Bathed in beauty.
That's how I felt one afternoon this week, singing in a garden under a sycamore tree with a kindred soul beside me.
Fun songs that made us laugh, our own created song about summer, a reflective tune that I like called Silver Moon. It was simply what I needed: To allow my brain a few moments to connect with laughter, sound, my own voice alongside another's tone.
There is something very powerful about singing together. It breaks into the 'fun' side of the mind, freeing us from the routines of life, from worry; from the list that was previously bogging down my mind. Singing together encourages fluidity, and being fully present in the moment.
There are studies on the positive effects the brain receives while creating music in a group. Certain areas of our emotional access points are engaged, relaxing the mind in a way that's similar to meditation.
The synergy of breaking into song is so joyful for me. A nearby man in the gardens thanked us for inspiring him with our music, and spoke of the joy he sensed in us.
A crow landed near us a few times, as though he too felt the magic of our voices, this shared moment of savoring life.
Synergy. Freedom. Surprise.