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Eat Sleep Sing author Stacey DeLooze takes a look at the benefits of singing and why it is important now more than ever.

 

Over the last 16 months, we have all been swept up into a whirlwind of uncertainty, causing much change and upheaval to our lives. As we enter yet another phase,  we need to be one step ahead and prepared for what might be in store. Our basic freedoms (as we knew them) were taken away, holding us hostage, for the most part, to our homes, computer screens and our minds. Although we are out of lockdown, we aren’t out of the woods just yet because now more than ever, it’s so easy to be taken down to a lower vibration by reading or watching the news. Isolation has led to boredom, loneliness, anxiety and depression, resulting in an ongoing cycle of fear – fear of making mistakes in our handling of the Covid-19 crisis.

 

We’re also grieving the loss of our livelihoods as we once knew them. A process likely to leave a lasting impact, and big emotional and psychological changes, especially in children. We are still learning about how extensive  any lasting psychological impact could be but it’s clear that communities and young people are suffering most. So it’s time to think about how we can infuse strong and positive relationships once again at home, in schools and at work. It’s hard to control so many aspects of this pandemic but taking enjoyment in the little things, like giving someone a hug, looking a person in the eye, coming together as a community to talk, laugh, sing and dance, are just some examples of how we can find ways to feel good once again and this applies on both a universal and individual level. This is not to say that we should ignore the reality of what’s happening in the world around us but allowing ourselves to take a breather once in a while and to give our minds a rest is needed in our everyday reality.

 

Singing is an escape from all that. For thousands of years, music and singing have served an important function: to help people connect socially. Human interaction is at its best when we come together as a group to sing – there is something about this activity, in working towards a common goal, that feels totally innocent and pure. As someone who makes a living helping people to find, embrace and share their voices with others, I have found this shift particularly noticeable in the way we now interact with one another. We are now accustomed to wearing masks, for example, which in my opinion could be more harmful to our health than we might realise. While there are clear benefits to wearing a mask, we may not have noticed how wearing one impacts our interactions, and so it’s possible that mask wearing has suppressed so much more than Covid-19, and it’s important to recognise this. Our faces, our voices and our smiles (the very gateway to revealing our own true nature as individuals) have been hidden away now for far too long.

 

As we look to the future, it’s important to tune back in, reconnect with our primal selves and free our inner voices and the gateway to our souls, relating to all levels of communication. 

 

Underlying all my work is a distinct energy and goal to make singing for well-being a priority in today’s world. Eat Sleep Sing offers many insights and inspirations on how to go about upping those lower vibrational energies - such as fear, tension, anger, guilt and stress - and transform them into higher vibrational frequencies, allowing pure joy, deep love, true empathy, compassion the vibrations to a higher frequency in order to re-awaken, recover, restore and rejuvenate our cells. Our thoughts, feelings and emotions are all vibrating energy. We can choose to positively transform them by shifting the way we think and even more so, react to the world around us. Remember, singing and music in general, is a fight-back against pretty much everything to protect mind, body and soul.

 

An exercise

A good time to practice is just before a presentation or perhaps before a difficult conversation with a loved one that you’ve been putting off.

The Throat Chakra

An open and balanced throat chakra allows us to creatively express and communicate our truth to others as well as to ourselves. The importance of learning to accept and trust one’s own voice is key to keeping this gateway open. 

Spiritually, if this gateway is closed, your normal ability to communicate may feel closed or blocked too. So if you find yourself holding back your emotions, nervously swallowing or clearing your throat in social situations, it may be worth taking a closer look at ways to open up. 

Physically, as the throat is connected to other pathways around the face like the ears, nose and thyroid gland, they too can be affected if not balanced and in tune with each other – causing strep or sore throat, laryngitis, ear infections and even an overactive thyroid.

An exercise to help clear your throat and open your communication channels

1. Gargle your saliva.
2. Take a few deep breaths and then on an out breath start to gargle with your imaginary mouthwash (i.e. your saliva).
3. Think about the things you are worried or afraid to talk about and really listen to the voice inside your head as though it’s someone you can trust and confide in.
4. With eyes closed, take another deep breath and gently hum on the exhale. Feel the sound resonate inside your throat as it warms and bathes you with healing vibrations.
5. Do this five times.