The voice is a very powerful tool in life. With it we can: get a point across; express our needs, feelings, desires; take responsibility for those needs; decide when to stop and listen and when to speak up; follow a rhythm or tune, sing, scream, yell, whistle; spread love or hatred.
Every time we open our mouths, we choose what we want to communicate, what we want to share in the world.
Recently (as you may have noticed), I have been thinking about and exploring the use of voice. I am taking singing lessons to get re-in-touch with my voice. I am practicing expressing myself and my truth as much as possible and as appropriate. I have decided to speak up more often and make conscious choices on what I am sharing through the use of my voice.
Through this work, what I have found is that my voice is strongly linked with my sense of personal empowerment. The minute I don’t say something that I need to say or stay silent on an issue that I wanted to address, I feel disempowered. Then, I feel frustrated for not expressing myself and that frustration can easily turn into negative self-talk. It used to happen all the time but I have been working on staying aware when it happens and, instead, making the decision to communicate in a way that will lead to a sense of empowerment. When I am able to speak up, I feel a lot more grounded in who I am and what I believe in.
For some, it is easier to not say anything, to go unnoticed, unrecognized. For others, it is easier to demand for what we want regardless of how it affects others. One decision disempowers, the other overpowers.
The key, I believe, is to approach all communication and expression with compassion; to infuse compassion in how we talk to ourselves, how we talk with others, and how we express ourselves in the world.
Therefore, my main intention — what I am focusing my current voice-work on — is to have everything I say come from my heart, from a place of compassion toward myself and others.
An Exercise to Try:
For a long time I have been doing morning pages — stream of consciousness writing — every morning (this is a habit I picked up from The Artist's Way, a creative workbook by Julia Cameron... which I highly recommend to anyone & everyone).
I find that this is an effective way to sort out what is going on in my brain, including the frustrations, the excitements, the things I want to do and have to do, realizations, hopes, fears, etc. Writing every morning helps me work through these thoughts rather then carry them around in my head all day.
But recently, after practicing for a singing lesson, I stopped and decided to record myself speaking in a similar stream of consciousness format. And it was POWERFUL! It felt like it was coming from somewhere deep within me that I wasn't accessing through writing morning pages. So, I have been trying to incorporate this voice recording practice throughout my week in addition to daily morning pages.
If we can speak from our hearts in the comfort of solitude, we will be more likely — more able — to access our voices with compassion when interacting with others and with the world!
Here's how you do it:
- Grab a voice recorder. Most phones have a voice recorder built in or you can download a specific app.
- Find a quiet place where you are alone and don't have to worry about being overheard. The goal being to limit feelings of self-consciousness.
- Get quiet and connected to your heart. What are you feeling? What are you grappling with or exploring in your life? Sometimes having a topic will help you get started.
- Don't worry about what you say — just speak. Remember, no one is going to listen to this but you!
- Keep going! I usually find that I get to the real meat of the inspiration and purpose around the 3 - 5 minute mark. So trudge through the jumbled words, confusion, and the times you don't quite know what you want to say.
- Listen back to the recording. Listen to your words, your voice, your passion — with LOVE! Let go of judgements and hear it as if it were a best friend talking to you, sharing their heart.
- Experiment. Pick a couple different topics or big, life questions to speak about. Experiment with the time of day or week that you do this exercise. Even experiment with how you speak. For example, try getting rhythmic with your voice — like spoken word. It may feel silly at first but once it starts flowing, having a rhythm can take it to another level. And remember, the more you practice the more comfortable it will feel.
I would love to know what you think of this exercise and what it does for you. Please respond in the comment section below or send me a note through the contact form. Happy experimenting!