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Techniques

Vowels

Walter Snyder has taught overtone singing and the use of the voice in healing and meditative practice for more than a decade. He is currently conducting sound healing circles for personal transformations and world peace.

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What can I expect during a class or workshop?

• During a class or workshop with Walter, participants are given information about various systems and techniques that use sound and voice.
• The techniques in these classes are approached through playful experimentation with vibration. In this manner our intuitive nature is awakened through direct experience and confidence arises naturally. Through the course of practice with the vowels, the voice begins to open and clear, however the quality of one's singing voice is not important. When using the voice for healing and meditative practice, the most important things are sincerity of the heart and the ability to listen with awareness. These techniques are designed to help the individual cut through the obscuring mire of relentless thought and negative emotion that deflects our greater purpose, sense of fulfillment and ultimate happiness.
• The use of the voice for stress reduction, emotional release, bio-energetic balance, increased intuitive capacity, healing, devotion, affirming connection to source and achieving a deep meditative state, are some of the examples of the potential reflected in the techniques offered in a class/workshop setting.

This intent activates the intuitive capacity of the heart and aligns one with the great unity that permeates life itself. As we empower ourselves, we create a life-affirming resonance with our planet and the living cosmos.

How do sound healing circles work?
Note: Sound Healing Circles consist of a guided process that is easy to follow. Benefits come naturally through direct experience. Understanding how the process works is not essential.

• This simple and organic process is rooted in three steps that deepen our conscious connection to life, affirm our creative potential and establish a state of presence in the now.
• Posture is briefly addressed to facilitate the deepest state of relaxation, the free flow of energy and the optimum expansion of the breath.
• The deepening of our conscious connection begins by acknowledging the breath as a primary source for receiving life.
• Inhalation and exhalation form a cycle of interaction which is exemplified by the air we all breath and share. As we inhale and receive our life with gratitude and exhale with the sense of returning that which we receive to source, we create harmony and a deep integration with the flow of life.
• As the sense of integration with life through the breath deepens, the focus is expanded to the physical sensation of the expansion and contraction of the lungs and ribcage. By continuing to expand the focus to the solar plexus and lower abdomen, the entire breath instrument is relaxed. This creates the most open and expanded expression of the voice. Ultimately as the focus between creating and receiving vibration becomes balanced, we find ourselves creating and receiving simultaneously in the present moment. This state of presence in the now deflects the thought stream (obsessive thinking), empowers the right brain and opens the door to new experiential possibilities. Feelings of deep relaxation, release from anxiety and a deep sense of peace are commonly reported. Others report having visionary experiences and a sense of connectedness to higher self, life and source.

TRANCE SINGING    Sound Clips
Trance singing uses the vowel song to induce a trance-state of consciousness. This type of singing incorporates a full spectrum of vocal improvisation and frequently incorporates rhythmic and tonal instrumentation. Many objectives can be served through these techniques as they open doors of perception and provide the opportunity for the cultivation and transmission of psychic power through the dynamic of the voice. For example: the song of the shaman has been used to traverse the dimensions of spirit for knowledge, empowerment and healing since the dawn of humanity. The flight of mind upon the wings of tone and pulse, stimulates the right brain. This carries one beyond the confines of our culturally predominantly left brain experience. Although trance singing is commonly dedicated to the common good, it is ultimately a personal journey. In a class environment, the potential elements of the song are explained and demonstrated. For example: the song may include techniques such as overtone singing, slight movements to effect the voice, as well as the use of crystal bowls, Tibetan bowls, rattles, drum and rhythm sticks, to provide accompaniment. Another important factor in Trance Singing is the mental focus used to achieve the objective of the song. Ultimately, we play with the different elements of the song to gain an experiential rapport with the unlimited possibilities of this powerful form of this creative expression.