Some helpful ways to connect to your voice and work through vocal blocks at home

You often hear the phrase “the eyes are windows to the soul”. I think our voice is the true window to our soul. Our voice is so much more than tone and pitch and the words we say. Through our voice comes every part of our soul and our true self. Our voice is one of the most powerful tools we own. In our bodies, it is literally the gateway from our head to our heart. Psychologically, it is the gateway from our internal and external world. Communication is the foundation for a healthy relationship. Our voice takes our physical experience and translates it into meaning. We then chose to express it to ourselves or express it to others externally. Our voice holds our sense of personal power and our identity.

Did you know that your relationship to your voice greatly impacts your mental health?

Not using your voice or not feeling confident in your voice can lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression. Your voice serves as power and a protective force for yourself. It keeps things that are unsafe out, and it invites things that feel good in.

In the Indian philosophy of the Chakra system (main energy centers in our body)- our voice and throat is the 5th Chakra associated with the color blue. When the energy in our 5th chakra is blocked we may experience throat or jaw problems. We may clench our jaw or feel soreness or hoarseness in the throat. Energy blocks in the 5th chakra can also show up in thyroid problems.

In exploring my own relationship to my voice, I noticed that as a child I always spoke quietly or muffled my words. I said things in my head but would rarely raise my hand to speak in class. I was silent in groups and did not know how to properly enter a group conversation. Many people mistakenly took this to be aloofness or disinterest. I spent many adult years working with my external voice and learning how to express myself. I worked with my dreams, with energy blocks and how to connect to my own voice. I learned how to communicate what I was feeling and my true self. Of course, I still have moments of blips when I awkwardly enter a group conversation or interrupt someone with a comment. But now when I speak, I feel like what I have to say matters and I feel compelled to share my thoughts and feelings. I have less anxiety in groups and with people I do not know.

What is your relationship to your own voice?

What happens when you feel silenced? How do we you feel when your voice is not heard? How many times do you not speak when you have had something to say? How often do you get sore throats? What is the quality and tone of your voice?
How do you and your loved ones communicate?

Some quick ways to connect or work through blocks to your voice at home:

Sing in the shower
Scream as loud as you can in your car or enclosed space
Meditate on the color blue (vibrant bright blue)
Pay attention to the color blue in your dreams or in your environment
Practice saying “no” and “yes” firmly in the mirror, not looking down or away from yourself