Sally recorded the Spirit Song CD with her daughter, Kate. Her niece Abby added her beautiful voice on rounds. Spirit Song has 39 chants (unaccompanied), two songs, two guided visualizations and a crystal singing bowl meditation. Many of the chants are Native American and sing of the connection between spirit and nature. Others come from Sally’s Christian faith or from her explorations into Sufi, Hindu, Buddhism and Gaia spirituality. All of the chants are selected to help us connect with our inner wisdom, with each other and with our sense of the Divine.

In this collection, the first are grounding chants, connecting with the support of the ancients and the elements of the earth. Next come chants of gentleness and self- acceptance. The third series invites us to go deeper inside and be still with Spirit, inner wisdom and self-healing, feeling gratitude for all creation. The CD ends with soothing lullabies, two guided visualizations and a crystal singing bowl meditation.

We recorded Spirit Song CD in response to many requests from clients and others wanting to go home from a session or a workshop with a recording of the chants to keep letting the music work its “medicine” on body, mind, heart and spirit.

The chants are offered as a beginning place for each of us to explore how the music and words have meaning for us. Each chant may be used as a meditation, or as a journal exercise, while walking in nature or exercising on the treadmill, doing the dishes or heading to work. Use the chants when you want to balance your energy, tune in to your feelings, connect with your inner self, or when you want to be in closer connection with God or Spirit.

Repeating the chant can be very calming and meditative. Singing reminds us to breathe deeply, which brings more oxygen to our system. It energizes. Chanting, toning and humming gives the body an inner massage and helps the organs work better together.

The chants may also be helpful as part of a wellness program when faced with a health challenge or crisis. Being gentle with ourselves, releasing negative, critical scripting, can help us manage anxiety or depression, lower blood pressure and cope with with chronic pain or insomnia. Visualizing wholeness and health can help when faced with a cancer diagnosis. Find what part of this “visualization medicine” works for you.

The CD also has a brief guided meditation to encourage letting go of stress and tension and promote deep breathing. It is followed by a five-minute guided visualization which takes you on a “mini-vacation.” The final three-minute cut begins with the free-note chimes tuned to G and then the crystal singing bowl, tuned to D. Allow yourself to be with the tone, your breath and your heartbeat and connect deep within. Let the music carry you where ever you need to go, returning feeling more relaxed. Some people may want to use the last three cuts on the CD as a nighttime meditation to enhance sleep.

WARNING: Please do not listen to the last three cuts while driving. They are designed to slow your brain waves, which may interfere with your alertness and your ability to be safe. Thank you.

It has been a thrill to record this CD. It was also a struggle sometimes, facing the inner critic. Across the years, after using a chant in a session or workshop, I would be asked for my recording. I would feel inspired to make one and then I would stop myself. My ego would pop up with messages about not being good enough or that perpetual pitch problem. Finally I had an epiphany and realized that it is NOT about ME, it is about the MUSIC. It is about taking a deep breath and singing in community and sharing the vibrations. So, this CD was born. We hope that you catch the vibe and sing along with us. In healing us, we heal the earth.