The Art of Sacred Sound Training

Course Description

This course uniquely combines singing bowl and sacred instruments, ceremonial pathway and mantra training, giving you the ability to help your students de-stress, feel calm and more alive with the sound of singing bowls and your voice.

The course introduces you to singing bowls, chants and mantra singing, space clearing with sound, and care of voice encompassing vocal techniques. All of which will give you the tools to facilitate a sound bath and to incorporate sacred sound and powerful vocal techniques into classes and personal practice.

Anne offers an invitation to explore, expand, and develop your natural healing qualities and creativity through sacred sound, singing, chanting and voice care. It explores the essence of sound, experiencing the ease of playing the singing bowl, singing and chanting from the heart. It will help you understand how vibration affects the body and it will help refine hearing and listening skills. The main instrument Anne will use is the Himalayan singing bowl (Goddess Bowl), in conjunction with vocal toning, (used as a sonic diagnostic tool by sonically scanning the body) and mantra.

Anne will show you how to create a sound bath, how to use sound as part of your yoga classes, as well as introduce you to the hugely self-empowering techniques to share and care for your voice, how to pace your spoken word and bring chanting and song into your teaching

You will learn how to play and place the singing bowl directly on the body’s chakras, how to tone (or tune) the body, how to pace your spoken word, chants and songs in a relaxed, loving and safe way. You will explore the ancient pathways within the heartbeat of these instruments as we organically and lovingly weave these skills into a healing savasana sound bath. We will connect and evolve within an ongoing sacred sound community.

No previous experience is necessary and the course is open to students hard of hearing. 
 

Course Structure

The course is structured around live weekly demonstrations and group learning. After each session you will receive a video, clearly demonstrating all techniques covered in our session. At the end of the course, there is an optional final assignment to design a class, based on what you have learned which will be marked with teacher feedback.

Course Outline
 

Module One

• Introduction to singing bowls, a shorty history (how they are made and history of the bowls)
• How and when to play a singing bowl, Yoga, Ceremony, Therapeutic, SoundBath.
• The difference between Crystal Bowls and Himalayan Singing Bowls.
• Basic singing bowl techniques, demonstration and explanation of techniques (mallet hold and placement, playing/singing technique)

Module Two

• Exploring the various Sacred Instruments and their qualities.
• Musical instruments crafted to create pure vibrational sound.
• Exploration of each instrument and its qualities, in relation to the choreography and orchestration of the SoundBath.
• Learn how to play Drum, Rainstick, Sansula and KoshiBells.

Module Three

Mantras are chanted in a special language, Sanskrit and Gurmukhi, that connects us with our inner sound. They are experiential, so in singing the Mantras you have your own unique connection with the source of Sound. Mantra singing is approached from the heart and soul, no previous singing experience needed! If we can talk, we can sing.

• We will learn how to use your voice in a healing and healthy way.
• How to care for your voice, using gentle vocal exercises to strengthen and get the most from your voice, including spoken and singing voice!
• Demystifying the art of Singing Mantra, finding the heart in your voice
• A loving journey into the world of Sacred Song and Mantra
• How to hold Sacred Singing Space
• Sound Space Clearing: Creating sacred space with sound, and clearing stagnant energies. We will explore the use of Sacred Sound Instruments in Space Clearing, alongside more conventional methods inspired by Karen Kingston and Denise Lynne.

Module Four

• Orchestration and choreography of the soundbath
• The structure of soundbath
• When, why and where each Instrument is played and placed, where vocal toning can weave in and out of Instruments, and where and how recorded music, poetry, song, meditation can be woven into the sacred mix
• Bringing all the SacredSound elements together, in the orchestration and choreography of SoundBath

We will create and facilitate our Oasis SoundBath and share it with our colleagues as a finale to our time together. Creating our own Art of Sacred Sound, culminating in a sharing of mantra magic song and dance

What Will I Learn? 

You will learn how to play and place the singing bowl on the body, how to tone (or tune) the body. You will explore mantra, learning how to use your voice as a diagnostic instrument, to pace your spoken word, to vary tone to engage and enliven your words, Mantras, Chants and songs and how to weave these skills into a healing savasana Sound Bath and your Yoga Class.

The course will cover safe sound pregnancy procedures, equipping you with the knowledge and confidence to offer soundbaths in pregnancy classes.

Who is this Course for?

The course is ideal for yoga teachers and holistic practitioners interested in an introduction to combining sound healing, mantra and song within their yoga/holistic practice and/or class; for musicians who wish to add a healing dimension to their compositions; for anyone wanting to learn how to use singing bowls and voice, and those wishing to enhance their quality of life through the use of sound therapy. All levels welcome; no experience necessary and the course to open to students hard of hearing.

Certification
 

If you choose to do the optional final assignment, on completion of this course you will receive a Yogacampus Certificate of Completion detailing hours eligible for Yoga Alliance credits.

Additional Information

Ideally, you would have a singing bowl (minimum 9 inch diameter) with a low/deep note, together with at least one other instrument (like a drum, rain stick, sansula, koshi bell, Chinese wind gong).

If you need to buy a singing bowl, Anne has sourced some bowls suitable for sound healing and body placement therapy from Nepal (these bowls are called Goddess Bowls). Please e-mail her to view what she has available.

Where to find other Instruments

All the following can supply Chinese wind gongs, sansula, drums and rainsticks:

• Knock on Wood offers a discount for Art of Sacred Sound students (sansula, rainstick (150 cm), Chinese wind gongs (18 inch diameter))
• Hobgoblin in London (drums 18 inch diameter)
• Enlightenment in Glastonbury (all instruments!)

To listen to music for Sound Bath by Anne: www.oasisofsound.com

Yogacampus Diversity and Accessibility Bursary

We are offering one bursary (50% off the full course price) to a dedicated yoga student with a demonstrated financial need and active involvement in a community that could benefit from yoga. This bursary is provided by Yogacampus – Radiant Light Yoga Limited, a not-for-profit educational body committed to sharing knowledge and making yoga accessible to all.

Bursary places will be awarded to a teacher or trainee who has the ability and commitment to take the course teachings into a disadvantaged community and play their part in the drive to increase accessibility to these profoundly healing practices. Priority will be given to those who themselves are from marginalised or vulnerable groups or are from a minority ethnic background.

To apply, please complete our online form. Notification of bursary acceptance will be sent out by email.

Meet the Teacher

“Anne is an extraordinary sound explorer and. Her musical journeys on the Hang are incredible soundscapes for the yoga of life.” Shiva Rea 

As a musician and a student of yoga, Anne has a deep understanding of how music and movement flow and unfold with ease and grace, creating a wonderful world of Sacred Sound.

Anne’s love of yoga and meditation has added depth of devotion and physical awareness throughout her journey, and by combining her training in Sacred Sound: (Chris James/ SoundsWonderful), The Journey (Brandon Bays) and Shamanic Ceremony (Annie Spencer/Hart Lodge) with her Prana Flow training with Shiva Rea, she offers a unique yogic musical exploration ... and has been privileged to share musical journeys with Shiva Rea over many joyful years. 

Her passion for music has taken her on a journey of sound from the vibrant music of Dublin in Ireland to the exotic rhythms of Latin America, the eclectic sounds of USA and the rich folk traditions of Europe. With a wealth of recorded music, a nomination for an NME Award and iTunes top 10 chart, Anne’s love of SoundScapes allows her to share her internal sound world, and is especially honoured to be a featured artist with YogiTunes.

Anne’s pioneering Sacred Sound Trainings have grown over past 15 years, and now partners with Yogacampus, The Life Centre, Shiva Rea PranaFlow, Mind Body Spirit, Ministry of Sound and numerous Retreat Centres and Corporate Companies sharing the magic of Sound Healing and Mantra. 

"Oasis of Sound is the perfect counterpoint to the stresses and hassle of living in a major city. The music is sublime, played on an assortment of instruments and Anne!s stunning voice transports the room to a haven of tranquility. Sound actually becomes physical when Anne places a singing bowl on various areas of the body, its vibrations coursing through every cell. I can honestly say it!s one of the highlights of my week."
Michael Reece, London Artist 

www.oasisofsound.com