Hi Caroline here
I had a bit of a shock a couple of weeks ago - a positive Covid-19 test! Luckily I only had VERY mild symptoms. However in the context of rising cases and death tolls, I knew I had to take this seriously. My usual modus operandi is to power through illness: I am inclined to ignore it and just get on with life regardless – my friends call me robust. The potential impact of Covid required me to behave differently, not least because I needed to self-isolate.
My colleagues Jill and Rachel had been editing the chapter in Jill's book about her Have a Lovely Restful Day song, and during an online meeting Jill shared it with me. I don't think I had heard it before; it certainly hadn't made an impact. But boy I needed it now. Rest is so underrated in our speedy, speedy world. Both Jill and Rachel have needed to learn about rest to support their health issues, but in many ways this was new ground for me.
For most of the 10 days of my self-isolation, I connected with this song. Sometimes out loud, sometimes silently in my heart.* Our Facebook Group (see below) gives some guidance about how to do this – it’s not something that most people are familiar with, and I certainly wasn’t when I first came across Giving Voice. Connecting like this really helped me to rest and be restful, to rest my heart, mind and body so that I could heal in the best possible way. It was a lifeline and a major support.
I have the song singing in my heart as I write this – as I move back out into this strange lockdown world. My relationship with the song is different now. As I get back to my ‘to do’ list, it’s supporting me to be restful ‘in action’, helping me reveal my authentic self as I engage with the world again.
Interested in Giving Voice and how song can be used to survive and grow in these challenging times?
Why not join our Unlocking the Power of Song Facebook group, where you will find resources to engage with, which are designed for people to work with on their own. Each session takes 20-30 minutes. Various recordings are available there, together with guidance on how to use them, among other material you can read. If you listen to a recording, do make sure you follow the guidance – it’s designed to help us unlock the power of these songs, and gain benefit from what they offer. – just like I did.
We plan that the 'Have a lovely restful day', will be added to the resources of the group in the next few weeks.
* Jill's book explains how to do this