How we Listen
How we Listen Immersive Learning Course
"Those who know the secret of sound know the mystery of the whole universe"
– Hazrat Inayat Khan
Dates:
London 24-25 August 2024
Manchester 7 -8 March 2025
Overview
This course offers a toolkit for communicating and navigating our way through a world where listening and being heard is more important than ever. It combines guiding you into philosophy, perspectives and techniques in using music, listening, communication, sound healing and your inner personal power to enhance your life experience. Moving between learning in a relaxed setting and entering into deep relaxed states will allow you to feel and absorb what you learn on a vibrational level.
Schedule
Day 1
10-12.30pm Morning session
12.30pm-2pm Lunch Break
2.00pm – 4.00pm Afternoon Session
4.00pm - 4.30pm Afternoon Tea break
4.30pm - 6.00pm Sound healing & listening circle. Lie Down and Listen absorb all the benefits of the day as you’re led through a deep listening sound healing and lying down with space for sharing and communal listening circle.
Day 2
10-12.30pm Morning session
12.30pm-2pm Lunch Break
2.00pm – 4.00pm Sound healing journey & reflections
4.00pm - 4.30pm Afternoon Tea break
4.30pm - 6.00pm Afternoon Session
Teas, hot drinks and snacks available throughout the day.
Who is this for?
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Musicians looking to take their playing to a deeper level or to incorporate sound into their own practise
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Artists, creatives, writers, designers etc. looking for inspiration and ways to tap into their infinite source of creativity
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Those who are sensitive to sound and vibrations and empaths looking to cultivate tools to manage
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Yoga teachers, sound healers/therapists, other wellness practitioners looking to connect through their practise and gain a new perspective
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Curious minds and entrepreneurs looking to bring a creative approach to their career
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Those looking to learn to: communicate better in relationships, in sharing emotions, being heard, being understood, communicate effectively, strengthen their inner voice,
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Those looking to hold a supportive space for others, integrate vibrational sound healing into their personal or community practice.
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Those looking to strengthen their connection with a higher spiritual source
What you'll learn
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Deep Listening – how to listen to our intuition, how to communicate.
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Using sound to explore creativity and altering our state
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Distinction between hearing, listening, sound, silence, noise
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Nada Yoga – the yoga of sound, listening and attention
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Global listening, rested listening, listening for effective communication and diffusing conflict
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Sound healing and using vibrations to heal and tap into creative intelligence
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Music philosophies – 1960’s lying down concerts, music transcending time, altered states,
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Creativity – improvising our way through life
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Creating and holding a listening field/space
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Yin Yoga, listening through discomfort
Practical Learning
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Experience live Lie Down and Listening classical piano concert experiences
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Seated and walking Meditations
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Cocreate a minimalist composition
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Visualation and manifestation in deep relaxation
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Listening exercises
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Communication exercises
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Improvisation
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Chanting
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Yin Yoga
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Yoga Nidra
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Tibetan Bowl Sound Healing
Cost
Early Bird Tickets: £245 (until 30 May)
Standard Course Ticket: £275
Course Learnings
Topics: Sound healing, vibrational medicine, music, philosophy, deep listening, communication
Our world is experiencing more conflict, anxiety and extreme views and we need to be heard more than ever.
Our strength and power lies in where we place our intention and this can have a profound positive impact in your relationships and the wider world. I believe this is powerful and important work.
In this two day day immersion course, go deep into a world of healing sound, uplifting music, beautiful connections and transformative vibrations. Learning is absorbed as students are guided into theta brain waves through weaving the lie down and listen experience into learning and practical sessions.
You'll learn how you can enrich your life with sound, music, vibrations, tools for deep listening is the most transformative thing you can do to change your perspective and positively influence others.
You’ll discover deep listening, quantum listening and other forms of listening which go beyond using our ears. You’ll discover how you can elevate your listening and communication skills beyond words to create flourishing friendships and connection with others. You’ll also be guided into important teachings and musical philosophies from composers and visionaries John Cage, Erik Satie, Jeff Bezos, Pauline Olivieros, Hildegard Von Bingen, Brian Eno etc.
Sound and music combined with intention and ritual are transformative for self healing and restoring our energy. Sound and music are a pathway into spiritual awareness.
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
― Rumi
You’ll discover a pathway in to awareness of deep listening states, exploring ideas and practises of rested listening, quantum listening, the listening field, the yoga of listening (nada yoga), listening to silence and listening for equality.
You'll increase awareness and perception in the distinctions between sound, music and silence, through practical and creative exercises.
The best way to learn and absorb powerful vibrations is when your body and mind is in a deeply relaxed state. The two day course will move between the lie down and listen experience into learning and practical sessions so you’ll be receiver of relaxation as well as positively stimulating ideas.
Get on the Waiting List
Sign up to receive the first word when booking opens for Manchester 2025
Introducing your teacher
Christina McMaster
Christina McMaster is a pianist, composer and founder of Lie down & Listen – a truly creative spirit fascinated by deep listening and sound. She has performed at numerous festivals U.K and worldwide and is known for her creative approach to programming.
She noticed that it wasn't only the rituals of classical music concert halls that led to a disconnected listening experience, but in daily
life, we are experiencing more disconnection than ever, leading to loneliness, anxiety, stress, sense of emptiness etc.
Lie down & Listen began after a chance meeting with Prof. Sir John Strang and a series of events at Kings College London to recreate the wellbeing benefits of a hallucinogenic experience without hallucinogenics - but simply using a certain combination of music in a lying down concert experience as they did in the 1960’s in downtown New York loft apartments where
music of Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Steve Reich - also known as the New York Hypnotic School.
After training in sound healing, Christina evolved which then evolved the meditation, sound healing and lying down concert experience of today which creates space for deep relaxation and for listeners to
reconnect within.
She studied with Joanna MacGregor and was later appointed Associate of London's prestigious Royal Academy of Music. She has performed worldwide at leading venues/festivals including Cheltenham, Aldeburgh, QEH, and featured on BBC Radio 4, Radio 3, Classic FM.
Christina was selected as a young artist in residence at St John’s Smith square, and from 2013-17 she curated programmes of multimedia and piano events for The Royal Academy of Music annual Piano Festival. She has been a mentor for Geneva International Music Competition, UNESCO Day of the Girl, and given talks at Universities in the U.K and U.S, including at Cambridge and Oxford Universities and was mentor at the Geneva International Music Competition in 2021.
Christina has collaborated with numerous visual artists, leading composers and artists - including composers Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Freya Waley- Cohen, Folk music legend Peggy Seeger, photographer-film maker Mary McCartney and has composed/produced music for Mother of Pearl, DAKS and Louis Vuitton.
Christina was a Visiting professor at Kings College in London, developing the ‘Sound Mind’ project with Dr Sally Marlow which ultimately evolved into Lie down & Listen – the tibetan sound healing and lying down concert experience.
In April 2023, Christina premiered ‘Inner Temple’ - her own composition/live improvisation for ‘‘Sound Unwrapped’ at Kings Place. Inner Temple was inspired by 12th Century Sonic Visionary and Priestess Hildegard Von Bingen’s vision ‘The Universe’ and created in collaboration with electronic and wellness music pioneer Tom Middleton.
Christina has a particular interest in 20th Century French Music – and spent many summers studying in Aix-en-Provence with Bernard Flavigny – student of Alfred Cortot and Walter Gieseking.
