Wellbeing choirs and Singing workshops
Learn simple breathing and vocal techniques to reduce stress and anxiety in the body, boost the immune system, and build connections for general wellbeing. Play with sound, rhythm and improvisation, learn close vocal harmony arrangements of different genres, and connect with yourself and others. Come and enjoy the incredible benefits singing in a group has on your wellbeing.
Typical Workshop
Breath-work
Everything starts with the breath. Many people breathe incorrectly without even knowing it, and improper breathing can lead to a myriad of mental and physical health complications. In this workshop I guide you through some simple diaphragmatic breathing techniques to reduce anxiety and stress levels, support heart function, boost the immune system and reduce inflammation in the body.
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“the most important aspect of breathing wasn’t just to take in air through the nose. Inhaling was the easy part. The key to breathing, lung expansion, and the long life that came with it was on the other end of respiration. It was in the transformative power of a full exhalation.”
― James Nestor, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
Voice and Sound
Sound and vocal resonance has been an integral healing modality in indigenous communities for millennia. Now modern studies have shown that singing, and sound therapy improve health and well-being, and have been linked to neuro-chemical changes effecting reward, motivation and pleasure, stress and arousal, immunity function, and social affiliation.
I teach vocal techniques to release tension in the body using different sounding methods and meditation. This meditation uses the voice to naturally support the breathing technique learned at the start of the workshop, with sound and vibration to allow the body to fully relax.
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Singing
Singing is a natural anti-depressant. It has been proven to reduce stress, boost the immune system, enhance memory, and stimulate the release of oxytocin. Singing in a group is especially good for this, as oxytocin is released when we bond with each other. Oxytocin has amazing health benefits, including helping wounds heal faster, slowing down the aging process, and is also a cardioprotective hormone, lowering blood pressure, and acting as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory for the cardiovascular system. In this section of the workshop I teach original compositions and arrangements a to bring everything together so we can easily use the breath and the voice to promote health and wellbeing.
You don’t need to have any previous experience in music or singing, and everyone is welcome. The music is complex, but easy to learn, so the sound and resonance of the voices coming together at the end of the session is powerful and transformative.