“Music is the pen of the soul” - Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi

Have you ever struggled to find the words for a particular feeling, a mode of expression that can take it from festering deep within and into the outside, letting the energy free? Have you ever wondered how it might feel to allow spontaneous joy, deep yearning, or complete awe and gratitude erupt from inside? The Chassidic niggun has long been a tool for spiritual transformation, enabling the deepest desires and struggles of the soul, heart and mind to manifest themselves through song.

Join us in Harlem for a journey into niggun, the Hasidic melodies of old, as we integrate them into our personal self-improvement through a journey of meditation that won’t require you to clear your mind, sit in silence (for more than a few minutes, anyway…) or even know how to sing on key. All it takes is an open heart and desire to learn.

We will be focusing on niggunim from the Chabad-Chassidic tradition, known for their complexity and spiritual focus. Light refreshments served.

The Chassidim of yestseryear crafted the worldless niggun for the purpose of connecting to God to higher spirit - and to themselves, through the journey of transformation that is music. We'll explore music as medicine and find the inner meditation in Nigun, from Chabad and other Chassidic traditions, with modern applications to our own personal journeys.

This workshop is part of the Let My People Sing! weekend retreat at Isabella Freedman in Falls Village, CT. It requires registration with the retreat and will be held on Sunday at 9.15am.

The work of our time is to harmonize and integrate our internal masculine and feminine elements, understanding our own shadows and bringing them to the light so we can learn the lessons and move forward. We’ll explore the underpinnings of this sacred struggle through Kabbalah and other ancient goddess myths, and journey into our own experience with guided meditation, drumming and a bass-driven dance into the depths.

This workshop at Gratitude Migration: Summer Dream 2017 requires purchase of a 3-day festival pass to Gratitude Migration and will take place on Sunday morning at the Mind-Body-Spirit domes by Archimedes Designs.