I ran into a student in a grocery parking lot and here’s what she said: “ I was just making sounds in my car and releasing my Inner Animal!”
She said it helps to get her out of negative thinking.
I call this more primitive or primal aspect of our voice, the Cave Woman or Cave Man, but I think Inner Animal is perfect. And the car is the perfect place because you’re especially ‘safe’ to make any and all sounds there.
Animals freely express their sounds whether howling to the moon, roaring, whining or purring. It’s a spontaneous expression, uninhibited by what other animals might think… We’re the only animals who limit our expression because of what others will think or feel.
Releasing our Inner Animal doesn’t have to involve anyone else. It’s a contained way to free your emotional expression without it being about anything. The idea is to let go of thinking, to pay attention to your present experience in your body, and to give it a voice.
And your Inner Animal is NOT about sounding Pretty.
The Practice:
Find a safe place where you can give yourself permission to make sound, even for just one minute.
The world is full of loud sound, from lawn mowers to snow blowers. Our expressive sounds deserve to be included and celebrated in our world! Push back on the belief that you will ruin your neighbor’s day or freak them out if you make expressive sounds.
Begin by taking a few deep breaths and following the natural movements of your body. Let go of your thoughts and tune in to your sensations and emotions.
Begin with a low expressive sound and open your mouth wide. Give voice to your Inner Animal. Roar, Growl, Yelp, find your own natural expressive sounds.
Do not critique the quality of your sounds. Whatever you do is fabulous because you’re acknowledging your feelings and giving them a voice!
This can be a simple practice for getting in touch with how you’re feeling and including it in your busy day. It will help you to feel more connected to yourself and more energized.
Don’t overthink it. Just see what happens when you include your Inner Animal in your day.
Hi Eve!
I love that you are encouraging us to let out our animal sounds. As you know, I coach gymnastics. Well, yesterday at the gym a fellow coach shared with me that one of her athletes bleated like a sheep as she vaulted to all fours on the vault table instead of landing in a handstand and springing off. When the coach jokingly asked why she made a sheep sound, the girl said it was because she was afraid. I am struck by the ability of the children we work with to express and identify their emotions, and inspired to revive this ability for myself.