How Your Voice and Daily Singing Practice May Guide You Through Times of Transition

The sound of silence has a quality so transformative and beautiful of its own that I have come to rely on it as a safe place.

Something feels deeply disconcerting then when I lose touch with my inner voice amidst the fog of silence. Recently I went through a change in life and the silence of this change was so loud that it felt overwhelming. My family and I left our home and web of support of 10 years behind to move to the countryside. Though a conscious choice and no tangible threat, the fear of losing what made me feel safe and happy — a feeling of home that we had nurtured — stirred me to my core and also shook my marriage. It felt as if my identity was being shifted and I felt ungrounded and anxious. This transition would have surely thrown me more off course had I not trusted in the power and safety of creating my personal daily singing practice.

Over the years of exploring with voice, I have noticed that each time I find myself wrapped in an overwhelming (inner) silence (that sometimes feels like a silent scream) the only really truthful way of pulling myself out of this has always been for me to sing. That said, there are times — as in this difficult moving time — when just opening my mouth to sing was not enough. Every time I felt a wave of uncertainty, it threw me off my path and I felt fragile again.

Therefore, I found that a dedicated practice and a sacred space to sound for a committed amount of time each day, really helps me express the sound of silence within and in doing so, helps me ground myself. When I sing in my safe space and give breath and voice to my (inner) sensations, sending soft waves of self-care into my resonating body, I come home to myself.

I would like to share with you what my daily practice may look like:

I begin to create a sacred space where I may light a candle and incense. I sit in silence and tune into my body by breathing deeply into my belly. I listen into my energetic body and from there, I choose to begin the practice either seated, standing or lying down.

I continue by tuning into my breath even more, visualizing breathing into inner spheres around my chest, diaphragm, and belly. On some days, when no sound wants to come, I create more space for this breathing practice. As I breathe, I observe any stuck-ness held in my body, noticing how old energy is being released, and I listen to the need for flow as each inhale gives me a renewed sense of possibility.

When I am ready to hear myself, I slowly breathe more audibly and begin to sound and sing up the protective layers of my outer Spherical Space — my kinesthetic Sphere. Within the holding quality of my Sphere, I can safely express any emotions and sensations that make me feel stuck and ungrounded. It contains all I need within.

When I feel ungrounded, I always consciously choose to imagine sounding into the earth, sounding into my roots, nurturing a sense of belonging within myself. This is what I need to reconnect with: my Home Body — my body, mind and soul. This is Home. I may do this standing or seated, sounding on “er” for “Earth”, activating my Root Chakra. I will sound long sustained notes within my lower vocal range, feeling into what is comfortable, allowing the sound to be soft first and then opening up more if I wish, not pushing, but giving me a sense of safety, containing me, giving me presence.

Then I may move into what I call “Earth Sound Meditation”, to connect with the earth even more. I do so by lying down on the floor on my belly, and imagining that there is an umbilical cord running from my belly button to the centre of the earth and that I am sounding through this cyclical exchange between the earth and my body. As I sound on the vowels “o” and “u” I imagine releasing with every exhale and nourishing myself with every inhale, strengthening my roots.

I may deepen the vocal practice then in a seated position, sounding just one note for a few minutes, directing the vibration of that sound to different centres in my body, especially my throat/expression, chest/heart space, diaphragm, and belly/womb space.

As my heart slowly opens with each sound, I feel there is more space to sing freely and express the raw sounds of my Being.

Sometimes when my heart needs more guidance, I turn to a song as an anchor, such as the song This Is Home, by Sophia Efthimiou. I will listen within, and maybe add new words or sounds to the melody of the original song as I need it at that moment. From one cycle of breath to the next, from one sound to the next, I listen to myself truthfully and my voice gives me the clues. I cannot hide behind my voice. Trusting is the only real path — taking it slow, connecting with my inner nature, slowly restoring a sense of belonging in my lost sense of self, singing myself home again and again.

To end the practice, I bathe myself in silence, inviting in the nurturing quality of the sound of silence. Sometimes I take time for journaling as a reflective practice to capture this moment and to bring more clarity.

Today, after some time has passed since our moving and I am continuing my daily practice, I can honestly say I feel more at home again within my body and my new surroundings. The most helpful resource — that reminded me of who I am and helped embrace the change — was the conscious choice to create this sacred space every day. It was this dedication to the ritual space of sounding that kept me feeling safe, alive, and rooted.

In times of transition, your voice can be one of the most reliable life-lines. I can only share my appreciation for my singing practice for such times of transitions. You too may find you need a safe practice to turn to when your world feels upside-down. Your voice is always with you, and it helps when you create the space for your voice to feel safe to come out and play and express your innermost fears and doubts.

If this resonates with you, maybe you would like to try to create a singing practice for yourself or use and adapt the one I described above. I invite you to prioritize self-care through voice practice, or another practice that makes you feel good, every day.

Nurture your inner being and invite your roots to grow so you can stand strong always, and especially in the winds of change.