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Sometimes people ask me \u201chow can I overcome my inner critic when singing?\u201d<\/p>\n
A good first step is to name how that inner critic got in the way of singing in the first place.<\/p>\n
For many of us, the reason is that we have been raised to think about singing primarily as a form of performance.<\/p>\n
Does this sound familiar? \u00a0Choir class. \u00a09th grade. \u00a0You\u2019re standing on risers, dressed in identical polyester graduation gowns, blinking in the bright stage lights of the auditorium, while the conductor shouts, \u201cSMILE! \u00a0Look like you\u2019re enjoying it!\u201d<\/p>\n
The trouble with thinking about singing primarily as performance is that it is highly activating for your inner critic.<\/p>\n
But singing doesn\u2019t have to be this way.<\/p>\n
Actually, singing doesn\u2019t have to be about performance at all.<\/p>\n
Singing has its most ancient roots in everyday life, and in\u00a0ritual. \u00a0Singing can bring us together, and help us feel more aligned with a power greater than ourselves.<\/p>\n
As a friend put it to me recently, \u201cWhen we sing, we are one.\u201d<\/p>\n
To sing like this is a loss of self.<\/p>\n
If you’re like most people, this idea makes your inner critic a little nervous.<\/p>\n
Your inner critic wants to keep you separate, safe and protected behind the walls of her limitations. \u00a0But you don\u2019t have to give way to this. \u00a0When it comes to singing, or to anything else, you don\u2019t have to stay small.<\/p>\n
So\u2013 here\u2019s my advice for putting that inner critic in her place.\u2028\u2028The next time you start to sing and you hear any negative thoughts creeping in, first, name them for what they are. \u00a0This is your inner critic.<\/p>\n
Then speak directly to her. \u00a0Thank her kindly for the feedback, and let her know you\u2019ve got this one covered. \u00a0(Thanks, Tara Mohr for this idea.)<\/p>\n
Tell your inner critic that from here on out, it doesn\u2019t matter how good you are.<\/p>\n
From here on out, you\u2019re going to explore singing as a practice not in performance, but in self-care.<\/p>\n
Like yoga.<\/p>\n
Like meditation.<\/p>\n
And then\u2026 \u00a0Just sing. \u00a0Imagine that song is a stream of light, and you\u2019re just going to open the window and let it in.<\/p>\n
Because when you sing in this way, the song will cleanse you, renew you, and remind you just how powerful you are, when you draw upon the universal power of love.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll close with a song\u2026 \u00a0Here\u2019s a good one to use when you need to center or ground yourself. \u00a0We sing it in my women\u2019s singing group, Mothersong, especially around the transitions of pregnancy and birth. \u00a0Enjoy!<\/p>\n
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If you\u2019re a woman who is based in the SF Bay Area, join us for Mothersong Chorus<\/a>, an intergenerational women\u2019s singing circle. \u00a0<\/span>We explore singing as spiritual practice. \u00a0And we have a LOT of fun. \u00a0This summer we\u2019ll hold two special drop in meetings, which are a great opportunity to get a taste of what we\u2019re about. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n