleasure to play with some of this in the group at the Joyful Club. I am so grateful that the Joyful Club were up for giving it a go and experimenting, so that even though I was leading, I could still get glimpses: of being here in this body breathing and singing in the simple and rather lovely mix of it all.

Thanks to all those who were there.

Rosina Morrison is a tutor for the Mindfulness Association. Her next course starting is the Level 1: Being Present course in Manchester this October. For more information and to book: CLICK HERE.