I invite you to sit or stand, whichever is most comfortable for you.
If you are comfortable closing your eyes, go ahead and do so.
Breathe deeply a few times. As you do so, just pay attention to the way your breath both calms you and empowers you. Your breath is the fuel for your voice.
Breathe deeply into your heart and your gut.
Imagine your voice is an organ that resides in the center of your body, halfway between your heart and your gut.
As you breathe into it, imagine the oxygen is reaching your voice, waking it up and nourishing it.
Your voice’s responsibility in the body is just as vital as your brain or lungs.
Your voice is the sacred center of your being; it is your soul’s spokesperson. No one else’ voice is exactly like yours. Your voice is your essence. It has the ability to just be, to listen, and to speak. Your voice is often quietly observing as it rides around in your body. Witnessing your life and preparing for the moments when it can speak.
But it won’t speak just any old time. If there is too much noise—from you or from others, it can’t do its work effectively. It can shout if it has to, but it does its best work from a more composed place.
Your voice often knows what it wants to say, but often the brain interrupts and speaks the language of fear. Brain tries to say, “who do you think you are?” or “You’re not as good of a writer as those others.”
Today, brain gets to take a backseat. We want Voice to have the space she needs. What Voice really needs is a little quiet, a little time, and some attention. She’s not high maintenance, but she doesn’t mess around on the surface of things. She doesn’t speak if you aren’t going to pay attention. And she knows when you are faking it. She wants the real you to show up because some of what she has to say can take a little time to digest. And she needs you to be all in.
Keep breathing, sending oxygen to your entire body—all the way to the tips of your fingers and toes. Your voice is sensitive to everything that the body is doing and feeling. Keep breathing and reassure her that we are going to give her a little quiet time in a little bit… Invite her to let you know what she would like to begin to say today. Just stay in that place and breathe a few more breaths….. Amen.
*You are welcome to use this meditation freely in whatever setting. With attribution to Kiely Todd Roska. This meditation was offered in a setting where people all used she/her pronouns. Feel free to adapt as needed.
Written for the Writing Together Class facilitated with Kami Pohl. October, 2021