Be the Singing Bowl
If you even lightly touch any part of a singing bowl, it will immediately dampen the sound and stop ringing as fully, if at all. Every square inch of the instrument, all of its surface area, must be devoted to [...]
Principles of SingFree Vocal Yoga
Over many years of teaching voice, certain principles have emerged as foundational in the underlying philosophy of my approach. There are actually many principles, but these are the five core principles that stand out and emerge in both private voice [...]
Dharana, Concentration
"Concentration is the fixing of the mind in one place." - Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, sutra 3:1 Concentration is certainly something that is in short supply these days. With more distractions than ever before in our modern society, the mind [...]
The Inner Journey
So often we are swayed by external circumstances, and we try and create an effect outside ourselves. This is especially true in our modern world of multi-tasking and perpetual distractions, and many of us are so used to running our [...]
The Art of Allowing
"Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it." - Lao Tsu Too often in our western culture we think of creation, of "do-ing," as a very active and will-full endeavor, and our days are filled [...]
Your body is your Instrument
It has been said that voice is the most difficult instrument to teach, and for some, to learn. There are no buttons or keys to press, no frets, no finger positions, and no obvious external gross movements to create the [...]
Playful Practice
Natarajasana, Dancer's pose. Photo by Joel Ford, taken near Mount Hood “This is the real secret of life -- to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it [...]
The Elusive Middle Path
This photo was taken recently in Seaside, OR. Practicing handstands help me build strength and practice facing my fears, finding my balance, and in this case, accepting some support! “The naturalist Kevin Scribner tells us that salmon make their way [...]
Find Your Balance
"When we have a good balance between thinking and feeling, our actions and lives are always the richer for it." - Yo Yo Ma Balance is a theme that runs through all of our lives. We struggle to keep an 'even keel' [...]
What is Vocal Yoga? 5 things to know – #3 might surprise you.
1. I didn't make it up. Although what I offer as a voice and yoga instructor is unique, there isn't really much purely original material in my teaching bag of tricks. My primary teachers have been Linda Brice and Nancy [...]