Scripture
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise making the most of time…be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God at all times…Ephesians 5:15-16,18-20
Spiritual Focus
Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue. Plato
Breath Prayer (“Amen”)
Inhale deeply
Exhale and sing, chant or hum: Ahhhhhmmmennn!
Living wisely, as scripture advises, giving thanks to God at all times, is easier said than done. But at the intersection of scripture, yoga philosophy, and western medicine, one finds a key to help us reach this ideal: singing!
Singing, chanting, and humming all stimulate the vagus nerve whose job it is to regulate the sympathetic (fight, flight, or freeze) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous systems. Medical studies show that when the vagus nerve is stimulated, sympathetic nervous areas of the brain “turn off”, allowing a healing “rest and digest” state to predominate. We feel calmer, happier. As the author of an article in Scientific American jokingly asserts, “The hippies were right! It is all about vibrations!”
It is no coincidence that many church services and traditional yoga practices begin and end with chanting or song. Chanting at the beginning of yoga practice helps us get quickly into the “zone”, a calm state where we are receptive to the benefits of the practice. While chanting at the end of class, helps us carry those “good vibrations” off the mat and into our everyday life.
Whether you sing hymns or hum oldies from the Beach Boys, turn up the tunes in these last weeks of summer. Make humming, song or chant part of your “ordinary” this week and include it in your yoga and prayer practices. Notice how you feel afterwards: are you more open and receptive? Is it easier to give continuous thanks to God? The 50 year-old lyrics from a Sesame Street song offer the best advice:
Sing
Sing, sing a song
Sing out loud
Sing out strong.
Sing of good things, not bad
Sing of happy, not sad
Sing,
Sing a song
Make it simple
To last your whole life long
Don’t worry that it’s not good enough
For anyone else to hear
Sing
Sing a song
By Joe Raposo for Sesame Street
