“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.” — Maya Angelou
You speak, move, create, and live not because you have “the answers,” but rather because you have something to express in a way that only you can. And so it would greatly serve us all for you to release the fear that you aren’t educated enough, practiced enough, expert enough, eloquent enough, coordinated enough, creative enough, original enough, tough enough, brave enough, old enough, young enough, don’t have it figured out enough, or whatever else the fear holding you back may be so that you can become as you are meant to become and we can witness your journey and receive whatever it is you have to give.
Your voice, your words, your movements, your actions — they are all expressions of who you are in this moment. They are nothing more and nothing less than that. Who you are, what you express, what you create is never a final performance, but rather a testament of who you are in this moment. By the very next moment, you and what you put out has already evolved, never to be the same again. So the best you can do in every moment is to sing your song honestly, live your truth with integrity, give what you were born to give with intention, and then let it go.
I find that meditating, practicing pranayama (breath work), and asana (yoga poses) helps me to become a clear channel, a unique conduit for life energy to move through me. The practice of yoga helps me tune into my song. Bhramari pranayama (also known as bumble bee breath) is a favorite which helps bring my focus deeply inward. I feel it awakens the inborn intelligence of my body, the wisdom and intuition that lives throughout my whole body, and not just between my ears. It also provides me the experience of hearing my own voice which serves as a litmus test of sorts, indicating to me where I am and what’s going on internally.
To do bhramari pranayama, begin by finding a comfortable seat. Align your physical body, and then close your eyes. Bring your hands up toward your face, and then use your thumbs to close your ears and place your fingers over your eyelids. Inhale fully through your nose, and then on the exhale, hum with your lips gently closed. I like to do 10 rounds like this, and then when I’m done I keep my eyes closed, replace my hands on my legs, and bask in the silence, the stillness, the residual vibration resonating through me. There is a feeling of spaciousness within the container of my body, my inward connection feels focused. The breath, mind, and body seem to have found a sense of ease, weightlessness and peace even. Here I am.
Krystal Barschig 