Resonance: Attuning to the Power of Vocal Presence

"We are like a radio receiver that can be tuned to different stations. The energy of God is transmitting at its radiant frequency every moment of our lives. Most of the time we're tuned into other stations..."We are like a radio receiver that can be tuned to different stations. The energy of God is transmitting at its radiant frequency every moment of our lives. Most of the time we're tuned into other stations. We don't feel it. Or we're scanning for it but there is static. Spiritual practice is tuning ourselves."
                                                    —Robert Gass "Chant"


When I read this statement, I was immediately reminded of my childhood. As a young child, I'd often spend time at my great-grandparent's house. In the evenings, we'd gather in the sitting room. My great-grandfather, Daddy Judge, presided over the evening's entertainment. First, he would plug in of the radio (it was never left plugged in). Then, he would turn it on. The large face of the radio would gradually become infused with light. That light would be accompanied by the pops and hisses of the vacuum tubes as they warmed up. After a few long moments, we'd hear a lot of static. Daddy Judge would turn the dial slowly and carefully, eventually landing on his favorite country music station. When he was satisfied that the radio was clearly receiving the station chosen, he would settle into his chair with his pipe. I'd sit on the floor as close the radio as possible, so that I could hear the music and feel the vibrations, the resonance of the sound.

If a tree falls down in a forest and no one is around, does it make a sound? No. It makes vibrations. Sound is a sensation we experience when vibrations travel through the air and move the tiny bones in our ears. Sounds must be transmitted and received.

Practitioners of the healing arts are wise to remember the radio when considering their own work and the impact their own resonance or voice quality has on their clients and/or students. A yoga teacher's vocal quality has an impact on the practice he/she leads. A massage therapist's tone has an effect upon the client's session. The throat is a channel connecting the teacher's body and mind. The voice is a channel connecting the teacher and students, practitioners and clients.

As I prepare to lead a class or workshop, I often bring the image of the childhood radio to mind. I visualize myself as that radio and connect with my voice. I imagine "plugging in" to the source. I consciously connect to my inner voice and guidance that is always present. I warm up: breathing and feeling the breath in my body. I "tune in," finding my frequency. As the class begins, I begin to receive the sounds of others, take in their vibrations. I transmit sounds with a voice that is embodied and intentional. Together we move into a rhythm of sound and silence.

Lately, I've been exploring my vocal presence in other areas of my life. What is my "Mom" voice, the one I use when speaking to my children? I began to notice a different resonance with each of my three boys: the voice that reminds my forgetful 10-year-old about his shoes as the bus rolls up the road (oh yeah, shoes!), the voice that creates safe boundaries for my 8-year-old (the one who wears his heart on his sleeve), the voice that answers my 5-year-old's endless questions (why do salt and sugar look the same?). These are just some of the voices in my life. How do these voices enhance or undermine communication within my family? How does sound resonate through our family life?

It is an interesting, yet often overlooked aspect of communication. As a culture, we tend to focus on language, on using our voices to inform and to persuade. Consider what's happening underneath the language. Begin to notice voice quality in others. Notice how you respond or react to another person's voice. Then, turn your attention to your own voice.

Begin by consciously recognizing that your voice is supported by your and body. If you are not using your breath and drawing actively from support, your voice will sound "shallow" and the sound may "catch" in your throat. Yoga practices of asana (postures) and pranayama (breathwork) are very beneficial. Breath is the fuel for sound, like gasoline for the car. Breathing deeply will bring you to center body, mind and spirit. As you center physically and mentally, invite your voice to center and balance as well. Your voice will become "embodied." You will sense a presence in your voice from a union of body, mind and spirit.

As you become comfortable with the physical presence of your voice, begin to attune to the inner sensations that arise. Listen and respond to the energy of your embodied voice. The key to exploring and developing your unique vocal quality lies in the your attunement to the way you produce and resonate sound and your willingness to practice listening to that sound.

Speak with a high voice, then with a low voice so that the high sound appears to emerge from your head and the low sound from deep within your body. This is "resonance." Resonance refers to the bones of the head and upper chest and the air cavities of the pharynx, mouth and nasal passages amplify and change the quality of the basic sound you produce. Begin to speak so that there is head and body resonance in your speaking voice, inviting an authentic presence to your words.

A fascinating opportunity arises when you attune to your voice and invite your voice to resonate in your body. You will experience entrainment, those moments when two or more being vibrating at different frequencies come into resonance with each other. Whether professionally or in a family setting, when two or more people become entrained, they communicate with ease and energy, comfortable with the rhythm of sound and silence. Let this practice help you connect with the sounds around you in new ways, building and strengthening your most precious relationships with others and yourself.

This article first appeared in Healing Springs Journal. For more information on this publication, please link to: http://www.healingspringsjournal.com/.