Your Naked Voice – A Taste of Freedom

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”       ~ Mary Oliver, The Summer Day

What is it you love about your voice? A seemingly simple question that typically arises at some point during a Naked Voice gathering (www.thenakedvoice.com). It may never have occurred to us that our voice is something we can or should love. 

In fact, it’s quite often the opposite. Due to different life experiences many people develop a negative perception of their own voice and may become shut off from it. (I don’t like the sound of my own voice. It’s not good enough. It’s too loud.  It’s too quiet. It’s too much.) It’s as if the voice is something that is separate from ourselves. The reality is that our voice is such an innate part of us, that what we say and feel about it, is really what we are saying and feeling about ourselves. By denying the voice, we deny the essence of who we truly are.  The good news is that once we start to heal our relationship with our voice, we start to heal our relationship with ourselves, and in turn with others and with the world. 

Sounding is something which is very natural to us and is central to our health and well being. We’ve just forgotten how to use the voice as a medium for authentic self expression and healing, as opposed to using it “to perform” or to impress someone. 

Once we remember how to express ourselves from the heart, without fear or judgement, we can tap into the wisdom of the natural music and silence that is in all of us and all around us, and the possibilities are endless. We taste a freedom that allows us to develop beyond our insecurities and awakens us to our full potential.  Using the voice in this way opens up the creative self and brings joy to our living. We become more self aware and are able to communicate in a more conscious and compassionate way.   We build a steady centre, natural confidence, trust and courage that can support us in facing the many challenges of these turbulent times. 

And we do not need to be “singers”, we just need to be prepared to make a start with a little leap of faith ....