How do we keep our voices locked up inside? Who holds our stories? Our deep and perhaps dark secrets? Believe it or not, our bodies are often very busy holding on — sometimes for dear life! Generally, when we have tight or sore muscles, we contribute it to working too hard or even having too much fun. That’s often only part of the story. The way that we hold our body, is also protecting us from feeling our pain and vulnerability.
Take your head, for example. I think of my head like a cork. My head is working overtime to hold everything in! Who knew?! Rather than staying relaxed, long and tall, my head and neck are battening down the hatches! Keep it all safe inside!
Along with tension in the head, comes the jaw, tongue and eyes. All of these parts have part time jobs keeping us far away from painful feelings.
So, why rock the boat? Well, it takes a toll to keep all that pain and suffering locked up inside. And if you let some of it out, you may find that you feel a whole lot better. So, how in the world do we liberate our Selves?
Today’s Exercise:
As always, you need a safe space where you can tune in and make noise.
Let’s work with the jaw and tongue. These are major culprits that keep our voice imprisoned. Take your hand and put the thumb and first finger on either side of your chin or lower jaw. Gently let gravity and your hand pull it down. As you do so, release a big sighing sound and let your tongue drop out of your mouth. It should feel like a healthy stretch in the jaw and tongue. Do this 3X, stretch the jaw and tongue on the exhale as you make sound, and support the jaw under the chin, to close as you allow the breath in.
Take a moment to visualize the yawn space in the back of your mouth and throat. As you stretch the jaw and tongue out of the way, feel the SPACE that is opening there for you and your voice to move through and out into the world! As you pay attention to the back space, you can let your eyes close and rest into yourself. As you open up the space in your body, by releasing tension in the head, jaw, eyes and tongue, you’ll begin to feel more connected to your breath, energy and voice. Free your voice and liberate your Self!