Importancia del Cambio de Sistema

At a recent awareness workshop, a role-playing event had just been completed which had a pronounced cathartic effect. Several participants were noticeably “shook up” but nevertheless quite relieved. One girl, Alice, who was in her early twenties, expressed her feelings quite audibly with a groan of relief. Jim was triggered by the sound of her voice to let go a grunt. Someone said “Wow!” Others be­ gan stretching and moaning with relief. Soon the room was filled with spontaneous oohs, aahs and uuhs as feelings were vented.

Anyone who has ever had pain knows that it helps to give vocal vent to it. The pain may not go away when you moan, but there is a type of satisfaction or relief in moaning. Anyone who has ever sung in the shower (where he won’t be imposing on society) knows the satisfaction and exhilaration that can come from that type of vocal venting.

A group of women in the western United States make themselves available to various club meetings to teach “toning”—a technique of therapy via the voice. “Miseries,” headaches and even more serious ailments have enjoyed alleviation from the singing of long notes or from the up­

lift that comes with raising one’s voice from the lowest black tones of agony to the highest silver tones of pure joy.

One of the restrictions which an urban or suburban society places on us is sound-oriented. We are restricted from loud vocal demonstrations for fear of being heard and taken for some kind of nut. Tonight we’ll break out of this restriction and enjoy the inspiring power of our own voices. That “silly feeling” should vanish as everybody joins in the fun.

Procedure

Step 1 The leader is chosen and reads the above intro­

duction and these instructions. Everybody stands in the center of the room facing the leader, spaced as if they were about to do calisthenics. The first exercise is a full letting go. The leader demonstrates by permitting himself to bend forward at the hips and flinging his arms down­ ward toward his legs. He does this several times with a loud grunt or groan as he visualizes himself relieved of all worldly burdens. The others join in.

Step 2 After several minutes of this the leader asks for

a show of hands by those who feel a sense of relief al­ ready. He then picks those who did not raise their hands to begin the next event. It is an even more powerful venting exercise because it goes beyond the letting go of burdens and helps to relieve hidden aggressions and frus­ trations. Each person selected goes to a stuffed chair, up­ holstered couch or some carpeted area of the floor. Pillows are also helpful. Each is asked to pound the object while at the same time expressing anger through shouts and screams. The leader should encourage them by cir­ culating and exhorting “Harder, harder!” and “Louder, much louder!”

Step 3 Participants return to the center of the room in

the position of Step 1. The leader demonstrates the next exercise which begins by assuming the ending position of Step 1—torso bent at the hips, hands reaching limply for the floor. The lowest possible note is then intoned and as the body is gradually straightened the vocal tone is raised until the body is erect, hands reaching for the sky and the voice singing at its highest and loudest capability. All fol­ low repeatedly.

Step 4 All are seated. A discussion is held on the effects

of “toning.” However, the whole discussion is sung in­ stead of spoken. Let the singsong effect evolve spontane­

ously—wax operatic, if that is your mood, or merely speak musically. Let rhythm, volume and pitch add a new com­ municative dimension to what you are saying. If the dis­ cussion lags, the speaker should present a new topic that is timely and pertinent, such as “What should we do to get the town to fix those bumps in our road?” or “What diet really works?”

Step 5 With everybody’s “wrinkles” out as a result of

venting, it is a perfect time to tune in to the sound of the universe. Mystics throughout the world intone this sound, best spelled by the letters OM. By expressing a long-drawn- out, reverberating O-O-M-M-M-M, we’ll be echoing the “sound” theoretically made by the rotation of the planets and the movement of the galaxies. At least this is the closest that man’s voice can come to creating this hypo­ thetical sound. As proof of its efficacy, nearly everything reverberates to this sound, even the human skin. To dem­ onstrate, the leader or any male with a deep, stentorian voice is asked to face the group as everybody holds his arms outstretched in front of him, palms down. Each con­ centrates on his palms as the singer intones OM three times. Almost everybody present will “hear” the note with his palms. Now a relaxation session is held with the monologue used in Evening No. 5. Just before ending it, the leader asks all to intone OM three times with him. The session is ended with suggestions of well-being and the count of one, two, three.

Step 6 Refreshments are served and an informal dis­

cussion held.

Evening No. 16

“I Touch Me,