The theme for this month's Practice Series is VOICE. Over the next five weeks, we'll explore our creative voice, cultivate self-expression, and hone the ability to mindfully speak our truth.
In our everyday lives, we sometimes keep a sound barrier around ourselves—swallowing or choking back certain aspects of our experience and interaction with the world. (Ever get shoulder/neck/jaw tightness? That can come with clamping down and trying to control your voice.)
This week we’re starting small in our voice exploration, practicing vocalizing in a primal way, letting sound and vibration move through your body without worrying about words. It’s designed to help you both feel and free your voice—and notice what comes up in the process.
Ideally, you’ll want to do this practice in a place where you feel comfortable making a little noise. But you can also tailor this to your surroundings, sticking with steps #1 and #2 for now and skipping the rest if you’re in a public place.
Practice:
- Drop awareness down into your body and feel your breath moving in and out for a few breaths. Relax your jaw.
- Take a deep inhale in through your nose, then open your mouth and let out a sigh. Allow it to be an audible sigh, with a sense of release. Repeat a few more times. Notice how it feels.
- If you’re in a place where you can keep going, try out another sound: a louder sigh, a groan, a giggle. Again, how does it feel?
- Ready to go a little deeper? Try tapping into a more fierce primal sound: a howl. Yes, it’s normal to feel a little silly here. Though it can also be fun and freeing!
How did it feel to give voice in this way? Uncomfortable? Silly? Cathartic? Feel free to voice a word or phrase in the comments below.
Photo by Marina del Castell on Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
