The Voice As A Self Care Tool - Stepping Stones

One of the things that I really love about singing is that it can be a great way to help you to grow positive and helpful thoughts in your mind.

Have you ever noticed that as you listen to songs or as you sing songs you might spontaneously see some images in your mind?

Very naturally your imagination starts to roll.

The song we'll be focusing on today has a very specific intention of helping you to begin on your journey,

To focus on the next step and to feel supported on your journey.

So in this session I'm going to sing you this song a couple of times through,

Then we're going to think about our breaths for a minute,

Make a little bit of sound,

Start to learn the song and then we're going to sing the song at the end together with a little bit of harmony,

A little bit of music.

So here we go this is Stepping Stones twice through and you can just listen,

Enjoy it and see what images,

What ideas,

What emotions it starts to conjure up for you.

This is the next step of your journey and we are here with you today.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones so you will always find your way.

This is the next step of your journey and we are here with you today.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones so you will always find your way.

I wrote the song for a friend who was getting married and she wanted the entire congregation to sing as she and her husband-to-be entered the church.

Having chatted to her about what was important to her about the whole ceremony it was apparent that all of her friends and family had supported her and her fiance in their relationship so far and she wanted them to really be a strong part of the ceremony now and into the future.

The idea I suppose is that as they walked up the church that they felt supported by everybody that was there in all different ways and since then the song has been used in many different ways,

Often at significant moments in people's lives when people have been emigrating,

People have been born and even when people have been dying.

But I've come to realize that it doesn't have to be just about big transitions in our lives.

It can be about that but it can also be about the next moment.

To many of us just to take the next step is a big step.

To know where is the next step,

When should I take the next step,

Where is that next step going to bring me and I suppose we all want to know what's at the end of that path and how do we get to the end but of course just to begin is the crucial bit.

If you can imagine yourself taking a step while being supported by people around you,

You may feel a little bit of strength,

You may feel a bit of inspiration,

You may feel a little bit of energy to actually take that step,

You may get a little bit of clarity,

Who knows.

So let's just think about our breath for a minute.

As you sit there or stand or lie down even just notice your breath.

What's moving as you breathe?

Can you feel your ribs moving at the front,

The sides,

The back?

Can you feel your stomach moving at any point?

And just enjoy being there with your breath for a moment or two.

And maybe just let out a couple of particularly long breaths.

So take your time,

Breathe out and just breathe out and out and out and out until you're done and then breathe out a little bit more.

One more.

And we're going to start to learn the song while also warming up our voices a little bit and thinking can I just feel my voice in the same way that I could feel my breath?

Can I feel my voice?

So can you feel any little bits of vibration when you sing?

Do you notice what your breathing is doing or do you notice any tension in your voice or perhaps any nervousness or joy,

Anything at all?

So I'm going to make a few sounds and then you copy me so.

I'm going to do that once more and just be super,

Super relaxed.

And we'll do another few sets of sounds.

One more time.

And you can be thinking,

Oh,

That's interesting.

I could feel a bit of vibration in my chest or my neck or my mouth.

And if you didn't feel anything like that at all,

Don't worry.

See what did you feel?

Anything at all is good.

All we're trying to do is to bring awareness to your body while you're singing.

So to come out of your logical thinking mind for a while and bring awareness to your body.

So we'll do that once more.

We'll do a whole long set of sounds.

So here we go.

I'll do it once if you want and join in or wait till I do it the second time.

And all the time,

Just stay nice and relaxed.

This is singing for wellness,

It's singing to make you feel better.

It's not singing to be good.

It's not singing to impress anyone.

It's singing just for yourself.

So make it as enjoyable as possible.

And remember to breathe.

Always remember just to keep letting your breath out.

OK,

So I'm going to teach you the song and as I'm teaching you the song,

Really pay attention to images that pop into your mind and any image is perfect.

But try and focus on the idea of the stepping stone.

What does that look like for you?

And who's putting it there for you?

It could be anybody at all.

It could be somebody you know.

Somebody you used to know.

It could be a mythical creature.

Somebody from a fairy tale.

Anybody at all.

This is the next step of your journey and we are here with you today.

So I'll sing that twice more.

This is the next step of your journey and we are here with you today.

One more time.

This is the next step of your journey and we are here with you today.

I'll sing the next bit three times.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

One more time.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

And the last line.

So you will always find your way.

So you will always find your way.

One more time.

So you will always find your way.

So those stepping stones may look like actual stepping stones or they may look like something entirely different.

It just occurred to me that they could look like absolutely anything.

Anything that makes sense to you as a form of support that you can use to move off on your journey.

So really,

Really dig into your imagination and let anything flow.

So I'm going to sing it through the whole song through twice.

Here we go.

This is the next step of your journey and we are here with you today.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

So you will always find your way.

This is the next step of your journey and we are here with you today.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

So you will always find your way.

So how does that feel at the moment?

If you feel like you haven't learned the song fully yet and you want to spend a bit more time learning it,

Just go back a bit,

Replay that section,

Play it as many times as you want.

So before we sing the song together with the music and the harmony,

Let's just go back to our breaths for a minute.

Just notice how you feel now.

Notice the contact you make with the floor or the bed or the seat.

And just give yourself a few moments to enjoy your breath and notice it.

And again,

Just let your imagination flow.

There's no right answer.

Anything that wants to pop into your mind is correct.

Just notice it.

Let it move on.

Let it go on its own journey.

So here we go.

Again,

This is singing for you,

Just for you,

For nobody else.

And enjoy it.

This is the next step of your journey.

And we are here with you today.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

So you will always find your way.

This is the next step of your journey.

And we are here with you today.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

So you will always find your way.

This is the next step of your journey.

And we are here with you today.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

So you will always find your way.

This is the next step of your journey.

And we are here with you today.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

So you will always find your way.

This is the next step of your journey.

And we are here with you today.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

So you will always find your way.

This is the next step of your journey.

And we are here with you today.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

So you will always find your way.

This is the next step of your journey.

And we are here with you today.

We will lay down our love like stepping stones.

So you will always find your way.