June 2001

The Delightful Simplicity of Toning

by co-director Danick Isabelle Jawer

As I was reflecting on the benefits of Toning and why more people are drawn to it, I let myself drift away, remembering the many toning circles that I have been part of and how emotionally satisfying they were.

Each time there is that moment when we sit down, close our eyes, feel the presence of others and listen to the silence that precedes the first sound. There is a wonderful feeling that happens at this very moment: the excitement of a new adventure combined with the recognition that this is “home.” Maybe what I am tapping into is the memory of what singing used to be, a time to gather and share at a level that somehow we've mutated away from.

Toning is a brain free activity that engages the heart and makes the cells dance. As we massage ourselves with the vibration of simple vowel tones, the body takes over
the mind. There are so many sensations that occur as we produce the sound, and such a gentle focus to keep surfing the breath until we need to inhale again. There is no room
for thoughts, words or habitual thinking. It is a time to play, let the energy shape our sound and listen as it unfolds.

And the more each participant sinks into their own sensations, following an impulse to let out a loud cry or withdraw into a muted growl, the more our sounds collide, scream
in friction, tear each other apart or merge into an unbearably beautiful frequency.
The energy that we ride individually finds its way to the collective and we become “sung,” with a force way beyond words.

At the end, when nobody knows when, but the moment is just right, we all suspend our sound and let the silence seize us. The thick, live, silent energy floods our being with the vibrant reality of peace, joy and completeness. No doubt, Toning is a simple experience of wholeness.