Somatic Bodywork To Find Your Voice
The voice is one of the primary places we contract. The child who grows up being told, “stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about”, may learn to tighten the throat in order to stop vocal expression of an emotion. As we see in Somatics, if this contraction (tightening of the tissue) is successful (e.g. the child is rewarded or avoids punishment), the physical contracting of the tissue gets imprinted in the nervous system. Now, when the child is under duress, they will automatically tighten around their throat. This learned muscular response to stress gets practiced into adulthood, however often on an unconscious level or in a way that is challenging for the (now) adult to feel or detect.
Of course, this example is just one of countless ways we are shaped to hold back our voice. Many of us have been conditioned to make ourselves small at times, either because our sense of safety was on the line, or perhaps because we risked saying the wrong thing and being ostracized or ridiculed. Inevitably, what might feel like a habit of making ourselves more quiet than we want to be, first originated as a skillful physiological response to secure a sense of safety or belonging.
Working with sound during bodywork
In my work with clients, I will often invite them to do some work with sounds. For example, I may demonstrate and then guide them into a deep inhale, followed by a loud exhale. Or I might have them push out a sharp, loud “hey” sound or practice opening their mouth wide on the exhale to make an “ah” sound. Mostly these practices - usually done during bodywork with the client lying face up on the massage table - are designed to open up the tissue around the upper chest, throat, and mouth.
I have seen again and again just how surprised people are to experience the challenge of making these sounds. Part of it, of course, is that they are being witnessed by me; this can easily be an incredibly vulnerable thing to do in front of a near stranger (assuming it is one of our first sessions). And while I acknowledge that for most people this is indeed a strange or uncomfortable practice, the important thing to see is that it is their history that produces the fear that arises during the practice. That old story that, “if I express in this way I’ll be hurt/ judged/ appear weak or silly etc.” is what actually gets in the way of the expression. That old story is not valid or grounded in the present moment. In other words, their history is controlling them.
Sound to move energy and emotion
When a client is willing to be curious enough to explore the practice and recognize that it is their history that wants to keep them small, amazing things can happen. Sometimes lots of old, blocked emotion follows, sometimes they have a powerful memory, and sometimes the movement of the energy supports them in feeling their body more fully and coming into greater contact with their aliveness. For most of my clients, something important precipitates from these practices. And even for those clients who are unwilling to let out sound, this is still a wonderful practice to support them in feeling how and where in their body they tighten. Sometimes we simply are not ready to let ourselves be that exposed, but just approaching the practice can help bring us closer to the gate and help us feel in our body where specifically we contract. This information can help us develop the next set of practices for the client to support them in continuing to build the capacity for a more full expression of themselves.
If you or someone you know might benefit from somatic bodywork to produce more freedom of expression, schedule a free consultation today.