What is Sacred Chant? | Awakening the Heart through Sound
- The Contemplative Society
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
For many of us, prayer is something we do with our minds (thinking) or our hearts (feeling). But in the Christian Wisdom tradition, prayer is also something we do with our bodies—specifically, through the vibration of our own voices. This practice is found at the heart of all sacred traditions worldwide, and for very good reasons.
At The Contemplative Society, Sacred Chant is a core practice. It is not a performance. It is not about "singing well." It is a spiritual discipline that joins breath, voice, and intention to awaken the heart and deepen our connection with God.
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Beyond Singing: The Theology of Vibration
Why do we chant? Is it just to make worship "pretty"?
According to our founding teacher, Cynthia Bourgeault, chanting is an essential technology for transformation. In her book The Wisdom Way of Knowing, she explains that sound does something silence cannot:
"What meditation accomplishes in silence, chanting accomplishes in sound: it wakes up the emotional center and sets it vibrating to the frequency of love and adoration while feeding the body with that mysterious higher ‘being food’ of divine life."
When we chant, we are not just exchanging information or singing a melody. We are using the body as a tuning fork. The vibration of the voice calms the nervous system, anchors the wandering mind, and allows the meaning of the sacred text to drop from the head into the "eye of the heart."
It allows us to experience, beyond the distortions of our personal emotions, the power and profundity of the Divine passion itself.
The History of Sacred Chant
While it may feel new to some, chanting is the original "operating system" of Christian prayer.
The Early Church: The first Christians didn't just read the Psalms; they sang them. Whether in Aramaic, Greek, or eventually Latin, they understood that the Word of God was meant to be embodied, not just analyzed.
A Universal Language: As the church grew and services were often held in languages (like Latin or Greek) that were not the local tongue, chant became the bridge. It allowed the people to participate in the mystery even when the words were foreign. The vibration of the chant became their experience of faith—a way of knowing God beyond the intellect.
The Benedictine Tradition: For centuries, monks have chanted the Psalms seven times a day. This wasn't just ritual; it was a way of letting the rhythm of the text shape their inner lives, creating a "container" of sound that held the community together.
The Wisdom Tradition Today: In our modern Wisdom Schools, we reclaim chant to synchronize our energy. As participants chant together, they often report a distinct shift in the room, a "thickening" of silence and a deep sense of unity that goes beyond words.
How to Practice Sacred Chant
The beauty of chant is its simplicity. You do not need a trained voice. In fact, Cynthia often reminds us that simple, natural voices are the best vessels for this work.
"At its simplest, chanting is merely a matter of putting voice to the words you see on a page. On a single tone is fine."
The Basic Method
Choose a Sacred Text: A short phrase from the Psalms, a line from the Gospels, or a simple prayer (e.g., Maranatha or Kyrie Eleison).
Find a Tone: Pick a single note that feels resonant and comfortable for your voice.
Engage the Breath: Chant the phrase on the exhale. Let the sound vibrate in your chest, not just your throat.
Repeat with Intention: Continue for 5–10 minutes. Don’t be self-conscious. Sense the wonder of your own breath and tone.
"In a mysterious way, your true voice... is very closely related to your true self; and as you learn to sing out of your own natural being without pretense or strain, the beauty of your unique quality of aliveness will shine through." — Cynthia Bourgeault
Resources for Your Practice
We have curated several resources to help you begin, from introductory teachings to embodied examples.
Introduction to Chanting with Cynthia Bourgeault
In these videos, Cynthia explains why chant is an essential form of worship and how it is used in our Wisdom Schools.
Embodied Chant: The Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic
Brian Puida Mitchell, was a member of the Kamloops Contemplative Group, shares a powerful example of embodied chant. The musical mode used for the chant is Middle Eastern.
The Context: The text uses the original Aramaic (the mother tongue of Jesus), translated by scholar Joseph Fitzmeyer.
The Sound: It uses a Middle Eastern musical mode, bringing us closer to the sonic landscape of the early Jesus movement. Words and music from the recording: Songs of Presence: Contemplative Chants for the New Millennium
Recommended Guides
Chanting the Psalms by Cynthia Bourgeault: An authoritative guidebook (with CD) that covers the "hows and whys" of chanting in the Wisdom tradition.
Wisdom Community Chant Leaders: There are many talented chant leaders within our global community. Even if you are shy about singing, these resources from Wisdom Waypoints provide beautiful, easy-to-sing chants for personal or group use.
A Final Encouragement
Don’t let the fear of "sounding bad" keep you from this practice. As the early desert monks knew, the voice is a bridge. When we chant, we cross that bridge from the busyness of our minds into the spaciousness of the heart.
*Curated by Nicholas Fournie, Communications Coordinator, The Contemplative Society
PO Box 23031, Cook St. RPO
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada, V8V 4Z8
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