The Gentle Voice
We are all born with beautiful and in–tune voices, and it is possible for us all to return to the full expression of this instrument that can express truth and beauty within us. Over the many years I have been teaching what has evolved for me is that what really helps everyone in their self-expression, creativity, singing, and in speaking their truth and being heard, is gentleness.
The very first place where this can be introduced is within our breath. Our breath carries our voice, and so the first place we express ourselves is our out-breath, so we first learn how to allow our breath to be gentle. Now this sounds simple and it is and I would like you to try something. Close your eyes and allow yourself to breathe gently through your nose, with no pushing or pulling of the breath. A cool breath comes in from the tip of the nose, at the top of the nostrils, and leaves, warmer, on the bottom of the nostrils. Allow it all to slow down so the rhythm becomes natural, and eventually allow yourself to rest at the bottom of your breath, and allow yourself to pause and rest there before the next in-breath. It is at this point that we can start to make a choice about letting go of the need to control.
As you may know, most voice work is based on pushing the voice ‘out’, projecting out, and breaking through the resistance. Yes, this will get ‘a’ voice out of your body, but it cannot bring with it any of your true essence, and is definitely not healing or nurturing. This is not about being compliant or softly spoken. You can come from gentleness and still have volume, clarity, and strength in your voice and yourself.
So once people have an understanding of gentle breath then they can start to feel what gentle toning is like. What this does is allow the body, in its own natural rhythm, to express in gentleness without imposing any idea or concept of what the voice ‘should’ sound like. It is at this point where we can start to hear the control in our lives, manifesting in a forced, controlled and false tone within our voice, and then we have the opportunity to work with and release this. What is possible then is to start to reconnect with our bodies, our stillness and our hearts. With this unfolding awareness we can build new relationships with our bodies, our voices, the rhythms that our bodies love to move to, and each other. This whole process of allowing the voice to emerge with no force and no expectation, enables us to reconnect to ourselves, recognising, knowing and being all that we are.
So now what is able to be brought up and revealed are some of the very old patterns of separation and self-doubt, fear and contraction. These patterns are always reflected in our voice and in what we say, and how we express in our lives. When these old patterns are exposed and cleared, what is left is the start of true joy and a union with our true selves. This doesn’t have to be ‘big’ and ‘traumatic’, we learn to just observe and let go. What is great about working with our voice in this way is that we can have great insight into where we have been, have the opportunity to start to be honest, recognising and releasing some old patterns, and then take a gentle breath or two and return to our hearts, singing together again. Creating harmonious tones with our voices is really quite magical. It creates a joyful feeling of oneness, and brings with it profound healing. There is a sense of union, where we let go of feelings of separation and comparison, and also grow to nurture and cherish our individual path of return to our inner heart.
Chris and Jenny James
