Often, I would experiment with my personal yoga practice and include many different styles of music into my sequences.  When the music was rich with rhythm and percussion, my practice was more creative and inquisitive.  I even found myself either singing with the music or at the least, humming to the sounds.  When the music was more ambient and soft, I felt more graceful and fluid and often found myself sighing on my exhales.  The most curious realization came to me one afternoon however, as I powerfully stepped into Warrior Pose and let out a forceful "Hah"!  Connecting the sound of my voice to the movement of the pose created a palpable shift in me the felt something like braking an old habit!  I felt powerful and in control of my life.  It felt like I "spoke my truth" through the sound and movement of that Warrior pose.

Since that time, I have been intrigued with understanding the impact of the combination that movement and voice have on an individual. In the many years I've been teaching yoga, I have often noticed a trend in many of my classes...silence.  You might think that is reverent and respectful and I would agree with you, however, I noticed that many of my "quiet" students, even though they enjoyed the classes were hesitant to approach more challenging poses as I presented them. This brought me back to my own experiences of how silence and movement create such different outcomes than sound and movement, particularly one's own sound and the movement of their body.

I began to experiment in the classes I taught and introduced a little more sound.  I'd suggest to the class that we would "Ooo" adn "Ahh" and sigh alot and as they warmed up to the sounds eminating from their own vocal chords, new life breathed into their forms and their movements became more of a dance.  It was beautiful to witness. 

ChantDance has become a fun and inquiring experience for many.  It encourages us to move past our limitations whether they are physical, mental or emotional.  Spontaneous well being is a wonderful byproduct of this new form of yogic art!

I am proud to say there is much scientific research regarding the healing benefits of sound and movement and ChantDance is a merging of the two.

The songs of ChantDance with a blend of traditional and original sacred phrases (mantras) is a delicious companion to any yoga practice.  Let it bring out YOUR inner warrior and say "Hah"!  Click Here for ChantDance