by Johanna Fredericks, Perth WA
Recently I attended a True Expression workshop held by Victoria Carter in Perth. A small group of about 8 of us participated. The workshop was open, safe, playful and joyful. The main part I wish to share about is the power of group work.
I know that the words group work and singing don’t seem to have much in common but they actually do! I learned about the true power of group work… it was amazing!
As I have shared in ‘Feeling Free to Sing’, I grew up with issues around singing and purposely decided to stop singing. So it was extra special for me to experience my vocal expression at this workshop. I felt that I had unlocked something very powerful that has always been within me, but somewhat suppressed.
At the workshop I discovered that my presence and my way of being is the expression that my body and my voice magnifies.
We got to play with this and observe each other with some practical daily exercises. Then we were free to make sounds, some ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’ with a partner, with no attached outcome on pitch, rhythm, notes, tune etc. This was extremely freeing for me because I didn’t have to fit myself into a way of singing and I felt safe enough to experiment. I was making sounds that I hadn’t given myself the freedom to make before and it felt great.
I realised that every part of me is communicating and expressing all of the time: and another person receives this communication from my body before I even speak.
I really felt the difference in my communication when I am connected to my stillness, and my body, and when I am not.
In knowing and feeling all of this, we began to make a variety of sounds as a group – at our own pace, in our own rhythm, with our own breath, and when each of us was ready. We sang facing each other in a circle.
This was beautiful, supportive and amazing because as one sound ended, another would start. So there was a continuous flow of ooohhhhs, aaaahhhs, ooooos and eeeeeees that were in perfect harmony. This harmony resulted because we all listened to our bodies, and were in harmony with ourselves. It was a very natural and powerful feeling working together in this way.
Just when I thought that it couldn’t get more heavenly than this, we stepped it up. We stayed in a circle and faced out – singing to humanity. This was awesome because the sound that we made was far greater than the sum of each one of our individual sounds put together. And I could hear and feel that the sound my voice was making within the group was so powerful and divine, but something I had not heard myself do before.
It was like we had a heavenly ‘turbocharge’ to our voices and I cried with joy.
I know that the sound we made was only possible because of the group working as one, in full support of each other.
I wondered…
- Why don’t we work together like this in life?
- And why haven’t we been taught this from a young age?
When we are in harmony with ourselves, we can naturally be in harmony with others; and this supports us all.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that such an amazing sound could come from me, but now I know that it is there…
And I ask, if that is possible, then what else is?
On that day we felt the power of true group work – a group of people working together in perfect harmony – and the power of this.
Inspired by the work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine
The Truth about Universal Medicine 
Introducing the importance of purpose, responsibility, which includes the quality of our energy, really ought to be mandatory in early education, one wonders why it is not.
Working and living in brotherhood is where we all need to go, ‘On that day we felt the power of true group work – a group of people working together in perfect harmony – and the power of this.’
There is something beautiful about singing in a group or choir that reminds us of unity and harmony. We seem to have settled for so much less and see unity and harmony as a unique and peak / fleeting experience and not sustainable, but it actually is – it just takes our collective commitment.
“This harmony resulted because we all listened to our bodies, and were in harmony with ourselves” – this is very beautiful, and I am here wondering, when we try to think how we should be amongst others in order to be harmonious, we are opening ourselves for sympathy rather than harmony, and that perhaps connecting and loving myself so deeply takes care of everything else and moves me in a way that would naturally be harmonious for everyone else as much as for myself.
Working in harmony with others makes the heart sing.
We are so used to trying to outperform another, to be better and show our colleagues & managers that we are the best that we forget how beneficial group work can be for us and for those we work with. Perhaps we do that out of an insecurity because we live in such a disposable culture, often companies look at people as a disposable resource: “if one person is not performing we can just get rid of them”. Instead of developing our human capital and ensuring that all of our employees are looked after. If we have that mentality within a business, perhaps competition within the workplace will not be so overwhelming.
“At the workshop I discovered that my presence and my way of being is the expression that my body and my voice magnifies.” This is such an important point, our every move and sound carries a communication, which also has an impact on our own body as well as others. Knowing this brings a grand purpose to how we move and speak, as we can reflect a soulful expression to everyone around us.
How we move and express always has an impact on ourselves, and other people, ‘I really felt the difference in my communication when I am connected to my stillness, and my body, and when I am not.’
This reminds me of the time, as a little girl, before television, we used to sing together in the evenings, play games and generally be together as a family unit. I feel singing can be particularly powerful at bringing people together in a playful and equitable way that unites and inspires.
“I realised that every part of me is communicating and expressing all of the time: and another person receives this communication from my body before I even speak.” I loved reading this. To think (pun intended) that just the one thought we can have is all that we are — A great reminder we have a whole body that is always emanating when we choose to connect to it and allow the expression of who we are.
We can accomplish so much more when we work together in groups.
Which makes me question what is truly achieved when we accomplish something by ourselves? Because the truth is we are all interrelated and integrated and so if we have the notion that we have accomplished something by ourselves surely then that very fact alone is enough to negate any true merit?
I also love singing together in a group as you can feel when the group is totally together in harmony, not just with the sound of the voices technically, but energetically you can feel that the group has united and the sound that then is produced is simply exquisite and has often brought tears to my eyes too, because it is so beautiful to feel human beings, being together in this way, and because it is such a rare thing to experience this level of harmony on this planet.
It is very beautiful to read how an expression workshop can deeply support us to connect with the natural confidence within us. Once this is felt by ourselves we can walk in life with joy, trust and openess. And then being a blessing for all, melting any kind of competition that stopped us from truly connecting with each other.
We are responsible for what we express, ‘I realised that every part of me is communicating and expressing all of the time: and another person receives this communication from my body before I even speak.’
When we take the pressure off ourselves, and realise that there is no expectation to live up to, and all we need to be is who we truly are from within, we realise the harmony we can bring and how different it is working as a group than individually, because as a whole there is a greater foundation that every one can build on.
Working, and being in harmony feels gorgeous, ‘When we are in harmony with ourselves, we can naturally be in harmony with others; and this supports us all.’
“I know that the sound we made was only possible because of the group working as one, in full support of each other.” So true. There is an online group I’m in, and with much understanding – and no judgement – it feels amazing and everyone is supportive of each other. Thus true service work can get done.
How beautiful it will be when we as a humanity have a one unified voice, a one unified way of living and a one unified truth that we live by.
It’s true… if it’s possible for us to work together in a short workshop excercise it’s possible all the time, we just have to ensure that we do our part in contributing and commiting and see what’s possible.
Yes Meg – and getting self out of the way – then all is possible.
“On that day we felt the power of true group work – a group of people working together in perfect harmony – and the power of this.” There is indeed true power and harmony when we come together in this way. Singing from our inner connection offers us an opportunity to really let go of any anxiety and/or tension that we have but do not always allow when simply speaking.
When we get ourselves out of the way we get to experience true group work, it is so powerful and healing to feel what’s available to us when we connect and work in harmony together.
It is incredible what happens when we are given permission and held in the all knowng of who we are.
Wow. If that is the potential of our expression, or even just a glimpse of it, it is understandable why it feels crushing when our expression is denied or not appreciated.
‘When we are in harmony with ourselves, we can naturally be in harmony with others; and this supports us all’. Golden line that shows where true support for all begins- within us.
Group work gives a clear idea of the extent to which we get way further if we work together in life.
“I realised that every part of me is communicating and expressing all of the time: and another person receives this communication from my body before I even speak.” This is such a great point, that we are communicating all the time regardless of if we are talking or not, there is a communication and energetic ripple we emanate continually to one another which means we are constantly having an impact on one another even when alone…
This is a great reminder about energetic responsibility and energetic integrity, being aware of what quality of energy we have in our bodies and making choices to ensure it’s soulful.
We are expressing and communicating all the time, whether we are aware of it or not.
I have got to learn so much about my strengths and weakness through group work – the acceleration to be more aware is divinely incredible.
I have felt and experienced the power of group work especially in a singing group and how much I felt held and supported to express, to sing together and be a part of something bigger than yourself.
‘At the workshop I discovered that my presence and my way of being is the expression that my body and my voice magnifies’. Makes a lot of sense to be present and in one’s body before making any move as all movements are an expression of where we are at.
When we work together aligned to the one true purpose, what we reflect is the power of Brotherhood, confirming that our true power is living in connection to who we are. When we come together as one in love, we together become a movement of love, as such the love we each live is magnified though the union of our bodies and Soul. Yes, we alone are indeed powerful yet united, our might is ‘out of this world’ awe-inspiring.
I absolutely love true group work – what we can achieve together is off the planet!