Leading and participating in GROUP Meditations
A few hints.
1. Go (much) slower than you think is necessary.
(Especially if you have fire and air signs prominent! -- If you are a real
careful slow type, maybe speed up a bit – you are trying to do ‘the greatest
good for the greatest many’. After a meditation, ask how it went, too fast, too
slow, and you’ll soon adapt ‘well enough’ for the majority’s needs. That is
what you want to match.)
2. Give subtle but audible clues to your group
before you begin a mantram -- such as a somehwat audible inhale ... (beware
over-emphasizing this, but the listeners NEED SOME preparation or CLUE of when
you are about to start, or they will be left behind, and you’ll lose the
potency of having everyone begin with you, especially if there is a starting
group mantram which they need to participate in.)
3. Then ... begin the first word v e r y
s l o w l y ... (listen to the group to see if they are with you.).
-- for those in the group, endeavour
to follow the leader's pacing, without judgment and without losing your
attention from the spirit of the process. Speak softly, not drowning out his or
her voice. Just remember: in following, follow, quietly. In leading, slow and
clear and with intent. This will take all of us a good amount of time to get
used to each other, but eventually it will ALL be worth it. Trust me.
4. Ensure you are audible enough. For most SPEAK
UP AND PROJECT -- (however, if you have been told (!) that you speak too
loudly, modulate to a lower than conversational tone, if in doubt, before
beginning, simply speak and ask everyone if you are too loud or soft, if they
can hear you, and allow them to suggest you speak up or more softly if – during
the meditation – you are inaudible or deafening. Better to have a slight ‘administrative
pause’ in the meditaiton, and then calmly recover, than no one be able to hear
you at all!)
5. Enunciate and articulate v
e r y
clearly. Do not mumble, and be aware of your accents and especially when
we have 'foreign ears'. New Zealanders especially tend to bury their
"r". (If you would like some listening and speaking practice, ask me
and we can have a little session.) If you do this, it will probably feel like
you are over-emphasizing the words, and that the consonants are too sharp --
that will be just about right. This is NOT about speaking
"dramatically", it is simply about speaking "with
consciousness" (and consonants!).
You can even smile when you speak, especially if it is about joy. Use
emotional QUALITY in your voice, that puts ENERGY across. There is no need for
monotone droning, and that is counterproductive to the actual dynamics of most
all meditative work.
6. Familiarize yourself with the form of the
meditation ahead of time!!!!! You must have grasped it 'as a formula', and get
to know it enough ‘well enough’ before you can lead others in unfamiliar
territory.) Go there. And then, if you need or want to ‘read’ it while ‘doing
it’, that can be fine, but at least KNOW it. Over time, you may adapt the
instruction to essentials, especially once a group gets to know itself and its
own rhythm and needs. You give the
‘group’ enough clues, but verbally you may be able to cut this down to no more
than the essential transitions or whatever they need to stay with the ENERGY.
7. On the OM's ... (visualize or) 'place' your
consciousness IN the relevant visualized element of the meditation (e.g. crown
chakra, 'towards humanity', etc.) -- THEN let the sound be evoked. Try to make
an OM in a range that most in the group can hit -- neither too low nor too
high.
For those in the group: If you are talented you may do harmonics to
the leader's OM, but in general, what works best (for groups in early days at
least) is everyone trying to hit the same note, in a mid-range, and do the same
note on each OM (of any series of 3, e.g.)
Doing OM's is not toning -- if you are practiced in doing some
brillances or toning -- ensure this is complementary to the group field, and
not about you doing 'your sound' or putting your voice into the field.
Concentrate on the energy and intent of it, and if in doubt, be a bit quieter with it until you can't hear any difference between your sound and 'the group sound'. Then you can bring up some volume, if it would 'benefit the group totality'. We'll read about the Word OM later ... so just ignore the esoterics of why you are doing it -- but basically it is about creating a funnel of energy ...