Guest Post: The Power and Resiliency of Song

Written by Way Opening Workshops:

Growing up, my mom had “a song for every occasion and some for no occasion.”  We sang in the bathtub, in the car, in the grocery store, for our great grandmas, and before bed. Some of the songs were silly, some reverent, and some in the Danish language, which is my mom’s heritage.

We each have our own song, written in our very breath, our very body, our coursing blood.  Finding it and then summoning courage to share it is sacred work.

There have been seasons of illness in my life, where I lost track of what my song was. It was in those times that the songs of others comforted me.  In my work as a chaplain, I often hear people tell me, “I can’t pray anymore”, especially when they, too, have entered a period of void or emptiness. One consolation, besides the actual expression of this lament, is that the prayers of others for them can also give them strength.

So it is, with song.  Sometimes we know our own songs. Other times, we lean on the songs of loved ones, caring companions, or even people who don’t know us at all but have left a trail of words and tunes that resonate.


We invite you, no matter your season, to join together with us in our offering through Wisdom Ways on October 26: Chanting Our Own Songs: Listening Inward, Listening Outward. Learn more or register here.

We will have time for expressing ourselves in contemplative practice, listening to others with whom we gather, and best of all listening to the chants of many cultures and spiritual traditions.  We know this will be a rich, experiential and expressive time together, and we hope to see you there and honor your own song for the unique time that you are in.

Discover more about Maia and Anne of Way Opening Workshops:

Maia Twedt, with Anne Supplee  www.wayopeningworkshops.come

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