Throughout history humans have used the nuances of voice to understand one another. We understand instinctively what we really mean by the little jumps and stops and changes in tone and pitch and volume of our voices.
My interest in the topic started back in school days when the school choir was competing in a big competition and we were all very careful to keep our voices in order through the months of practice for the big day. I noticed all the things affecting our voices, and very little was about catching a cold.
At one point in my life trauma made me unable to sing for years.
I found out that heart trouble and voice trouble go together.
To heal our voice, means to give our soul wings again.
To give our soul wings again, we need to get to the point where we feel we are beautiful again.
That important thing being said, while we’re waiting for that to happen, here are:
Three things to heal the Voice holistically
1) Normalize base body temperature
In my school days when I was part of the choir, I would stand with the other girls outside the door of the school hall where we would practice every morning at 8, waiting for the doors to be opened. In the chilly early morning we would try to warm up a bit and many would be pretty much croaking.
I learned then that body warmth affects the voice a LOT.
Those who have voice problems invariably have a problem maintaining a stable correct body temperature. It falls below normal because of trauma, or hormonal imbalance.
A herb that is excellent to help establish a stable body temperature in Mistletoe.
Yes, the same one under which some kissing ought to happen this month. It has to be taken long term though, as changing base body temperature is something that takes time.
Oh, you reading are under the Mistletoe right now, so mmmmmmuah. There you have been kissed. Merry Christmas to you too.
For men, to raise body temperature Nettle tea is great. It has to be had in small doses though as it can have a laxative effect.
For women (and men whose hands have gotten REALLY cold), the Pitcher Plant, or Drosera is an immediate pick-me-up.
Look at the beauty of this carnivore plant. It traps insects going in and contracts and chews up the insects with its sheer muscle strength. A whole lot of heat is generated through this process.. muscle heat. It’s very impressive.
2) Tone up the muscles
The voice is all about the muscles. From the heart which is a muscle, to the lungs which are muscle to the vocal cords themselves, to the tongue which again, is a muscle, it’s all about tone and strength and flexibility.
Exercises that build muscle strength and flexibility, the ability to contract and expand rhythmically, will not only drastically help your voice heal, but will do so many other wonderful things for the body.
Breathing exercises, just simple deep breathing, hold the breath as long as possible and then slowly releasing it, makes a big difference. Just practice deep breathing for about five minutes whenever you can through the day.
Exercise that traumatizes the lungs also traumatizes the voice, so it’s important to keep things peaceful and calm.
Then there is nutrition for the muscles.
It is easy to incorporate these into your schedule. They must be used for at least a few months, in small doses once a day at least.
Saw Palmetto
This is one powerful herb for the muscles everywhere and therefore for the voice as well. It helps the muscle tissue let go of lumps of material they can’t use but are still holding on to because they don’t get enough nutrition when they need it. This makes muscle tissue smooth and functional insteaf of lmped up and rusty. It’s what you take, especially men, if you have muscles tired because of either lack of exercise or over exercise and lack of enough rest in the long term. Muscle refreshing and toning, I suppose is what sums up Saw Palmetto.
Black Cohosh or Cimicifuga Racemosa
Black Cohosh helps muscle tissue recover from trauma because of blood pressure and hormonal excesses and imbalance. If you have had trauma to the uterus, heart or lungs either through trauma (like hemorrhage, cardiac arrests, asthma attacks) or anything that made either of these organs go into an abnormal panic, Black Cohosh will help recover. If you have it as tea it will soothe the inner lining of the throat which is a nice thing if you’re after healing your voice.
Pearl Millet
This one has got the nutrition required to support the muscles in letting dead cells go and making new healthier ones. A spoonful of powdered millet a day makes changes that can felt in as little as a week. It increases muscle strength gradually but surely.
More about herbs to rehabilitate the lungs, the heart for voice function:
Rehabilitating the Lungs from Shock and Trauma
Herbal Treatment to Energize the Heart and Lungs
Herbs for Muscle Healing
3) Acknowledge what your voice is saying.
Voice is an expression of the soul. It has to be respected and listened to. Sometimes it’s easy to mentally understand what it’s saying by just listening to our voice with an open heart. Sometimes it’s not so easy. We have to learn to respect our Voice, and let it be. In every state we humans are beautiful. There is a right time for everything.
UPDATE
I recently found that the beautiful Butterfly Bush or Buddleja or Buddleia with it’s amazing soothing of traumatized nerve endings in places few other herbs reach, is a powerful first aid remedy as well as provider of rehabilitation of the nerves that support voice function. You can read about it here: Frailty and Fragility Support – Butterfly Bush – Buddleja
