Hello and welcome.
Today's practice is a bit different.
We're not going to sit still and reflect.
We're going to explore what it feels like to express yourself,
To let something out that's been held in.
Your voice,
Your truth and your energy.
Even if it's just for a few minutes and even if nobody else hears it.
So for this one you might want to find a place where you can have a bit of privacy or at least where you won't feel too self-conscious.
Standing can work well for this one but it's perhaps you want to be sat nice and straight.
Then when you're ready take in a nice long slow deep breath in,
In through the nose and out through the mouth.
And then taking another big breath in and this time let it out with an audible sigh.
Awesome.
Let's begin.
So let's start by noticing our breath.
Not looking to control anything,
Just noticing.
And now when you're ready take a deeper breath in through the nose,
Filling your belly,
Your ribs,
Your chest and then when you release it let it go with sound.
And then again in through the nose,
Filling your lungs completely,
Out through the mouth.
Feel the vibration in your throat,
The release of the sound.
It's your voice,
It's been there all along.
Now try a hum,
Any note,
Whatever comes naturally.
Feel where it vibrates,
Perhaps in the lips,
The throat,
The chest,
Perhaps in your head or jaw.
So I invite you again to hum again,
Perhaps a bit louder this time.
Awesome.
You just made some sound,
Made some noise.
The world didn't end.
It's fun to play with your own sound.
Next I would invite you to just let your arms hang gently by your sides or rest on your lap if you're sitting and it's more comfortable.
And then take a moment and ask yourself what's been unexpressed lately?
Perhaps it's frustration,
Maybe it's joy,
Maybe it's tiredness or confusion or excitement.
Whatever it is just notice it.
There's no need to analyze it or judge it.
Just feel whatever's been unexpressed for you lately.
Where does that sensation live in your body?
And if this unexpressed feeling or sensation had a sound,
What sound would it be?
Perhaps a groan,
A laugh,
A sigh or maybe a shout.
And if this feeling wanted to move,
How would it move?
Would it shake?
Would it stretch?
Maybe it would cause you to curl up or maybe it would cause you to stand up straight and really expand.
It's okay if this is tricky.
Just notice what,
If anything,
Is coming up when you look into this question.
What has been unexpressed recently?
And now we're going to try our best to give that feeling or sensation of that which perhaps has gone unexpressed something of a voice.
Not words,
Just sound.
You can start small,
A gentle exhale with a tone.
Maybe it's a sigh.
Maybe it's a groan.
But whatever it is,
Maybe something more energetic.
Whatever that sound is that is that trapped sensation or unexpressed emotion.
Whatever it is,
Just allow yourself to just let it out.
Let it be messy.
Let it be weird or uncomfortable or playful or easy.
It's not a test.
There's no pass or fail.
Just let that thing out and invite you to try again.
Perhaps see if you can go a little bit louder or a bit longer this time.
Awesome.
And I'll invite you next,
If you feel comfortable,
To try a few different sounds.
High,
Low,
Soft or loud.
Whatever wants to come out.
There can be a lot of resistance to this kind of thing but see if you can just let it go.
Don't think about it.
Don't think in words.
Just let out whatever sound you feel is trapped inside.
You're in some ways here letting yourself know that it's okay to take up sonic space.
You're allowed to be heard.
It's just you hearing you.
You're okay to make noise.
To express what you have inside.
Now,
If you're able and willing and not totally fell out with me by this point,
Let your body move.
Shake out your hands.
Pass your feet.
Roll the shoulders.
Roll the neck.
If there's any frustration present,
May check that your fists aren't clenched or clench them and then release them.
If there's joy present,
May your arms rise.
If there's tiredness present,
Maybe you want to collapse a little and then gently stretch.
But whatever's present for you,
The sensation in your body,
Just see if you can let your body just express that.
This isn't a dance.
It's not a performance.
There's no one watching.
Just permission to let energy move through you instead of keeping it locked in.
So whatever feels appropriate to you right now,
Let that movement occur.
Shake,
Stretch,
Sway,
Stomp.
Whatever feels right.
Awesome.
Now,
Slow it down.
Let your movement soften again and just come back to that place of stillness.
Now we're going to practice a simple but potentially difficult thing.
Just saying something that's true out loud.
So pick one small honest thing you perhaps haven't said lately.
I'll tell anyone else,
Just hear to yourself in this moment.
Maybe it's I'm tired.
Maybe it's I'm scared.
Maybe it's I'm proud of myself or I don't know what I'm doing.
Maybe it's I need help or maybe it's I'm actually okay.
So again,
Just inviting you to find something that you perhaps struggle to say,
That you do in fact know to be true,
That perhaps you need to hear from yourself.
Take a moment and see if anything comes to mind.
Again it's okay if it doesn't.
But if you do have something,
I invite you to just say it out loud,
Even if it's just a whisper.
If you can,
Say it again,
Perhaps a bit louder,
Perhaps a bit more clearly.
Feel what it's like to hear your own voice speaking your own truth.
Not performed or edited,
Just raw and real and exactly as you are.
Now just taking one fuller deep breath in and letting it out.
This has been about practicing something that people can avoid a lot of the time.
Just letting yourself express yourself,
Not necessarily in words,
But being free to make some noise,
To take up some space and just to be as you are without any sense of performance.
I think the more you can practice this thing,
Making sounds,
Moving energy in your body and speaking what you know to be truth,
The easier it becomes to do it with others,
The less inhibited you can begin to be.
Because you have in some sense already proven to yourself that you can be real and that it's okay and actually it feels better than leaving things hiding beneath the surface.
Before you go back to your day,
See if you're willing to make one small commitment.
This week perhaps express one thing you'd normally have a tendency to keep hidden.
Not recklessly,
But mindfully.
If you're struggling,
Perhaps just tell a friend.
Perhaps share something you've created,
Even if it's not the most perfect thing in the world.
Or perhaps just openly say I disagree when normally you might hold it back.
Whatever is most appropriate to you,
Just see if there's any small act of real presence where you can build the muscle of authenticity.
