Notes for the Esoteric Sound Group Meeting
19 July 2008
Esoteric Sound Group 6
Saturday 19th Jul 08
Notes by members of the group
A very powerful evening of sound enjoyed by all, the stillness and energy is one which cannot be understood by words it just has to be felt. We started off with a meditation, a simple reconnection to our inner-heart beginning with the gentle breath at the tip of the nose. Chris asked us to really feel our bodies, accept what we felt and allow the old to fall off. For me it felt like wax was dripping off my face, like a mask of old was falling away with my jaw dropping and releasing. We can hold so many emotions in our faces so to give ourselves the opportunity to allow these to be released is a great feeling. How can we truly express from our hearts if our jaws are locked with some undealt with anger we still hold onto, how can the words truly flow? We have to first stop and let go of any old hindrances we may be carrying by allowing the disharmonious energy in our body to be released.
Gently we toned a few ooo’s and aaar’s allowing our mouths to fully open up. Chris did observe that some people still had their teeth together and asked us all to fully open our mouths and allow the sound out, of course with no imposition or pushing just with the clarity of our heart.
Chris started to play one of his new songs about a river flowing through our body. With my eyes closed I could feel my body releasing, embracing the energy of the music and allowing my inner clarity and stillness to flow throughout, basking in the grace flowing through my body. Accepting that yes this is me and just allowing myself to be. I gave myself the time to feel me and loved being in my presence!
There was sense of oneness throughout the room, of harmony, joy and connection. If we allowed, our bodies started to naturally dance and flow with the music. With clarity we allowed ourselves to express from our hearts. Opening my eyes at the end of the night gave me a feeling of complete clarity and expansiveness, a freedom of vision.
Chris ended the night with Breathe your way to heaven, a song which was inspired by Gabrielle. And yes it is that simple, we just have to breathe.
James Nicholson
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“The Livingness of Music”
Saturday 19th July was a night of inspiration: the laughter kept us playful; the melody unfurled grace; the rhythm initiated flow. The trees sighed a sigh of relief.
We began with the gentle breath. After beginning with sounding a single note from the stillness, the note gradually grew into phrases and as the phrases became easily established we, as in a chorus, held the musical foundation above which Chris ‘s voice explored and soared. The little wooden hall on the hill under the stars felt like Dr Who’s telephone box. And yet, it was so simple, so natural and unimposing. We are learning to heal and not harm.
The energy of the music caused our unreal layers to drop away, leaving the essential energy of joy. In form we went from esoteric heart rock to Persian arabesque. Through the heart-call of the Persian music we remembered other lives and came alive to this life, the one life we share. What else would you want to do on a cold Saturday night in mid winter! It was one of the best nights of our life. It felt like we were the backing chorus on a new Chris CD. We could be called the “Singer Bees” (humming in the bee-ingness). You do not have to “think” you are a musician or not to come to this glorious evening, you only have to have a heart.
Heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Chris and Jenny.
Lyndy, Greg and Anne
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Last Saturday night, my wife Elizabeth and I invited a friend up from Melbourne to join us and come along to one of our favorite night outs, the Esoteric Sound Group meetings held by Chris James.
Singing was something that as a young child, I loved to do. My mum reminded me a few years ago that when I started primary school, she really missed hearing my gentle voice joyfully singing for much of the day.
It was'nt long after, that I lost my voice and from that time on any type of expressing my truth, or my voice, became a huge challenge for me.
Whilst attending a one day workshop with Chris more than a year ago, it suddenly happened. Chris had helped me to finally re-connect to that part of me that was still a gentle, innocent child, and, that still wanted to sing. When I heard that voice after so many years and felt the love that allowed it, tears of joy began to flow.
On Saturday night, Chris had us close our eyes and focus on our gentle breath as he gently played some improvised harmonies on the keyboard. It was beautiful. I could feel the sounds amplifying the love that was flowing through him and bathing us all in grace. My whole being began to slowly surrender as I allowed myself to be in this energy.
Chris then guided us all into a very gentle warm up which involved allowing the energy from our hearts to rise up and emanate gently from our mouths. As we did this, I began to feel the area of my back across my shoulder blades free up as if my heart was expanding outwards.
Later we did an exercise where we paired with a partner, sang whilst looking into each others eyes, joined our opened hands and allowed a dancing and sharing as we harmonized. This proved to create an even greater opening for me. At the end of the exercise, I felt into my body and, again, I could feel a freeing, this time in my chest. It felt like a pressure that had been over my heart was just disolving, now allowing my heart to expand the fromt of my body as well.
The singing became free and joyful as Chris had us following some of his playful sound gymnastics that resulted in as much laughter as singing. I became aware of this tension running down the sides of my neck at the back. The type of feeling you get when you tighted your mouth
and pull your head sightly back, as if to pull back from saying or expressing what is there.
As I allowed my breath to gently release the tension, I was again filled with a sense of joy. I was coming back to myself by simply allowing myself to express joyfully again.
As my awareness went back to the group, it actually felt like everyone was sharing in the same freedom and joy.
It is sometimes hard to leave at the end of such an evening as there is a feeling that when the evening ends, so will the joy. For myself, I know that's not the case. Through great teachers like Chris I am learning to live everyday in joy and, if I do begin to slip back into some old stuff, I have another tool, the same one I had as a young child, I simply take a gentle breath and sing.
With love,
Rob Skinner
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My first ESG, visiting from NZ but have been enjoying the monthly notes and would love to be able to be present each time. It was a beautifully and lovingly held evening by Chris and Jenny. I loved it. Quite a large group.
Chris began with the “Celebration, together in union” song getting us to do ooos and aaahs, opening the mouth etc and loosening up. Reminding us, as esoteric students, the release of the voice is so important, if not then there is a cap. AND that fun can be had, playfulness with and from the soul.
Standing to harmonise and then, when song complete, sitting and feeling.
Throughout the night after harmonising to each song, we repeated gently sitting and feeling. Feeling oneself and feeling when the group energy became one.
One part I particularly loved was when he had us sing a Persian chant, Hanananana...etc with a partner, facing each other, looking at each other and then facing each other with palms up...continuing with the chant and getting quite fast...palms together...eyes shut...Became very playful and we began moving more, then our hands linked and the flow back and forth between my partner and I became more and more playful, joyful, cheeky even, moving in oneness, truly a celebration. I had a memory of another time as this was occurring, quite powerful, and it unfolded the next day into the healing of a rather capping past life from that era of which I am immensely pleased to be free!
I felt magic and stillness after the song and the dance.
I also loved allowing myself more to freely harmonise and notice the ‘getting looser’ in myself as the evening progressed then the magic of feeling others do the same till it all came to one.
Thank you Chris and Jenny
Jeanette Macdonald
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