Vocal Nidra and The Brahmavihārās

https://dandelion.events/e/x8v43 

Join me for a series of four workshops exploring the use of our voice as a tool for embodied meditation. 

We will follow a framework based on the ancient teachings of the Brahmavihārās, four forms of love:

Mettā: Loving-Kindness

Mudita: Appreciative Joy

Upekkā: Equanimity

Karuna: Compassion

Using our voice, we will explore these qualities of heart, learning to cultivate them by guiding and resonating them through our bodies, discovering how it feels, and sounds, to relate with ourselves from an awareness rooted in love.

Through the four sessions you will learn 

• How to use your voice as a tool to regulate your nervous system
• How to move from difficult states of heart and mind into love
• How to experience the resonance of your voice in your body
• A roadmap to follow into deep and profound meditative states of being

About the sessions;

Vocal Nidra and the Brahmavihārās is a workshop I developed during a year-long vocal improvisation and ritual singing training I studied with Briony Greenhill. The practice I will teach combines Buddhist and Vedic approaches with vocal improvisation; it is vocal meditation.

What are the Brahmavihārās?

The Brahmavihārās is a pre-Buddhist, Brahamanical concept that developed between 1500-500 BCE and was later interpreted by Buddhist tradition. The word is derived from the Pāli word ‘Brahma’ which means ‘divine’ and ‘vihārā’ which means ‘abodes’ or ‘dwellings’. They are essentially four forms of love. The pre-Brahmanical teaching suggests that god: ‘Brahma’, dwells: ‘vihara’, in the forms and the later Buddhist interpretation teaches that the cultivation of these four forms of loves, or ‘four immeasurables’ leads to an awakened state of mind. 

We all have the potential to abide in loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity. When we know how to do this, these capacities become an inner wealth, more valuable than any outer riches. To tap into this wealth, Buddhism teaches practices for developing each of the four Brahmaviharas. Love doesn’t have to be dependent on ideal circumstances; rather, we can learn to recognize, awaken, and develop it so it becomes the natural dwelling place of the heart. The Brahmavihārās are powerful aids for resolving conflict, promoting healing, and creating social harmony. As strengths they contribute to confidence in all areas of life. In my experience of practising these teachings they have had a profound effect on my relationship to myself, to others, to my sense of happiness, love for myself and others, letting go, freedom from suffering, and expansiveness of perception. 

What is Vocal Nidra?

Our voice is a resource that is almost always available to us. It is an instant way we can connect to our inner world, and an embodied tool we can use in meditation. Vocal Nidra  practice draws on a Vedic Yoga practice called ‘Yoga Nidra’ which involves a guided body scan using awareness. Instead of solely using awareness,  vocal nidra practice invites us to use our voices to connect with and to explore our bodies. This exploration offers a unique way of relating with ourselves and our experience. It has a deeply calming and rejuvenating effect on the nervous system and is a profoundly deep  meditative experience.

Event details

This is a four session workshop. Each session will run for two hours  from 6.30pm until 8.30pm for four consecutive Sundays.

Dates:

12.01.25: Mettā: Loving-Kindness

19.01.25: Mudita: Appreciative Joy

26.01.25: Upekkā: Equanimity

02.02.25: Karuna: Compassion

• Please bring a yoga mat, a warm blanket, a notebook and pen and wear warm, comfy clothes. Organic herbal tea will be provided.
• No experience required.
• Depending on ticket sales this event location may be moved to larger central Bristol venue. I will let you know in advance if this is the case.
• Please get in touch if cost is a barrier to you joining and you would like a concessionary rate:  https://www.jemima.live/contact

Feedback from a previous workshop participant;

“Being held in Jemima's loving and gentle warmth as she expertly guided us through meditation, taught fascinating insights merging spiritual practices with folklore - which are so deeply relevant to our current societal needs - and invited personal communication with the natural world, is a cherished memory and I would love to return for a workshop if I lived closer to Bristol!”

About your facilitator

 My name is Jemima. I have been exploring Buddhism and yoga for the last 14 years. I have trained in yoga and ayurveda, studied ethnomusicology (the cultural and spiritual dimensions of music) at SOAS university and did a yearlong training in vocal improvisation and ritual singing with Briony Greenhill, a student of Bobby McFerrin. Through workshops, courses and events I work to bring participants into a more sacred relationship with themselves and with nature.