Marsha Eger, a teacher of chanting meditation and spiritual inquiry, resides Ithaca, New York and has been practicing and teaching chanting and meditation for many years, most recently in Ireland, Australia, Poland, Ithaca and beyond. Since coming to Ithaca in 1997 she has been engaged in the spiritual community, leading chanting meditation and helping others access their own wisdom. She has studied with and attended workshops and retreats with some of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time.
Now a teacher in her own right, Marsha's singing and writing talents, along with her own spiritual quest, have coalesced ultimately into her real passion: to help others find the love, joy, and self – nurturing that is available through the very joyous practice of chanting meditation.
In 2010 Marsha left Ithaca to attend the University of Limerick’s Irish World Academy of Music and Dance and to study for a MA in Ritual Chant. She graduated in January 2012 and remained in Ireland to reside, volunteer, to teach chant and meditation at Glenstal Abbey in Limerick County, Ireland, in Dublin at the Sanctuary and elsewhere. Her nearly three years residing in this very special monastic community, whose living tradition is Gregorian chant, gave, her a fdeepr understanding of the power of a daily chant practice to center us and keep us in a state of mindfulness and gratitude. Marsha’s own perspective is from a wider view of the chant of all world traditions. This is what she teaches and practices.
In January 2012 she served as a key note speaker for an evening of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian chant at Western Ontario University’s Kings College, where for the first time these communities came together to share the beauty their chant tradition. Marsha’s thesis, A Study of Contemporary Chant Practice, looks at the chant of world traditions and their historic and spiritual influences of Eastern practice on Western Chant tradition practices in the postmodern era. She is currently expanding this work for publication. Marsha conducts workshops, chant sessions and does private work with individuals pursuing a deeper understanding of their journey and own intuitive abilities. She has composed many chants and conducts a number of theme-based workshops such as Deeply into Gratitude, Mindful Heart, Joyous Expression and more. All are based in the diversity of world traditions and include teaching her own chants as well. She is the author of Voice of My Soul, Wisdom from the Stillness, a book of poetry, ( found at http://www.amazon.com/Voice-My-Soul-Wisdom-Stillness/dp/1604941863/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452029705&sr=8-1&keywords=marsha+eger. She teaches in Ireland, Europe, Australia and the US. For a workshop or to request more information, contact Marsha at chantingmeditation@yahoo.com .
Marsha Eger is a writer, poet, composer, and most
notably an international teacher of chanting and meditation. Her work takes her
to Ireland, Poland, Spain, Australia and beyond and includes the
facilitation of evening chant sessions, full and half day workshops, weekend
retreats, lecturing and guiding of personal spiritual inquiry. Her focus is on
helping people connect to their deeper selves, to find inner peace and their
own Truth. Marsha teaches the chants of many world traditions as a way to enter
meditation. Her way of teaching results in those with little or no experience
with chanting and/or meditation easily experiencing the power of both. For those
who have never experienced meditation, the chant helps to quickly quiet the
mind. And those who have a practice find that Marsha’s way of teaching the
chant and the experience itself deepens their meditation taking them more
deeply into their own experience.
“The chant helps to quickly quiet the mind, quickly replacing
the chatter that in non-chanting meditation must dissipate over time. Those who
have never previously sat in meditation find they can quickly enter the space,
often after the first chant. “
Marsha also works in collaboration with others,
including a recent Ageless Spirit workshop with Irish spiritual soprano and
theologian, Noirin Ni Riain, a Breath of Life course with Niall Kelly,
Alexander Technique Teacher, and she co-facilitates a yearly writer’s retreat
at Glenstal Abbey with Eva O’Callaghan, certified writing teacher.
In 2012 she was the keynote for an evening of
ecumenical chant for the University of Western Ontario’s Kind College. Her
remarks, grounded in her academic work, informed the audience of the chant
traditions of each performing group, all from the Abrahamic faiths.
ABOUT
HER APPROACH:
Marsha works with people of all ages, children, college
students and adults and teaches the practice of chanting of world traditions as
entrance to meditation or contemplative practice. Using easily accessible
chants from all world traditions, she first teaches the chant, and after a
short practice invites all in the circle to close their eyes and prepare to
move inward. The chant is then sung over and over until it reaches its natural
conclusion. What follows is a period of meditation or silence.
“The chants have a powerful effect to quiet our minds
and still our bodies so we can rest deeply in ourselves.”
Marsha’s approach
is spiritual, rather than religious. It is cross-denominational, meaning she
teaches chants from many traditions and those she has composed herself, all
with universal themes or intention such as inner and world peace, love and
gratitude. The chant repertoire used includes chants from artists Robert Gass
and Deva Premal, and are from such traditions as Hinduism and Buddhism: Sri Ram and Om Shanti Om. There are
Native American chants as Shima and Ancient Mother; Jewish chants including
a simple Shma chant, Shma, listen, hear, be still , a Shalom chant
or a Hassidic Niggum (wordless chant; a Taize or Gregorian chants such as Dona Nobis(bring us peace); and special
chants for walking meditation with words by Rumi and more.
Most important: no special singing ability of prior experience
with meditation is required. Those
who have never meditated before will find the chanting quickly quiets the mind
and making entrance into meditation easier for beginners. And for those who
have a practice, the chanting helps to deepen the meditative state.
OTHER
WORK
Marsha works personally with clients teaching chant and
meditation and using it as an avenue for spiritual inquiry work for such work
as aligning purpose and passion with a client’s work in the world. She uses
this approach to help individuals do deep discernment work on personal and life
issues by guiding individuals to tap into their intuitive self.
EDUCATION
AND ACADEMIC WORK
Marsha studied at the University of Limerick, receiving
and MA in Ritual Chant from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance. Her
thesis, The Study of Contemporary Chant
Practice, contextualizes the chant practice of major traditions and traces the
history of the influences Eastern chant and meditation practice on Western
traditions beginning from the first Columbian Exposition in 1893 through present
times. Her own work draws on her academic work. She most often introduces a
particular chant by sharing information about the history and importance of
chant within a tradition. Her work is also greatly influenced by her personal
practice of chanting meditation, which then allows her to share that experience
and the resulting wisdom through the workshop content, her writing, poetry,
chant compositions and more.
HER
WRITING
In 2008 Marsha’s first volume of poetry, Voice of My Soul: Wisdom from the Stillness,
was published by Wheatmark in the United States. It can be found on
Amazon.com. She is working on a second volume and a CD of original chant
compositions. She continues to share her insights through a Weekly
Wisdom post to email subscribers. She has written extensively on her
blog, http://marshaeger.blogspot.com
about chant and other spiritual subjects. She is also a freelance writer.
A FEW TESTIMONIALS
“I was scared to join your class as I am one of the
worst singers in the entire universe!:) The introduction to different chants
from many cultures was brilliant. It was an added bonus to hear you chant with
us, this for me was one of the highlights of the day. I think of your workshop
often, it grounds me to remember what you showed us, what it feels like to be
really connected to yourself and therefore connected to a pure source of
goodness. It was a really great class, thank you!” S.W. Limerick
“The chant workshop was a great experience - the
meditiation, the music,
the little window it gave onto world religions through their sacred music.
It was fascinating to realise that each chant can bring you to experience a
different kind of meditative state.” T.R., Co. Clare
“Great opportunity for voice work in a safe space. All
levels of
ability were welcome and accepted: we all seemed to be able to tune in our own
level
so everybody got different things out of it the singing.”
I would definitely recommend it. Eva C., Dublin
“The “chanting
meditation” workshop is the journey through chants from different cultures, in
which we can experience the power and joy of singing independently from our
music background. We can discover how this simple tool, and the vibration of
our voice, can change our breath and thoughts, bringing the harmony both to our
body and mind.
In this work there are no “wrong tones” and specially for
those who always wanted to sing but never tried this session it is the great
opportunity to let the voice come out. And for those, who already sing, it is
the occasion to touch chanting from a little different side – as the way of
meditation and healing.
The warm, gentle presence of Marsha, her true love for
chants as well as her wish to share this passion with others is bringing for this
work the unique, friendly atmosphere in which everyone can express herself and
find valuable elements what we can incorporate to our daily singing and
meditating practice. “
Izabela
Młynarz. Wroclaw, Poland
SANCTUARY, DUBLIN
General Rating: 5 Star
Comments:
- This is my second workshop with Marsha. She is an excellent teacher and I find
her workshops both inspiring and healing. I love participating in her workshops and get so much out
of them.
- Absolutely brilliant healing and enjoyable day,
wonderful really.
- Food for the Soul
- Wonderful course for anyone who is new to
meditation and understand about gratitude in their life.
- Very
helpful re the idea of a gratitude journal and self compassion.
- Thank you Marsha for your kindness and
understanding, for sharing your yummy lunch.
- Wonderful, she is a beautiful person, very
knowledgeable, lovely day.
- Wonderful relaxing special day, I am grateful for
this day.
