Holding Hope in Song

Yellow Rose A bud of golden hope Just arrived at my door Tightly coiled in the clasp Of tiny twirling branches Carrying the promise of Bright spring days and Ripening blossoms In its furled beauty. So these coiled days Where we draw in, Carry the promise of Greater care and tenderness When from bud we bloom Carrying the love of those We have lost on the branches Of spring's golden song. I wrote this poem after receiving this beautiful rose from Welcome Choir member Zuleika.  One of my lockdown projects is collating collections of my poetry which I look forward to sharing with you!

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Holding Hope In Song Dear Friend Holding Hope Hope you are safe and well this virtual Easter/ Passover/  Bank Holiday I just wanted to beam out lots of love and say a HUGE THANKYOU to everyone who has come to sing online and sent donations, messages, jokes, flowers, fruit or stopped for a socially distant chat. My heart goes out to all frontline workers, those who are unwell, those grieving loved ones and those facing this crisis in poverty, war, violence and displacement. I hold hope that in the quiet time we are seeding potential for a huge hug fest and explosion of creativity that could help make our world a more loving, sustainable, fair, caring, beautiful place to be. How, Where and Why to keep singing during lockdown. Here's some resources to help us keep singing our way through this storm. For the HOW AND WHERE, please check this page on my website and here's the WHY... much of which applies to other forms of creativity. Staying Connected We may be physically distant but we can stay connected in many virtual ways or via post and telephone. Singing online does have very real limitations - due to delays we can't all hear and sing together. However we can still see and sing along with each other from the safety of our homes - we can wave, whoop, cheer, laugh and make silly sounds together.  We can keep growing the supportive ecosystems of our choirs and social groups in new and unusual ways - my choirs have been having online parties and talent shows! Boosting Wellbeing We are facing a respiratory virus and many of us our now moving around less due to lockdown. So as a gentle form of cardio- vascular exercise which deepens our breath cycle, having a good sing - whether in the shower or with online choir, can really support our wellbeing. A great stress buster, it helps us to blow off steam and express our feelings in a safe, creative way.  I've been starting my online sessions with a really good stretch and ending with optional dancing to help keep us all moving. Being Creative in the Now I used to say to myself, although you're in restricted and limiting circumstances and you've no idea whether you're going to be out tomorrow, whether you're going to be out in 5 years, whether you're going to die in this place, remember one thing, this is your life now, not tomorrow, not yesterday, now. And in this moment, don't be defeated.. I thought those years in captivity were totally wasted. At the time. But looking back, they weren't. Because I was forced there to use my imagination.. I wrote my first book in my head  Terry Waite former hostage. Many new forms of creativity are springing up in these times, as we adapt to our new virtual world.  We are having to dream up new ways to celebrate birthdays, mark social occasions, educate our children, stay active etc. Singing takes us into the realms of imagination, intuition and dreams - enabling us to refresh tired and worried minds and access sources of rejuvenation and inspiration.  Just like other forms of creativity - reading a book, watching a movie - it takes us into creative present moment awareness, giving us fresh perspectives on our lives. Play! Play, fun, laughter are all great antidotes to stress and anxiety, releasing happy hormones into our systems.  We've been enjoying laughing and being silly at online choir sessions which is such good therapy.  For a big boost for your joy vitamins, check out my friend Joe Hoare's online Laughter Yoga sessions. Holding Hope Sure as the wind is blowing and sure as the rain Sure as the sun does shine, we will raise our song again - Libana Singing ultimately keeps our spirits up and helps us remain hopeful amidst lockdown, to affirm that this too shall pass, that we will again hug and sing together and that we will emerge having grown, changed and created new ways of living that will enrich our world. Wishing you and yours nourishing, playful, restful, creative times during lockdown Be well, be safe, breathe deep, sing loudly - huge amounts of love and good singing vibes.

Courageous Creativity in Challenging Times

#LoveWall by JGoldcrown, Cafe Gratitude, Los Angeles

Courageous Creativity in Challenging Times Dear Friend Hope you are safe and well, sending you HUGE VIRTUAL HUGS!!! and so much singing love as we face this global crisis together. Boosting our creativity during this time of retreat can help build our collective immunity, spreading love and strength.  Many of us have been touched and uplifted by seeing videos of our Italian friends singing on their balconies. It affirms the creative power of our hearts and voices to rise to meet challenges, like flowers springing up amidst concrete.   Courage comes from the French word for heart Couer and I truly believe we can take heart and find courageous, creative ways through thus storm. Since all my choirs closed, I have been asking how I can serve at this time and will be sharing online singing, writing and videos to help keep our spirits up. This blog is intended to be a practical resource kit for Courageous Creativity 5 Ways to Manage Fear Wisely 5 Remedies for Wellbeing 5 Ways to Courageous Creativity 5 WAYS TO MANAGE FEAR WISELY I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. - Nelson Mandela It is absolutely natural and understandable to feel afraid in these uncertain times. Fear is survival response which arises whenever we face a real or perceived threat.   We currently face a very real threat to our collective wellbeing which is generating a huge amount of collective fear.  What counts is what we do with our fear and how we manage it, so it becomes a useful force rather than a mad debilitating toilet roll buying panic. 1. BREATHE DEEP Breathing deeply resets and calms our nervous system, supports healthy lung function and enables us to face challenges with clarity. Belly Breath - place your hand on your belly and take long soft breaths, feeling the rise and fall of your hand. See how much you can deepen the motion without forcing. Other helpful breathing exercises:  6 Count Breath (breathe in for 6, hold in for 6, breathe out for 6, hold out for 6)  Alternate Nostril Breathing, Pursed Lip Breathing and Lions Breath 2. TAKE ACTION Some of our fears are calls to action and need to be attended to. We are being called right now to protect each other by staying home, social distancing and careful hygiene.  Do not ignore the message, your fear is real and taking constructive action will relieve it and help keep everyone safe. 3. MOVE Fear is a visceral experience with physiological symptoms - our hearts beat fast and stomachs churn.  Physical activity helps discharge and channel it constructively, so get moving with some cooking, cleaning, DIY, a walk, workout, online yoga class (check out Yoga with Adriene) or a wild sing and dance - here's my Dance Like Noone's Watching playlist 4. TAME THE MONKEY MIND There are so many helpful tools to calm an anxious mind including Positive self talk - speak or sing a helpful phrase/ affirmation/ mantra Hypnosis - check out Marisa Peer Meditation - Deepak & Oprah’s Meditation Experience  CBT online courses are available via IAPT Gratitude Lists - helps us focus on the good stuff Mind and other Mental Health Charities Less scrolling, more creating - limit your intake of news and social media 5. STAY CONNECTED Remember you are not alone in this - we are all in this together. This crisis is making us all aware of how much we love and value each other and miss our hugs. Social Distancing is making us find creative new ways to share resources and stay in touch. Amidst the chaos and pain, there is a catalytic potential for transformative change of our social structures and lifestyles for more care, peace, love, unity and sustainability. Yvonne Coomber 5 REMEDIES FOR WELLBEING  Courage is more exhilarating than fear, and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down. - Eleanor Roosevelt These remedies can support respiratory health and boost immune response 1. TURMERIC - add to warm water with your choice of lemon juice/ coconut oil/ honey and for the brave hearted cayenne pepper 2. GARLIC IS YOUR FRIEND - finely chop a clove, add to a small amount of water and swig it down like a shot- no smell!  Other immune boosters include ginger, vitamin C & D and eating / juicing lots of  fresh fruit and veg. 3. STEAM - head under a towel over a bowel of boiling water. 4. SLEEP - use the quiet time to rest and rejuvenate 5. LAUGH - a good belly laugh promotes deep breathing & boosts joy vitamins - so top up on jokes and comedy eg  Stay At Home Comedy Festival This was sent to me by a member of my Welcome Choir!   5 PROMPTS FOR COURAGEOUS CREATIVITY Creativity is contagious. Pass it on - Einstein 1. FILL THE CREATIVE CUP We can use this time at home to connect with creative sources of inspiration, learning and self-development though virtual tours, online concerts, books, courses and podcasts. Chatter Pack has a fun list of suggestions, #64MillionArtists are running a 2 Week Create to Connect programme and The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is the absolute classic creative support manual. 2. FIND ONLINE SOLUTIONS Those of us facing daunting restrictions on our work lives are now asking how can we serve and contribute when we are no longer able to hold meetings, events, conferences and groups. There is however so much we can do online: we can learn from leading online entrepreneurs such as Leonie Dawson, Marie Forleo, use online platforms including Zoom, Kajabi and Udemy for courses and meetings, write and publish e-books via Kindle, sell creative products via Etsy, CD Baby or Bandcamp, get hired via Fiverr and set up Facebook/ WhatsApp support groups. 3. NEW CREATIVE OFFERINGS now is the time to be making books, music, artwork, blogs, vlogs, articles, Facebook lives, podcasts, e-courses to help bring beauty, inspiration, insight and growth to the world. 4. CLEAN HOUSE Spring clean and sell stuff on e-bay or clear up outstanding admin, accounting or unresolved issues.  Organising for Creatives by Sheila Chandra is a great resource to get your creative house in order. 5. SING! Flexing your vocal muscles and swelling your lungs with song will support your inner and outer resiliency.  Choirs are no longer able to meet and sing in person but there are many wonderful online initiatives springing - see below for a list.  My choirs have been having fun testing out online sessions and I will be running some workshops for big and little people - more info below. SHARE THE LOVE This is an unprecedented time of challenge, but we can help each other by sharing the love.  Let’s dream up new ways we can live and work together and alchemise this crisis with courageous creativity. Take care, be well, be safe, breathe deep, sing loudly - huge amounts of love and good singing vibes.

Choirs During Corona  All choirs will no longer be meeting in person until it is safe to do so. Members of Welcome Choir, Caterham Community Choir, Lung Songs and ManSong  are experimenting with singing online. Online Singing Sessions for Big & Little People Little - Weds 11-11.30am Big - Sundays 2-3pm please click here for a fun invitation Please email info@therosewindow.org for a link to come onboard Donations welcome via my Honesty Box, I will donate part of the proceeds to St George's Hospital Charity Coronavirus Appeal https://www.therosewindow.org/choirs