One of my first insights about all that the voice communicates beyond the narrows of our conscious intention was years ago with a student who was having trouble accessing and singing high notes. Nothing I suggested was helping her. And my feet were killing me! On a whim I asked her if she would mind taking her shoes off.
The next time she tried to sing a high note I was able to see that she tightly curled her toes under and gripped the floor. I asked her to sing the passage again and to notice whether or not anything changed with her feet when she went for the high note. Her toes curled tightly, her voice shut down and she reported that she had noticed nothing. So I had her stand in front of a full-length mirror and watch her feet as she sang. She was amazed at what she saw. Once she stopped gripping her feet, which had been setting off a whole chain reaction of tension in her body, she was better able to breathe and support the mechanism of her voice. With the improved vocal function she was able to both ground and release her high notes. And yes, my feet stopped hurting too!
What kinds of feelings do you get as you listen to people?
Do you get fidgety?
Do you feel your energy sink?
Does your stomach knot or your chest grow tight?
Do you start to feel light and playful?
Do you know how your voice affects others?
Every cell in our skin has sound receptors. Every sound resonates in the skeletal system and vibrates in the organs and glands of the body. Vocal tones also stimulate the brain and influence its function. The voice affects the entire physical and energetic system of self and others.