ATSANA

ATSANA

The Anthroposophical Therapeutic Singing Association of North America developed out of the work of Valborg Werbeck-Svärdström in collaboration with Rudolf Steiner from 1912-1924. Mrs. Werbeck-Svärdström created the basic training of the voice through her singing school, The School for Uncovering the Voice, which is the foundation for further therapeutic singing training. Members of ATSANA have received certification as Therapeutic Practitioners of the voice from the Medical Section of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. 

Anthroposophic Singing Therapy (Therapeutic Singing) employs the Zodiacal and Planetary influences connected with the specific consonants and vowels, the sung tone, melodies, rhythms, intervals, and movements, to help remove obstacles and bring about the balance and healthy integration of the four members of the human being: ego, astral, etheric and physical.  Each therapy is individually crafted from the above-mentioned elements to meet the needs of the client.  The human singing voice, with balanced breathing and lifted tone, proves itself to be a healing modality, and the client is actively able to use their voice to help heal themself.  Therapeutic singing offers a wide range of exercises with healing/balancing possibilities for many conditions by addressing the living forces of the human being. 

This therapeutic approach does not require that you need to have had any prior singing experience in order to benefit from its practice. All that is needed is an interest to use your voice to heal yourself, a willingness to actively engage with the sounds, and the understanding that you are more than your condition allows you to be.  

In her book, Mrs. Werbeck-Svärdström said, ” … the voice is not an earthly thing that comes and goes and can be grasped like other material things, but a supersensible entity having an independent existence of its own; whether or not a person can sing outwardly – this matters little to it.” 

(Uncovering the Voice, pg. 186).

Dr. Eugen Kolisko, an anthroposophic doctor who collaborated with Mrs. Werbeck-Svärdström and participated in her therapeutic singing courses, pointed out that, “Singing has the task today, of working in a curative and pedagogical and a social and hygienic way.”  (Social-Therapeutic Medical Singing Course, pg. 19).

Rudolf  Steiner describes that, “When we live in a musical element, we dwell in a reflection of our spiritual home.”  

(Music, Mystery, Art and the Human Being, pg. 55)