5 day Immersive Retreat

Exploring Voice

A vocal exploration of sound and body for those who wish to go deeper in exploring the voice as a tool for freeing their unique creative expression. You do not need any previous vocal experience to apply.

“SoundingBody is as integral an approach to mind-body synthesis as I've found - a masterful nexus of voice therapy, meditation, ritual, and embodied trance.’’

- Escott Reid

What if we created a culture where every individual felt empowered to express their unique voice?

What if we could enter into a container where we felt safe enough to move beyond the judgements of the mind, to step beyond our conditioning and express from our essence?

What if we remembered our nature as musical and harmonious beings, creating music in complete surrender and improvisational choir?

What does it take to truly let go? To touch the depths of the unknown, release control and allow your song to move you? To let the collective song be sung through you?

When the voice is allowed to move freely without judgment, what is experienced is a deep remembering of Self. The Self that existed before the conditioning, before the habitual patterns, limitations and expectations of what ‘should’ be. Connecting to your voice is not about expressing the perfect sound. It is to remember, and Listen deeply to a part of yourself that had perhaps been hidden. Will you give yourself permission to sound with your grief, your rage, your joy? No longer needing to cast these expressions away to the shadow? The focus of the work is deep listening to the truest expression of yourself in the moment through voice.

Our Listening is an active component of the creative force. It is from the Listening, that we can begin to reveal that which was hidden and find the space that is needed for creative emergence. Together we will work to attune ourselves from the inside, to reveal the voices within that long to be heard and find freedom through the vessel of our bodies.

We start by creating a fertile ground and safe container; a series of vocal exercises and techniques that :

De-armour

Liberate

Reconnect

We listen to the sound of our breath, our bones, our blood, our tissues, our whole body. We will work with embracing vulnerability and connecting to the elements of nature which inspire us. We awaken our senses to listening to the group sound that wants to move through us. And from there we begin our collective Listening.

From there we express

From there we Sound

And it is here we will find our group song

One that is not imposed on us from the outside, but one that emerges from within.

This retreat is a return to primal sound, a clearing of your vessel as the instrument for the divine to be heard.

What to expect?

You will be guided through a range of exercises and embodiment techniques to prepare the body for singing. When connecting to the body through conscious movement we can identify the places where we may be holding tension, causing resistance to the free flow of the voice.

• Vocal and Movement De-armouring Warm-ups

• Partnered sound toning

• Releasing emotional blocks

• Connecting to the natural breath

• Vocal and physical play

• Improvisation and group listening

• Tension release through bodywork

• Harmonising and learning traditional folk songs

• Deep visioning through our Sound Body to arrive at an integrated sound from our entire being

• Awakening to the sensation of our unique voice beyond conditioning

embodiment.
–

We connect to our natural breath. Movement practices to draw us into presence. We identify the places of tension.

voice.
–

Vocal exploration of diversity and uniqueness of the individual and collective voice. We connect to the essential voice. How does our voice want to move through us?

release.
–

Stored emotions, limiting beliefs, stagnation and tensions can be released through the expression of our voice. We reclaim our creative expression.

integrate.
–

Breath, silence, sound. We allow the body to re-organise itself and experience a state of full body surrender in improvisational choir.

Silent Mornings - We invite participants to be in silence for the first half of the day in order to integrate their experience and stay within their own sound field.

Open evening sessions - We open the space for entirely free vocal exploration. Here we will integrate what we have experienced form the day to play, explore and push the boundaries of our creativity in the space with one another. Here is where we make our music. Where we peel back the layers of control and quieten the noise in our mind and step fearlessly into our full expression and power. We expand our awareness and give ourselves permission to express the creative potential of the present moment, in every moment.

And this is music.

The mystery of the creative spirit that longs to express itself through us.

Will you come on this journey with us?

“I don’t think there are words to easily describe what Sounding Body does. It’s a singing retreat - yes, and so much more.’’ - Lina Plioplyte

Logistics

Sounding Body Retreat is held within the wild lands of the Snowdonia Mountain.

Cae Mabon is an extremely special location in North Wales. A place that has witnessed and supported a range of deep personal explorations. It lies at the foot of Snowdon on the bank of Lake Llyn Padarn. A River flows through its grounds, and a wood-fired hot tub sits right by the rivers side. You will be staying in one of the many traditionally built dwellings and eating lovingly prepared, nourishing food.

Prices include all meals during your stay, facilitation of sessions, use of facilities, accommodation, hot tub and organisation for the 5-day residency. Transport to and from the location is not included.

This year we are implementing a sliding scale price range starting at £590 to £790

The base price of £590 pays for all the expenses of the retreat centre and costs for organisation and facilitation. If you have the means to pay more, it gives the opportunity for people to come for a bursary price option and covers their costs for the stay.

To apply for a bursary please fill in the application form (suggested starting price £400)

Deposits are 50% of your ticket price and non-refundable

Arrivals begin from 2pm on the Wednesday and we will have our closing circle at midday on Sunday to allow people time to travel home.

Schedule

Breakfast: 8 - 9

Morning Session: 10 - 1

Lunch: 1 - 3

Afternoon session: 3 - 6

Dinner: 6 - 8

Open evening session: 8 - 10

If you are interested in coming please click the link bellow or email us at contactsoundingbody@gmail.com and request an application form. We can’t wait to hear from you, and hopefully be sounding together soon!

Your voice is the mirror of your internal landscape and this practice of sounding the body will bring you into a more intimate relationship with your own creative source: Your voice.