Githa Ben-David - A Note from Heaven: How to Sing Yourself Into a Higher State of Consciousness

An enriching East-West guide to the voice as a spiritual practice rooted in a range of essential vocal practices, the Note from Heaven deepens self-inquiry, and awakens your hearts ears through a joyous process of creative intention, self-discipline and expression.

Chloe Goodchild, author, singer, voice pioneer, founder of thenakedvoice.com

I have read Githas fantastic book and my copy is full of red and blue underlines! The book has started so many exciting thoughts in my head. You have done in practice what I intuitively got close to and believed in when I made the film As in Heaven.

Kay Pollak, director of the Academy Award-nominated film As in Heaven

More and more people are discovering that one of the most potent forms of therapy lies hidden in their voice. Our voice is able to build a bridge between mind and body. It can activate, relax, open the mind for new dimensions and expose buried emotions. Githa Ben-David is one of the pioneers in this area. The method she has developed, regressive cell-singing, is based on her wealth of experience. This book will contribute to even more people discovering the undreamt of possibilities lying within our natural voice.

Audun Myskja, general medical practictioner, professor, specialist in music used as therapy

What a wonderful eye and heart-opening book! TheNote from Heaven is for anyone who is wounded in body and soul. The miracles lie right in front of us, we just need to bend down and pick them up.

Hella Joof, award-winning actress and director

The Note from Heaven is nothing less than a treasure trove of knowledge. It is a masterpiece and a pedagogic work of art.

Helle Hewau, psychologist, spiritual mentor, sound healer

THE
NOTE
FROM
HEAVEN

BY GITHA BEN-DAVID

HOW TO SING YOURSELF
TO HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS

MY HEARTFELT THANKS TO

First and foremost, Mangala Tiwari, my teacher of classical Indian singing, who led me to my path.

Lars Muhl, my beloved husband, who supports me with love in all I do.

My two singing sons for their open minds, purity and support.

Jane Helbo, Susan Andersen and James Hodgson for translation and editing.

Michael Mann and all at Watkins.

Graham Bishop, Doctor Karl and the White Brotherhood for their invaluable support.

All you who are open to the power of inspiration.

OVERTURE

A bush and a tree. They stand there in the middle of the field, marking my turning point.

The walk has taken me through snow-covered fields in Decembers hazy darkness. Its about 5pm. Imagine this never-ending white landscape, which seems to merge into the sky, is merely a small section of an endless Mongolian steppe

In the distance the hum of traffic can be heard. It doesnt help to cover my ears. The sound vibrates imperceptibly through my body. The silence of nature is indescribably healing, and right now, my whole being yearns for it.

So, here we are, the bush, the tree, and I tranquilly drawing breath. The trees humbly spread out their arms to receive whatever comes from above. It strikes me that the serene silence expressed in this humility makes up for the absence of a Mongolian steppe. The trees seem unaffected by the cars passing by on the distant horizon. Even if threatened by a chainsaw, they would firmly stand their ground, unshakable in their faith. The branches unfold the best they can. If there is too much western wind, they bend. If a neighbouring branch gets in the way, they twine around it.

Obstacles make us bend and look for another way. No matter how complicated, the way forward is towards the light.

The snow drifts gently down onto my head. I welcome these magic crystals with reverence and feel blessed. There are many different types of vegetation in the patchwork of fields. On closer inspection it is clear that each one has its own distinctive character trees, bushes, all equally beautiful in their existence.

I too raise my arms to the heavens and, for a moment, experience eternity within myself.

Why do we have to make ourselves so all important?

In times of hardship, life will block your path. At some point, you bend, find the way forward or perhaps break down. It all depends on what you are up against, and who you are. Fate, combined with the fact that you did what you could.

So simple and beautiful. The thought appears naked in this greyish, opaque darkness.

CONTENTS

PART I
ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH THE NOTE FROM HEAVEN

PART II
SINGING WITH THE NOTE FROM HEAVEN

PART III
CREATIVE MUSIC-MAKING

PART I
COLLECTIVE TRAUMATIZATION

PART II
REGRESSIVE CELL-SINGING

PART III
RESONANCE WITH DOMINO EFFECT

The Note from Heaven Book I

How to Sing Your Self

In memory of Mangala Tiwari (19552010)

INTRODUCTION

My first encounter with India and Indian singing, in December 1986, led me into something that I am only now beginning to understand. This inexplicable something made my career as a classical/rhythmic saxophone player seem pale and uninteresting by comparison. I felt drawn to singing, to creativity for its own sake, and my efforts to achieve public success worked against that.

In 1999, I started writing a book about this something, because I felt that writing would enable me to reach out wholeheartedly to my surroundings with my music. At first, the process felt more like a duty than something I really wanted to do, so I tried to get it over with as quickly as possible. However, that was not to be. It took no fewer than three rewritings and a substantial editing down before The Note from Heaven was born.

Writing the book caused remarkable changes in my spiritual life. There was a pleasant tingling in my scalp, and with every page I wrote I learned more and more from all the information and ideas that simply fell into my lap.

The Note from Heaven is based mainly on my own personal experience. It was only after completing the book that I compared its contents to material from other relevant books.

In 1986 my singing teacher in India, Mangala Tiwari, said to me: Go home, and sing Aaar on your root note for one hour every day. In fact, this single instruction is really everything you need to know. Anyone who perceives the value of this instruction and follows it will be whirled into a process of spiritual development. However, I have shared my experiences and developed them further, so this book is longer than the above mentioned sentence.

Working with the Note from Heaven has set me on fire and put a wind behind me. I am never alone, as long as I listen to that wind and spread out my wings, doing whatever I possibly can to stay on track. The Note from Heaven is pure inspiration and love. My heart quivers daily with gratitude. Gratitude for gratitude. Love, love, love.

The Note from Heaven gives the singer a vibrating experience of oneness, a sound to which each of us brings our own qualities a healing sea, full of light.

The sound of the Note from Heaven has a healing effect. The first time I healed someone through my voice was when a woman with a headache regained hearing in her totally deaf left ear. I didnt even know she was deaf in that ear. I have healed people several times since then. The first time I tried to heal tinnitus, it worked. I got very excited, thinking that now I could heal anyone with tinnitus. But thats not how energy works. This kind of thinking is the voice of the ego popping up and will cause the healing power of the Note from Heaven to vanish.