By Shannon Boyce
Recently, I learned that each of Rudolf Steiner's indications for the 12 Holy Nights given to Herbert Hahn can be applied to each month of the year. This year I am taking up the practice of meditating on each of these mysteries throughout the year. Now that February is here, I am reflecting on the Mystery of the 2nd Holy Night indication: "Choosing the narrow and difficult path or the path that is wide and easy".
In my reflections, I realized that while the path of singing study has been my passion my whole life, it has also been the path that has led to my spiritual awakening. I choose the narrow and difficult path but by facing my challenges and difficulties and remaining open to new ideas the narrow and difficult path of singing is now wide and full of joy and ease.
When I was introduced to "The School of Uncovering the Voice" over ten years ago, I quickly realized it was unlike any other singing training I had ever experienced and I had to consciously choose to stay open to the new ideas. Ideas that were based in Anthroposophy and deeply researched by Valborg Werbeck-Svärdström and verified by Rudolf Steiner. Before I began my studies in "Uncovering the Voice" my singing was harsh, too loud, overbearing and often out of tune. I had no flexibility in the voice and no inner flexibility of soul. I was often closed-minded in my thinking. And I had no understanding of how to relate to the other socially in a healthy way.
The School of Uncovering the Voice changed all that for me. It was my path of spiritual initiation. Not only has my voice changed for the better and become more flexible and supple, my soul and spirit are more flexible and supple. And I have learned to make room for the other. Is it still a work in progress? Of course.
While life will never be a breeze and just easy going all the time, The School of Uncovering the Voice, through the practice of singing, has taught me how to live in the essence of imagination, which is connected to our will life. This is the place where the muscle of the soul resides. By consciously working through the singing exercises I have learned to engage my will forces in two directions, engaging the will where needed and not engaging the will were not needed. Steiner calls the latter the "Turned Around Will". The singing has taught me to build up the capacities in my selfhood that allow me to live life more fully with a feeling of wide and easy-open spaces.
Any difficulties we face in life are like puzzles that must be solved. If we just ignore them we may think we are choosing the easy path. But are we really? In reality, it's often the selfish path. Learning to live in the essence of imagination gives you the courage to face the narrow and difficult path, the path of the spirit. It can be compared to singing. It's like your air which carries the tone; it is your lifeline that carries you and gives you the courage to face the difficulties when they come along in life. Some even call this living in the Christ consciousness.
In the last article I published in Waldorf Today, I talked about how the Voice is connected to this Muscle of the Soul. Developing this muscle is developing the capacity to live in imagination. Not a fantasy imagination but a place of balanced living. If you didn’t get a chance to read the last article, click here to read Your Voice: The Muscle of the Soul.
While the groundhog indicated that we will have an early spring here on the East Coast of North America, it is still very much winter. Just as the seeds are still very much sleeping in the depths of the earth gathering the physical forces of the earth to prepare to blossom in the spring, at this time of year we as human beings are bound up with the spiritual forces of the earth waiting to blossom for ourselves in the spring.
Therefore, I invite you to come to the Winter East Coast Singing Retreat of The School of Uncovering the Voice led by Christiaan Boele for a time of winter renewal to draw strength and courage for your spring awakening.
Singing renewal is for everyone. If you can talk, you can sing. The School of Uncovering the Voice invites you to develop a deeper self-awareness through moving with confidence and joy toward discovering your own voice. It is a gentle process and the voice is never pushed along, but develops slowly through the engagement and active participation of the singer, who gains a deeper understanding and manifestation of the truly free voice.
East Coast Opportunities to work with Christiaan Boele are:
February 19, 2020, an evening workshop at Washington Waldorf School, Bethesda, MD 7:30-9:00.
February 20, 2020, an evening workshop at the Waldorf School of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 7:00-8:30.
February 21-23 East Coast Singing Winter Retreat, Threefold Educational Foundation, Spring Valley, NY
February 24, 25, 26 workshop classes with Eurythmy Spring Valley Students open to the public, Spring Valley, NY
February 27, 2020, an evening workshop at Garden City Waldorf School, Garden City, NY (Long Island). Contact Shannon for more details.
SAVE THE DATES July 5-10 a new cohort is forming to begin the 3rd East Coast Singing Foundational Training, Spring Valley, NY. This may be the last opportunity to begin the Foundational Training in the U.S.
July 10-12 Alumni Graduate Retreat, Spring Valley, NY.
For more information on the East Coast Uncovering the Voice Singing opportunities contact Shannon Boyce at [email protected] or 845-288-2824 or click here.
West Coast Opportunities to work with Christiaan Boele are:
February 13-15, 2020 Alumni Master Class, Ananda Retreat Center, Nevada City, CA
June 19-21, 2020 Annual Singing Retreat, Davis Waldorf School, Davis CA
June 28, 2020, Choir Day, Marin Waldorf School, San Rafael, CA
For more information on the West Coast Uncovering the Voice Singing opportunities contact Sheryl Adler-Eldridge at [email protected] or visit www.werbecksinging.com.
Recently, I learned that each of Rudolf Steiner's indications for the 12 Holy Nights given to Herbert Hahn can be applied to each month of the year. This year I am taking up the practice of meditating on each of these mysteries throughout the year. Now that February is here, I am reflecting on the Mystery of the 2nd Holy Night indication: "Choosing the narrow and difficult path or the path that is wide and easy".
In my reflections, I realized that while the path of singing study has been my passion my whole life, it has also been the path that has led to my spiritual awakening. I choose the narrow and difficult path but by facing my challenges and difficulties and remaining open to new ideas the narrow and difficult path of singing is now wide and full of joy and ease.
When I was introduced to "The School of Uncovering the Voice" over ten years ago, I quickly realized it was unlike any other singing training I had ever experienced and I had to consciously choose to stay open to the new ideas. Ideas that were based in Anthroposophy and deeply researched by Valborg Werbeck-Svärdström and verified by Rudolf Steiner. Before I began my studies in "Uncovering the Voice" my singing was harsh, too loud, overbearing and often out of tune. I had no flexibility in the voice and no inner flexibility of soul. I was often closed-minded in my thinking. And I had no understanding of how to relate to the other socially in a healthy way.
The School of Uncovering the Voice changed all that for me. It was my path of spiritual initiation. Not only has my voice changed for the better and become more flexible and supple, my soul and spirit are more flexible and supple. And I have learned to make room for the other. Is it still a work in progress? Of course.
While life will never be a breeze and just easy going all the time, The School of Uncovering the Voice, through the practice of singing, has taught me how to live in the essence of imagination, which is connected to our will life. This is the place where the muscle of the soul resides. By consciously working through the singing exercises I have learned to engage my will forces in two directions, engaging the will where needed and not engaging the will were not needed. Steiner calls the latter the "Turned Around Will". The singing has taught me to build up the capacities in my selfhood that allow me to live life more fully with a feeling of wide and easy-open spaces.
Any difficulties we face in life are like puzzles that must be solved. If we just ignore them we may think we are choosing the easy path. But are we really? In reality, it's often the selfish path. Learning to live in the essence of imagination gives you the courage to face the narrow and difficult path, the path of the spirit. It can be compared to singing. It's like your air which carries the tone; it is your lifeline that carries you and gives you the courage to face the difficulties when they come along in life. Some even call this living in the Christ consciousness.
In the last article I published in Waldorf Today, I talked about how the Voice is connected to this Muscle of the Soul. Developing this muscle is developing the capacity to live in imagination. Not a fantasy imagination but a place of balanced living. If you didn’t get a chance to read the last article, click here to read Your Voice: The Muscle of the Soul.
While the groundhog indicated that we will have an early spring here on the East Coast of North America, it is still very much winter. Just as the seeds are still very much sleeping in the depths of the earth gathering the physical forces of the earth to prepare to blossom in the spring, at this time of year we as human beings are bound up with the spiritual forces of the earth waiting to blossom for ourselves in the spring.
Therefore, I invite you to come to the Winter East Coast Singing Retreat of The School of Uncovering the Voice led by Christiaan Boele for a time of winter renewal to draw strength and courage for your spring awakening.
Singing renewal is for everyone. If you can talk, you can sing. The School of Uncovering the Voice invites you to develop a deeper self-awareness through moving with confidence and joy toward discovering your own voice. It is a gentle process and the voice is never pushed along, but develops slowly through the engagement and active participation of the singer, who gains a deeper understanding and manifestation of the truly free voice.
East Coast Opportunities to work with Christiaan Boele are:
February 19, 2020, an evening workshop at Washington Waldorf School, Bethesda, MD 7:30-9:00.
February 20, 2020, an evening workshop at the Waldorf School of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD 7:00-8:30.
February 21-23 East Coast Singing Winter Retreat, Threefold Educational Foundation, Spring Valley, NY
February 24, 25, 26 workshop classes with Eurythmy Spring Valley Students open to the public, Spring Valley, NY
February 27, 2020, an evening workshop at Garden City Waldorf School, Garden City, NY (Long Island). Contact Shannon for more details.
SAVE THE DATES July 5-10 a new cohort is forming to begin the 3rd East Coast Singing Foundational Training, Spring Valley, NY. This may be the last opportunity to begin the Foundational Training in the U.S.
July 10-12 Alumni Graduate Retreat, Spring Valley, NY.
For more information on the East Coast Uncovering the Voice Singing opportunities contact Shannon Boyce at [email protected] or 845-288-2824 or click here.
West Coast Opportunities to work with Christiaan Boele are:
February 13-15, 2020 Alumni Master Class, Ananda Retreat Center, Nevada City, CA
June 19-21, 2020 Annual Singing Retreat, Davis Waldorf School, Davis CA
June 28, 2020, Choir Day, Marin Waldorf School, San Rafael, CA
For more information on the West Coast Uncovering the Voice Singing opportunities contact Sheryl Adler-Eldridge at [email protected] or visit www.werbecksinging.com.
