I went to a women’s singing and tea circle tonight.
Before I forget, I wanna discuss a couple of the topics that were broached.
The beautiful woman leading it started us off by mentioning how singing brings up so much for people physically and mentally. A quick survey showed that the small gathering of maybe a dozen women in a small, warmly decorated and lit room had a mix of people who felt confident singing and those who were really pushing on an edge with it.
I’m confident so long as I’m not really trying to sound good. I will sing silliness with abandon. My edge is in trying.
She teaches to sing from the diaphragm and embodiment in “full voice” rather than a falsetto from the head, and if your voice is breaking it’s probably not being supported by your body and your diaphragm.
But the joint was loose and jazzy with people sharing other things they’ve been taught and bouncing off one another.
I’m tempted to save this for Normal Wednesday, but I think I may be kidding myself about how weird I usually am.
The atmosphere was low to the ground, grounded, with tiny tables in the center with strawberries, loquats, nasturtium flowers, and candied ginger from the garden of the hostess who runs the space. She also poured a delicate tea that we passed around in beautiful small cups, which she refilled regularly, and everyone was barefoot. It doesn’t take much to create atmospheric magic. Or maybe rather to allow it in.
The practical idea I took away was to think of needing to support your voice with your diaphragm, meaning you can feel it locked into your torso somewhere when you hold a note. Once you find one that you can hold for a while without breaking, move about 2-3 notes up or down and practice holding those with support from your insides too. As you strengthen those positions, you’ll be able to move farther up and down.
IT’S WHAT FRC TAUGHT ME GUYS. EVERYTHING IS WHAT FRC TAUGHT ME. You find where you’re strong, strengthen just a little bit off of it and hold some isometrics and bam, 20% gain in range of motion off the isometric. Apply everywhere to everything and project into non-literal fields you’re trying to gain traction in.
Want to be comfortable with something? Figure out the closest you are to that thing you are comfortable with and really solidify it with reps, then move outward. Over, and over, again.
This is where I went. Locals - it’s in OB. They’re having a tea sharing monthly gathering for people who really like tea soon.
Being in a space with women who are bouncing and playing with their voices and feeling it in their bodies, sharing songs together and having fun for 2 hours ruled as much as it sounds like it ruled.
Brandi, if it happens again - woo. Lezgo.
I asked my guides the other day to connect me to an ancestor in my lineage that could best teach me about how to sing. The one that came through taught me about how it’s just wind, just air, and to build a relationship not only with the Wind Spirit but to the wind inside my body.
Speaking of children, this morning Sunday May 28 at 10am PST I am speaking live on Instagram with my friend Christine Ruffolo, a modest and wonderful human who runs thinkmovement.net of which I was honored to be a part of a physical gathering a few years ago. Primarily Christine uses her endless curiosity and belief in individual ability to shape the lives and minds of tweens and teens, as the PE teacher of the century.
Chris’s original site, postcompetitiveinsight.com, will floor you (imo). I’ll copy and paste this article for your newsletter tomorrow, but if you want to get ahead you can check it now: https://postcompetitiveinsight.com/2022/12/a-perceived-philosophical-conflict.html
Christine can be found on Instagram at @ruffolous and @optionsandability, and I’m @shamanicsam if you want to know. For other booking and about me info, check out: