Orpheus singing: Overcoming Limits with Playful Exercises

Looking back at that wonderful event, I could tell you that it was all about calming down, tackling limiting beliefs and working towards changing our attitude about certain challenging aspects in the lives of those involved. It was a concentrated group. If you were there then you could have easily noticed that every single person within the circle has had some sort of a connection with mindfulness and with theatre too based on their playful and high spirited presence. 

First we started off with a short introduction on what the practice is about. Then we started to warm up our bodies and slowly shifted towards warming our vocal chords. And then we got into the usual playful wonder that comes with Orpheus singing. The entire session first focused on calming the mind and nervous system through Sss-special sounds, gestures and also involving some gentle touch. We learned how to calm down the mind and the body during stressful moments and useful tricks for when having trouble falling asleep at night. 

By completing that stage of the process the participants felt that they had properly arrived on a mental level and were ready to engage further in the practice. That is when the shift changed from a calm and flowy manner to dynamic, powerful and playful! We went through a series of awakening exercises that proved useful for using the diaphragm, implementing the singer’s mask and most importantly adding a playful energy to each expression through sound. 

As we went through the different sounds and elements, the participants were asked to share their associations on what each one of them could mean for them on an individual level and often found themselves caught in one or multiple limiting beliefs. After identifying such, we worked towards releasing them and moved toward accepting each element as it is – a wonderful and beautiful sound that could be powerfully uplifting when expressed with a pure intention. 

After which the practice was concluded in an interesting and playful way. Everyone in the circle was invited to sing out their name implementing some of the knowledge and skills that they have acquired from the overall experience. As one would share their name, they would also lead the others to sing along together, clearing something almost resembling a blessing. Everyone allowed themselves to take part in this small, but much needed challenge and felt proud of doing so. Once the practice was over, the participants shared that they were grateful to be part of the process and that it was enriching on multiple levels. Although it was a small group, the experience went on a deeper than usual level.