Our soul speaks to us through our voices and our bodies.

Stephanie
Nov 28
3 min read

This past month, I have been immersing myself in the deeply spiritual and healing lands of Bali. After not being drawn to Bali for years—for many reasons—I felt a strong magnetism two months ago to be there and to find an immersion that would deepen my relationship with my voice.

The voice has been such a significant part of myself that I have been learning to meet with and relate to.

From unlearning what I say automatically, to choosing my words consciously.

From people-pleasing to speaking my truth.

From stifling cries and outrage to allowing them to move through me in wild, primal expression.

It has been an ever-winding journey of knowing myself more deeply through freeing my voice and discovering an even more honest truth and expression of who I am.

I often say that this work is for the bravehearts and the courageous.

It has been a deeply challenging journey—reckoning with our truth, especially when it means shaking up the dynamics of our current relationships.

Last year, when my partner said to me,

“You must always be truthful. In spite of the consequences, you must always be truthful,”

what she meant was: even if I know she might respond negatively, or it may create conflict, I still have to speak up and speak my truth.

To me, that was the most perplexing idea.

If I knew it was going to create tension that might not be easily resolved, how could I just lay my truth out in the open and stand by it?

I understood what she meant—and yet, at the same time, I didn’t feel there was a safe space for my truth to be shared. At least, from my perspective then. So how could I?

Over the last week, in the Voice Liberation retreat with Neda Boin, I finally felt it—viscerally. I felt like I really got it.

If I want to experience safety in my outer world—in new, foreign, unknown places and in the wilderness—I first have to attend to the new, foreign, unknown wilderness within myself: the terrain of being so unadulteratedly truthful with myself, and in my relationships.

It has been so easy for me to let small things slide… to say “anything” or say “yes” or “no” when I meant something else.

The vigilant state of walking on eggshells inside myself, sensitive to the inner states of others and naturally attuning to them.

I learned the most important remembrance:

I have to be my own sacred, safe space first.

I have to tell the truth—to myself—first.

And then bring it into expression with others.

Even if that means relationships or dynamics fall away or transform.

I have to be truthful.

Because first and foremost, I am safe for myself.

I am safe to myself.I am my first safe home.

And this home is myself, within my body.

It has been the most profound (and obvious) learning.

And I am so deeply grateful for the safe, steady container Neda offered, so that I could travel so deeply within myself and meet these truths that are so easily overlooked in daily life.

From my heart of hearts, I want to extend the same gift to you:

Your voice and your body as your portal of truth and authenticity.

If you feel called, journey with me this December.