Flower Remedies

My dear friend Alexis Smart is a flower remedy genius. No joke. I asked her to contribute some good remedies and info to help open your throat, and strengthen your voice and expression. If you want to get a remedy I highly recommend them! You can find them all on her website. 

AGRIMONY : this is for people who just want peace and are disturbed by conflict. they are so sensitive they would rather say nothing than experience disharmony. they can suppress feelings and not speak their truth. they may lie to themselves even..but their body will express what they cannot and they will often get physical symptoms like a rash or a stomach ache when they are bothered by something emotionally. Agrimony helps with emotional honestly and allows you to communicate fearlessly and freely. *In my formula Peaceful Worrier

LARCH : this is for confidence. it helps when you have self-doubt, fear failure and you may compare yourself to others. your desire for perfection doesn’t allow you to take risks or to speak confidently. this remedy is good for expression of all kinds, both vocally and in the written word. teaches you to see life as an adventure and not hold yourself back. *In my formulas: Beauty Formula no. 7 (this is a favorite of LSK's) and Ganesh

CHERRY PLUM : this remedy is usually prescribed for fear of losing control, fear of hurting yourself or others, so it is not something you would think you need, as it sound pretty intense...but there is a more subtle expression of cherry plum, where internally you may be holding so much in, feelings you don’t think are appropriate, usually anger. the pressure inside builds up and it may feel there is no outlet. there can be a lump in the throat and a pent up feeling…taking cherry plum, it feels as if a tourniquet is removed,  allowing the relief of tension and a free flow of energy to return, wherever you may be blocked. *In my formulas Brain Drops and Unburden

WATER VIOLET : for reserved people who don’t like to reveal much. it is not shyness but a private nature. water violet will help you open up and share your elf with others as well as appreciate others. sometimes there can be a stiff neck or inability to cry, so it can help release grief. *In my formulas: Sunshine, Unburden and Wallflower

MIMULUS : this is for nervousness, shyness and self-consciousness. for everyday fears. you may blush when you speak, stammer or have stage fright leading to a nervous stomach or any nervous disorder. mimulus gives courage to be bold and  express yourself. paired with larch it is excellent for social anxiety and stage fright. *In my formulas Peaceful Worrier, Safe and Sound and Wallflower

PRACTICE

Over the past six years I have been a part of a weekly writers group. It has done more than make me a better writer, it has also strengthened my voice. Over time I have seen how it has made me more confidant speaking in front of groups, as a teacher, even giving toasts at weddings. HA! If this is of interest to you I urge you to find a writers group that nurtures your voice more than it does your writing. 

TOOLS

At times I hold a lot of stress in my jaw. I think jaw tension can be many things, not just stress, but it can also pop up when we are holding back and holding something in that wants to be expressed. When this happens I love using my jade face roller to help release some of this tension (it also has a lot of lovely benefits for your skin as well).

THOUGHT PROVOKING

"A Short History of Silence" is an incredible essay written by Rebecca Solnit. You can read an excerpt here, find the full essay in her book "The Mother of All Questions" (also amazing).

The Voice of Your Intuition 

We all have intuition. And most of the time we use our intuition we don’t even know it. It’s that connected in us, that natural for us. Intuition can come to you in many forms, and each one of us has one of these that is more dominate. Some have the gift of clairaudience, which means that you have the ability to perceive and hear things, this is also connected to the throat in a big way. Some have the gift of being clairvoyant, which is the ability to tap into your intuition more from what you can see beyond what is literal. And there is also the gift of being clairsentient, which is the ability to sense and feel into others energies and emotional state. And you might have a little of all of these. If you think back over the last few days which sense did you use most during the meditation, your hearing, your vision, or you feelings? The best way to strengthen your intuition is not just to listen to what comes to you but to act on it. This is the most important part. And the more you act on the messages your intuition is sending you the stronger and stronger it will get. If you want to really strengthen it, then act on the intuitions you get that your mind can’t make sense of. The more you don’t know, and the more you trust and act anyway it will strengthen it ten fold. If you don’t listen it will dull it.

You will do a little exercise at the beginning of the meditation today to help get the mind out of the way. Most people have a hard time discerning between the voice of their mind and the voice of their intuition. This is a practice and it takes time to develop. The more you listen to it the more you will learn to tell the difference between the voice of your intuition and any other voice that is coming from your mind. 

During today's meditation you will really open yourself up and see what comes to you. And notice which sense your intuition uses the most to communicate with you.

Minerals: amethyst, aquamarine

LISTEN

You have one bit of homework today. As your first act of really working with your intuition and learning to strengthen it, whatever message or revelation or visualization or feeling that came to you while doing the breathwork you must act on it. Whatever that means. If you got an idea, or if a conversation came to mind you need to have, if you heard a message about a certain direction you should go with work or where you are living - you have to act on it. Even if it means not using the mind to undo it. This is how you honor the gift of your intuition and the wisdom it holds. And like I said, if it doesn’t make sense that’s great! Honor the wisdom of your intuition over the wisdom of your mind by doing it anyway. 

Where to go from here

Discovering your voice takes time. Clearing energy and blocks to get in touch with the power it has is a journey. With this workshop you have had a variety of experiences of not only surfacing what blocks are in your throat but also seeing the gifts you hold there, and the different ways you can tap into other energies in the body that are connected to the throat. Use each meditation like a tool. There might be a time where you need to communicate and your voice needs to be grounded (this is great if you have nerves around speaking). There might be a time when your words need to hold the energy of your heart more. Etc. Like everything, this is a muscle you must learn strengthen.

As a little bonus my friend Alexis Smart who works with flower remedies is going to contribute some good flower remedies for the voice. That post will go up tomorrow, along with some other tools, so check back to read all about some more tools to support the healing and opening of your throat!

Congrats! You did it! Do something to celebrate!

The Voice of Creativity  

Creative energy can be drawn from various places, for some people it’s more cerebral, for some more cosmic, it can be purely from emotion, and for others more passionate and fiery. But no matter where it is sourced from it all results in some form of expression. Learning to work with your own creativity can be a spiritual journey in itself. There are so many energies at play, and one of your main jobs is to learn to get out of the way so that creativity can come through you, to work to move all the noise out of the way so you can hear those voices, see those visions of creation, and feel the impulses that drive you to create. I think all creative people encounter resistance which can come in many forms. As a creative person you are always working along side of that resistance, and part of learning to be creative person, an artist, a writer, an actor, etc… is learning to push beyond that resistance and not let it stop you. You can not expect or wait for that critical voice to disappear, but rather learn how to out create it, to finish the writing project, or start the painting, whatever it is that is waiting in you to be expressed. And I guarantee you that the more resistance you have to starting a creative project, or finishing one, the more what you have to say is important. 

Today we are going to try to clear away some of the energies that block your creative flow so you can have an experience of being open to all of the creative energy the universe wants to bring to you.

What are you ready to express?

Minerals : any mineral you are drawn to, labradorite, lapis, carnelian

Today you will need : a notebook, journal, paper, pen OR medium to large drawing pad / paper, pastel, charcoal, or large marker.

LISTEN

Like all of these days, this is really a practice. But you can use this meditation like a tool in your creative practice. Do it before you sit down to write, if you have writers block, before you go into the studio to create, etc… Let it be something that both helps you clear away any energy that is stopping you and holding you back, and also a way to open yourself up to allowing creative visions and ideas to come to you. 

The Voice of the Heart

We hear it all the time, people saying, “Just speak from your heart”, like it’s so easy. But no one tells you how to do that. What does that really mean to be speaking from the heart? Today you will dive into the energies of your own heart, and have an experience of listening to the voice of your heart. How would your life be different if you could clearly say what you really felt in your heart in every moment? How could difficult conversations be easier if your heart was included in your every word? How would people really have the opportunity to hear you if you included more of your heart when talking to them? How would you communicate to yourself, to others, and even in your work, if you were including the voice that is within your heart?

Minerals: kunzite, malachite, rose quartz, chrysocolla with malachite

LISTEN 

Take some time after this meditation and do some writing or some voice to voice / face to face sharing from your heart with someone.

A Voice From the Past

Get ready to go on a journey. The more you can trust and use your imagination the more will reveal itself. And take some time after this meditation to write out what happened and what you saw and felt, like you are writing a story. 

I'm so excited about this one - please share in the comments what came up! If you need help figuring it out, I am happy to help.

Minerals: hourglass selenite, lapis, herkimer diamond

LISTEN

If you had a past life come up with there was trauma or a negative consequence from using your voice, you can do this short meditation to cut those ties. 

The Voice and the Second Chakra

The second chakra is one of the most important energies that effect the throat. As you know the second chakra (chakras are energy centers in the body) has to do with sexual energy, power, and creativity. It is the energy we have the most judgment around, resistance to, fear of. And all of that really reflects in our relationship to our voice. Today you will have a chance to feel into that energy and see if you can feel how it effects your throat and your ability to express. A lot of blocks in the throat come from blocks in the second chakra. This might be one of your hardest days, it’s ok if you have a lot of resistance to breathing today. Know that that resistance is coming from an energy that doesn’t want you to get to the power that lies in your second chakra. It’s not you that is resisting, it is just a part of you. 

Minerals: aragonite, carnelian, creedite, vanadinite

LISTEN

Take some time to write about your experience today.

The Grounded Voice

Today is all about learning to ground your voice in your body. A grounded voice allows for more clarity and presence with communication. Grounding is some of the most important work you can do. When you are ungrounded you are out of your body, and when you are out of your body you can not access the truth of what you are feeling. Lots of things can unground us, so it important to practice this. You will feel a noticeable difference not only in the way you body feels, but also how your voice sounds after you are done with this meditation. 

Minerals: turquoise, hematite

LISTEN

You can do the grounding breath, breathing through your feet, whenever you feel ungrounded or need to calm and center yourself in your body before you speak or express yourself. 

Take some time to write about your experience today.

The Voice of Truth, The Voice of the Self

Let’s ease into things. Today is about doing a little check in with your voice, and learning how to get your ego out of the way. When I say ego I don’t mean egocentric. Our egos are made of and formed by the experiences we have had in our lives. We need them. They are not something to get rid of, but at times they can inform us in a way that isn’t helpful and keep us stuck in the past. The ego is where we most often come from in our life - it is the part of us that for the most part is reacting to experiences (from the known, or from the perspective of past experiences). We also want to check in with what is actually happening with your throat and voice - not what you think is happening there (this preconceived idea is formed by the ego). I want you to feel into what you don’t yet know about your throat and your voice. See if you can uncover something new.

You will do a little exercise before you lay down to breathe that will help that energy of the ego not be so centralized in your body, running the show, so that you can access other energies that will allow you to respond instead of react to events and people. This way you can get in touch with other energies that are more in line with the truth of your soul, and not as much with the truth of what has happened to you (your ego). This will allow you to not only feel more empowered, but it allows you to have an experience of expressing more from the deeper truth of who you are.

Minerals: black tourmaline, chrysocolla

LISTEN 

Feel free to practice the exercise you did in the beginning. It is one I give to a lot of clients. You can do it every day, it only takes a min. And the more you practice the more you will learn to not always be reacting from the ego. This can be a helpful tool to do before you respond to a tough email, make a phone call or have a conversation that feels challenging or difficult. You want to learn to get out of your own way (or, the way of your ego), so the deeper truth of who you are, and what you feel can be the one doing the talking. Don’t react, respond. 

Take some time to write about your experience today.

Welcome!

I am so excited for this online workshop. It is one I have been wanting to do for a while and was inspired by all the amazing and brave students I have week after week in my breathwork class. I have been noticing over the last five or so months that so many students are struggling with clearing stuck energy from their throats. And I really wanted to create a place to go deeper into both clearing this energy, but more than that a place to discover what that energy is and the power and gifts that emerge when old stuff is cleared out. 

The great thing about breathwork is that it is a tool to help clear all stuck energy in the body. So it’s perfect for clearing any energy that is stuck in the throat. Our relationship with our throat, and ultimately with our voice, is a complicated one. Every person I know has some specific issue around expression, speaking up, being clear, saying what they mean, staying connected to their hearts during confrontation, bypassing the ego and expressing their truth, having the confidence to create and express themselves… and on and on. 

During the next seven days you will go deeper than just understanding on a mental level why all of these blocks are there. I am more interested in helping you connect to various energies in the body that can empower your voice. These seven days won’t be full of answers I provide for you, but answers you will discover for yourself. What I have created is a series of meditations where you will bypass the mind and connect to your spirit and body. From this place you will have guidance to discover anything you are ready and willing to uncover about your voice, both what blocks it has, and also the experience of tapping into the potential, clarity, heart, strength, and truth that it is capable of.

Also, if you are starting on the 19th you will be doing this workshop with the energy of the two eclipses. These two eclipse create a really powerful portal of energy that can be accessed for healing beyond this literal reality and this lifetime. You might already be feeling things are extra intense, don’t be surprised if the meditations are extra intense as well. Also, don't misinterpret this intensity and mislabel it, for instance thinking that because things are hard that you aren’t doing well, or that you are moving backwards. What it really means is that you have access to energy that can change and break patterns you have had for lifetimes. Use it! Breakdowns make room for breakthroughs.

How this works

Take some time today to listen to the intro recordings. If you have never done the breathwork before listen to the recording on how to do the breathwork. In there you will also find information on how to set up your space! Each meditation is be around 20-30 min, so plan on that amount of time in your day.

I want to strongly encourage you to use the comment section (you can find the button to comment at the TOP of each post) - please check in, let us know how you are doing and ask questions. And don’t be afraid to respond to other peoples sharing and questions. This is one of the most powerful aspects of this on-line format. Sharing is caring. Sharing is powerful. It is what will help weave the energy of this community together. We have people from all over the world doing this together. Share your wisdom with each other. And read each others sharing and questions, it might answer some of your own questions and help you see that others are having similar experiences. You are not in this alone, so make yourself known. Looking forward to hearing from you and hearing about what you discover about your voice!