Sensational Sounds

Have you ever noticed how much kids like making funny sounds?  Blowing their lips to create the sounds of a trumpet, quacking like a duck, hissing like a snake, clacking the tongue to mimic horses hooves, growling like a grizzly bear, buzzing like a bee. I could go on, but there's no real reason to since most of us know the value of the occasional well-placed silly sound in our own lives.
 
Behind the apparently simple act of making sounds lies a complex array of activities, an intricate interplay of a variety of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Most of us probably think of the tongue, lips, and jaw as providing the primary mechanisms for sound making. Also  fundamental to the process are the pharyngeal muscles of the neck and throat which help to shape the vocal cords in opening and closing to express a particular tone, while the diaphragm serves as the bellows, pushing the air up through the throat.
 
The face itself serves as a resonator, with the bones of the cheeks and forehead helping to send the sound forward into the world. 
 
This week we will take the opportunity to focus on the sensations around sound making. As with breathing meditation or walking meditation, we place our attention on the physical sensations as they arise.

What are the shapes of the lips and mouth with each sound?  
Where does the tone resonate in the body? Nostrils? Neck?
What happens if you make the sound louder?  
What do you notice?
 
This will not be a silent session!

May all beings everywhere without exception benefit from a sense of play and exploration in their moment-to-moment experience,

Your friends at CMP

Did You Know?

CMP's mission is "Meditation for all who want it."  We strive to remove all barriers to meditation and mindfulness, and offer programming to organizations on a pro bono or "low bono" basis.  We are proud to announce that we will be supporting the well-being of front-line caregivers at
Building 1 Community, Americares Free Clinics and the Center for Family Justice in the coming months.  We can only do this with the support of donors.  Every dollar helps us fulfill our mission and bring meditation and mindfulness to communities.

We Need Your Support

CMP thrives on donations. All of our weekly sessions are free and open to the public, but donations are essential to our sustainability. CMP is a licensed charity in the state of CT as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Checks can be given to facilitators at our weekly sits or mailed to Community Mindfulness Project, P.O. Box 1713, New Canaan, CT 06840. Credit cards are accepted in the Giving section of the website (www.CommunityMindfulnessProject.org). For donations of wired funds or appreciated securities, please email welcome@communitymind.org. Thank you!

Photo: Salim Virji