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“It’s made me think differently about music.” Colm Many of us have a relationship with music, and song, that separates us from it – as listeners, spectators, even performers or composers. GV can enable us to bring it into our lives (into ourselves), often in profound ways – Sandra, for instance, didn’t ‘do’ music. Then, after engaging in the GV Process, something happened – “My experience has altered my perception of music/song. I now often choose to listen to music, not just listening to it but can hear it, see it and feel it deep within. The most astounding discovery is its healing capacity ... It has opened my heart and mind to allow song to seep osmotically in and work its magical qualities.” Having also begun to open doors to herself – and the world – through GV, Janet was blown away by the music of Schubert and Beethoven for the first time – “I LOVED it ... It’s incredible: I can really FEEL the energy of the pieces touching me, as if I’ve suddenly become alive … I’ve been SO deprived but didn’t know it. Now I want to FEAST on this music ... Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I realise how far I’ve come ... “ Such music had not appealed to Janet before, and never touched her. Meanwhile Jack, whose musical tastes were ‘classical’ – including Schubert and Beethoven – started to open up to other forms of music too – “I have recently realised that I can ‘allow myself’ to like various old ‘pop’ songs …” See Sandra's story following traumatic bereavement and Some abuse survivors' stories and for more about Sandra's and Janet’s stories respectively. See also Our relationship with singing – GV's impact. Meanwhile the book reveals how they – and others – have drawn on the GV Process to effect change, and how you can too – whether you sing or not.

“GV singing is never commonplace, never ordinary.” Christine “Singing has always been important to me. Now I’ve realised just how important” Kevin "The pain dissolved – I sang it out! And I don’t even ‘do’ music! The peace and joy I can now access is unbelievable …” Briony “'The singer must become the song' - I’ve known this a long time but only just come together in my head!” "I’ve joined a choir which I don’t think I would have done without your course. I’m really enjoying it. There is a lot to learn. Thank you for helping me to find my voice." “[The day] helped me to sing again. Not just a ‘Winnie the Pooh’ type of hum but a ‘full-bodied, full-gutted voice from the belly and bowls sing’ that feels like it’s the real me.” Alan SOME SELF-IDENTIFIED NON-SINGERS SPEAK Many report no longer feeling fearful about connecting with song through their voices: ”I wasn’t able to 'sing' for most of my 50+ years, but I attended a couple of GV sessions, and the experience unblocked something. It was very powerful. Now I sing in a choir. Years later I revisited Jill’s tape [now CD] and felt its profound beauty once again.” Tam Some report not just 'finding my voice', but becoming aware of its beauty too – "The day actually really helped me find my voice. Ever since I was abused as a child I always found it hard to say the unsayable and to stop myself from gagging or from being sick whenever I thought about myself, my fears and my abuse. I discovered that I have a beautiful voice and that people really could enjoy it. To literally find my voice gave me a new string to my healing that I didn’t know existed." Ally Others report discovering that they can, after all, sing in tune – ”Something happened … clarity, purity around singing a note … it was effortless, spontaneous. An experience that will never leave, that I could find a note effortlessly and truly, not trying … I realised I'd never fully sung, because I feared being judged.* Now I can let go of that fear and sing with an open heart and throat, connected to song … all doubts, judgements and uncertainties leave me. I can relax and know I am in tune …" Estelle "A real high was matching the note on Saturday night without thinking." Denise Some months later, after exploring GV on her own, Denise made an even more extraordinary discovery – "I'd awoken feeling fragile. and gone back to bed with a cup of tea. Then I suddenly found myself singing; except it wasn’t me! The voice was clear, rich and strong. My vocal range was narrow - much less than an octave - but the melody soared up and down over at least 2 octaves, with variation on the words ‘let it be’, over and over again. It was so beautiful and apt, and so simple. It was totally effortless and went on for nearly an hour. Then it stopped as suddenly as it had begun. My throat was in no way dry, sore or tired! (Often it gets tired very quickly, even through speaking for a short time)." On another occasion, she wrote – “Singing with full attention enables me to listen with full attention – if I allow it – and that leads me back to myself and all the treasures I’m discovering, including being able to sing myself! The singing is so profound, it needs me to be fully there.” Finally, Fiona, who at times may still say "I can't really sing", is clear that she definitely can ”when there is a need”. Many otherwise inhibited parents are intimately in touch with this need as they soothe a fractious baby or small child with a lullaby. As revealed in our book, we can learn to do this for ourselves too – and much else. * In all likelihood, Estelle felt this because she had experienced being judged when singing as a child – such a common experience for so many of us. SOME SELF-IDENTIFIED SINGERS SPEAK Others, who have had no particular difficulties with vocalising, remark on the profound difference GV makes to their singing generally – even after a short time. Some who attend church, for instance, have said they now get much more from singing in that context. Ginny noticed how her growing relationship with singing through engagement in GV has enabled her to grow in other ways – “I’m noticing/experiencing new ways of being in a singing capacity, and noticing very acutely how it’s affecting how I experience the outside world. I’m much more mindful with others. Finding something difficult, not knowing how to tackle it, instead of rushing ahead I’m sitting with the not knowing/chaos and waiting … There are many many examples of experiences I have of these kinds which hold up as a mirror the possibility of being like this in the outside world. I feel I’m working slowly and steadily and I like this slowness and steadiness.” Rachel echoes Ginny’s comment – “I love singing. I’ve sung all my life. It’s heaven to use that as a vehicle for personal growth. Fantastic.” Meanwhile, Iris began to realise through GV how much more engaged she could be when she sang in other contexts – “Looking back, I realise that before, on the whole, I wasn't engaged when singing. I remember someone pointing this out to me in a recording studio". Meg, who’s sung in choirs for years, reports similar discoveries, and more – “I’m beginning to get a sense of song within myself, of embracing it fully. It becomes like a remedy. And I’ve been singing out in a way I’ve never felt free enough to do before.” Finally, Jay, who had sung regularly in a number of groups for years, remarked about their encounter with GV – “This is the most fun I’ve ever had singing!’ THE HOLISTIC IMPACT OF GV Denise, above, hints at the holistic nature of what GV offers, and more of her experiences – and those of others – can be found in our book. People who've been told they couldn't sing, like Denise and Estelle above, often write movingly of their discoveries through GV.** Janet, a childhood abuse survivor, kept a journal after starting her explorations with Jill – “I wanted to find my true voice ... It was a challenge to join a group because I had no confidence … Learning to sing and discovering our true voice are not, I realised, the same thing. Getting in touch with our true voice has a spiritual dimension that simply learning to sing can lack. Jill’s role was that of facilitator of self-discovery rather than that of singing teacher … I connected to joys and sorrows within me that singing in the shower hadn’t helped me reach. I was able to share these within the group and found a deep sense of healing ... Every session gave me something to grow from. [It] was very gentle yet very powerful ... I’m no longer afraid of being heard. I have a much kinder, less critical and more respectful attitude to my voice (indeed to all of me). I can now use my voice as a way of loving myself and for the first time in my life I am aware of having a sound dimension. Having been given the time, space and facilitation to get in touch with my true voice has helped me discover a chest full of previously hidden treasures ... I’d never have believed that getting in touch with my voice could have had so many good side effects ... I’ve taken what was available through our work and I’ve used it to alter my feelings. I’ve drunk from the water you took me to. And continue to drink!" Janet (writing, she said, with tears of tears of gratitude and joy) [Janet's sister told her that whenever, as children, they tried to sing, their mother would be scathing – "and in a nasty voice, with scowling face, she’d say things like: 'Who told you that you could sing?' 'What makes you think you’re good enough to sing?' 'Shut your mouth, you’re useless.' 'Don’t bother trying to sing, because you don’t know how' etc. etc."] Al found that a mere ten minutes of GV had an impact on how he felt about his speaking voice – "I must say that our rather brief interaction had a profound and deeply inspiring effect and I have become ever more determined to speak with my own voice.” After hearing and engaging with Jill's 'Old Man' song – A Song about Finding Peace (on our CD and No. 1 in the book) – Mavis wrote: "[I have] a very particular place in my heart for your wonderful Old Man ... walking, singing, living, dying in peace. I suspect he will help me along my way. But my deepest need of him is for the joy of the sound and awareness of Being itself." Meanwhile, Evelyn wrote the following in beautiful calligraphy after attending a GV weekend – “To sing with heart is to find the love that’s hiding in hatred, that strength that is disguised in the pain and shed the mantle that is shrouding my divine light. " Often we find that these sorts of things happen when we start to deeply connect with our desire to sing. Section Three in the book offers a step-by-step guide if you want to explore this. As Grace shares in the book – “After I found the desire, the voice came from deep within" ** Ironically, having got to know Denise's GV process, Jill realised that far from having a ‘poor ear’, she in fact had a particularly sensitive one – so sensitive that Denise could hear harmonics that most other people can’t. So when the music teacher at school played a note on the piano and told her to sing it, Denise’s response was, ‘which one?’ Her teacher's uncomprehending response left Denise unable to sing for decades. The damage of being even gently ridiculed or told while at school to pretend to sing can be profound too – although in Jill's experience, people often laugh this off when initially talking with her about it. See also blogpost on professionals' comments

An artist who had stopped painting, Justine wrote to Jill after attending some regular group sessions for a few months: “I wanted to write to say how much I value your work … Over the last few months I think it has prompted me to acknowledge and ‘give voice’, privately, to emotions I have been sitting on for some time … and I am gradually feeling a deep sense of release. More than that, something is happening at a deeper, soul level which I think is to do with trust in the universal order of things and I am feeling that I am indeed a part of the ‘whole’. For me this is very freeing and has both released me from a sense ofisolation/separateness and also ‘connected’ me again with the world and, spiritually, beyond. I feel I can now begin to tap my own inner creativity once more. I can now walk more joyously alone and ‘see’ beautiful colour and light and am gathering paints and boards and brushes together to express this outer connecting and inner journeying. I hope this, in some sense, expresses my gratitude for your deep understanding that the journey one needs to take towards healing is indeed, uniquely one’s own. I am currently working on a series of abstract paintings in which I am trying to express this concept and through which I am coming to understand things better. So - the colours I sought to ‘hear’ in the early weeks are now taking form and I’m beginning to ‘taste the notes’! Things are fusing somehow and I want to be able to paint senses, feelings, thoughts, ideas. I don’t want this to make sense as it’s very exploratory at the moment and I feel I’m on the edge of some new and important (for me) understanding of something …”

"[GV] gives power and strength when physically I am ill and spent” Arlene “GV was a fantastic resource for me to use during labour” Val Many with physical health problems have claimed physical as well as psychological benefits (eg see Munyard et al 2002; Cloverleaf et al 2002; Rakusen 2000). Conditions where physical benefits have been claimed by participants include the following – Untreatable back pain M.E. Other severe pain or incapacity M.S. Blood Pressure “When I come to the GV group my back pain disappears. Nothing else cures it!” Dan Writing after a GV day, Dan continued, “I have been able to swim, pain free, three times this week. This is incredible, as I have been unable to swim for months because of my back pain. Thanks!” After another day, he wrote, “I felt I had been opened inside and given a generous oiling all over.” Dan had long-standing severe back pain for many years, and said he had ‘tried everything’ – allopathy, osteopathy, chiropractic, physiotherapy, acupuncture, etc etc. Despite being told that the pain relief was not being given to him, but that it was something he was doing, and that he could develop awareness of what it was, so that he could do it without the facilitation of the teacher (JR), he tended to laugh disbelievingly. He steadfastly resisted choosing to learn to do it for himself, knowing full well the absurdity of his apparent choice. M.E. Jill herself developed GV whilst living with Post-viral fatigue syndrome, a form of M.E. Her book offers insight into how she has used song – often in silence when lying in bed – whilst living with disability. One of the many people who has learnt to do this too is Becca – "Living with chronic illness is s***. Living with chronic illness with GV in my life is a lot less s***. At times it can even be fun and enjoyable. Long periods of being confined to bed can be difficult to endure, but lying in bed with a song in my heart can be a complete delight and I can’t wait to do it again. It can bring me deep peace and I can even feel grateful for the enforced rest. GV helps me manage the M.E., and gives me ways to deal with stress and overcome the worry and resentment arising from it, that in turn would make my condition worse. It helps me feel part of the human race and that I have something to give, even though I am so ill and disabled at times.” M.S. At the end of a GV event, Andi found it remarkable that her ability to walk and stand had improved. She believed that something about her engagement in the GV Process had helped her. Other severe pain or incapacity Barbara, who has severe, long-standing osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, reported an extraordinary development after exploring GV at home with one particular song – “The constant pain eased! This is the first time I’ve had [relief] like this. Gardening, I’ve been surprised how less bad my back’s been. And I’m standing taller because I’m less hunched up with pain, and it’s since my experience with this song! It means I keep hitting my head on the kitchen cupboards – the first time ever (I’ve had them 15 years!)” Arlene, whose pain and overall health challenges are constant and severely debilitating, wrote one day – “I sang, and meditated, my way out of a thicket of intense chronic pain for the past 2 months (sometimes I can hardly walk now – despite treatments and self-help). The experience of transcending, if for a while, all this excruciating and boring CRAP rekindles a flicker and also of hope. Without that there’s nothing much to work with. Big thank you … and deep peace. Two years later she wrote – "I was so close to despair (awful bus journey, so much pain, so much noise). I couldn’t bear it. Then ‘May the Doors of my House’ appeared [Song No. 16 in the book. Thank God for GV!” Meanwhile, after engaging with a GV recording during one of our remote learning events, Audrey remarked, ”When I started to sing, it made me cry. Tears of joy and recognition – as if I'd found a way. Joy at singing with someone else. Joy at singing wholeheartedly. It's resonating in my whole body – my feet are vibrating. It's a release of creativity – this is wonderful for me because I'm so limited by physical weakness in using my arms – I can’t do things like drawing, painting, or writing. I get really irritated. Today I feel I've really worked. I've really enjoyed it." Jeannie, who had an incurable, life-threatening auto-immune liver disease took powerful medicatio,n to keep her liver function under control. She lived on a constant tightrope between the dangers of the disease and the dangers of the drug. She also had a background of abuse, and recognised that she abused herself by “not giving myself time to do things I know will help me, and trying to do too much”. And while she recognised she had the power to affect how she felt – eg through meditation, dancing, singing – she wasn't doing any of this, and was feeling very low. She joined a short GV course, only managing two sessions in person because of her illness. However, she managed daily ‘homework’, sometimes involving GV recordings, and used the opportunities available for occasional facilitation from Jill . During the course she reported being "more energised, empowered and joyful – all unusual”. After the course she decided to continue with her daily GV practice at home, knowing that she could build on what she had gained. “I don’t intend to stop, because I enjoy the experience”, she said. Two months later, Jeannie reports – “A lot of negative feelings have been transformed ... My emotions are more stable, my self-respect has improved, I value myself more and I feel more confident in general ” “This course has helped me cope better with [my] illness ... If I feel depressed, I soon feel better [with GV].” Eight months later, Jeannie is still using GV, and is dancing and meditating again – "Now I’m stronger, happier, more peaceful, have more energy, and get more out of life. GV has certainly helped me a lot”. Jeannie’s story is described more fully in Jill's article in the journal Positive Health. Blood pressure Denise is convinced that being able to halve her blood pressure tablets is connected with using GV in her daily life – “There must be a connection with GV, since a lot of my b/p has been through stress, and I’ve been using GV to alleviate this.” All those quoted above, and many others, had learnt how to 'unlock the power of song' through a short course. Our book is designed to help others learn to do this too – providing step-by-step guidance, and much more besides. See also Handling disability at home and at work, Impact on daily life

"My life has always involved loading myself with jobs when I’m feeling down. This, inevitably, leads to me feeling more overwhelmed with life and unable to get to the bottom of my problems. Problems had always been there to be covered up, and life had thrown up the huge problem of having a still-born baby. This enormous emotional upheaval required serious replacement and I was working part-time as a carer as well as having three children, and looking after a lady with learning difficulties. My husband had gone on a self destruct emotionally, and I felt it was my role to support him, as well as to try and hold the family together. With this plethora of emotional baggage, I met Jill – to apparently care for her. What actually happened was astonishing … New insights I started attending one of her regular Giving Voice groups. Initially I was terrified. I was also aware that this could be something that could change my life. Although I enjoyed the first evening, it took several sessions before I realised how vital this was to me. It led me to look at myself in a way that I never had before. I started to accept that I was using work as a shield to prevent me from feeling pain and hurt. But what I was actually doing was preventing myself from feeling any better. In accepting all of these things I had to make the decision to change. This was a much harder thing to accomplish. It meant I would have to change the person I had been for so long ... I was not sure how I would do this, or what the consequences would be, but I did know that I had to own myself and take responsibility for how my actions affected those around me. I had always thought that, by doing things for others I was helping them, but Giving Voice made me realise that I was actually disabling them. New developments I started to sing around the house - songs I'd learned through GV, old pop songs, church songs - singing either for the fun of it, or to really connect. I realised that I had no idea what my taste in music was any more. I had completely lost touch with what made me happy, and what made me me. Singing GV songs made me connect with a part of myself that I had forgotten existed. I allowed myself to grieve for our lost daughter, I allowed myself to grieve for what might have been, but also I was able to be joyful for the small impact she had made on me. My religious faith and beliefs were reinforced and I felt a sweet joy come back into my life. “It was tough, but enjoyable; heartrending at times, but always a very positive experience. I did it with support from Jill and others in GV, as well as from my family. Now I’ve learned how to use music (particularly singing) in a positive, uplifting way in my life. I am also much more confident outgoing and prepared to take responsibility for myself, including my actions as well as my emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. I even sang in a trio at church, which is something I’ve never done before."

These monthly sessions led Jack to experience himself in freeing and unfamiliar ways; they also led to a heightened sense of awareness, including about connectedness, responsibility, play, and service. He shared thus – How do you describe an experience that is always different, and that has an impact on so many levels? What follows barely scratches the surface. I LOVE IT. At one level, the Giving Voice (GV) process involves singing, but more than that, it involves letting go, of thought and judgements and any emotions that are stirred up by the song. The more that this letting go can be achieved, the greater and deeper the experience, the greater the healing, and the deeper the integration. The monthly sessions are important opportunities to re-connect to my body, emotions, and soul. The process comforts my intellect and helps develop trust. My continued involvement also provides an opportunity to explore how I might re-create the experience away from the group, and how to avoid sabotaging such efforts. To feel part of a group session - integral to it and of equal importance to anyone else - and to feel connected to the other members of the group is a feeling I rarely had the privilege to experience. To feel that way with people I have no other contact with and, in some cases, would not wish to have, is also important as an example of what is possible in the wider world - to feel connected, even to strangers. To never again feel alone in this world. And to hear 20 voices, each singing their own thing, coming together in beautiful harmonies, gives me hope for the possibility that mankind may, one day, learn to live in harmony ... To be singing with passion and intensity, but quietly and together - sometimes it just feels so beautiful I could almost cry for the joy of the experience. Improvised singing And I delight in the totally improvised singing: many voices, each adding their own unique contribution. It can be such a surprise, as none of us has any idea what the others will add to the song … It's easy to think of it as almost magical. Sometimes I just love to ‘play’ ... following my sense of where the song should go, seeing if the group will follow me, or whether it has a momentum that will draw me back. Sometimes I feel like maintaining a constant rhythm around which everyone else can ‘play’ if they wish. On one occasion, I ‘picked’ a rhythm out of the sustained sound. It was almost as if I heard its absence. Jill picked up on this and introduced a counter rhythm. The rest of the group followed Jill and were encouraged into smaller groups doing different things. I just continued with my own rhythm. Perhaps unnoticed. And yet I felt an integral and important part. I do not know what influence I had, but when I felt that the rhythm should speed up, it did. And when I felt it should fade to completion, it did that too. So was I leading, or was I just in tune with it? It does not matter”. On another profound evening, I listened to Jill singing ‘I am gentle with myself’ [on Jill's CD, and No. 9 in the book], and then, as the others gradually joined in, I enjoyed the growing texture and depth of the piece. Eventually I felt the desire to add my voice: I'd felt that there was a gap – a space for me to fill – that invited me to join in, just because it was there. And so I added my voice to increase the depth and texture of the whole. On another occasion, as the improvisation developed, I felt I was providing the central rhythm that was holding everything together. Effectively the central reference point that held and maintained the rhythm. (I am not saying that this is true - only that this was my experience.) My experience of the improvising in GV led me to a combination of: responsibility and the need to hold the rhythm, even when it felt like a struggle, commitment to provide this service to the group, and honour about being ‘allowed' this role. I am struck by how this compares with the rest of my life where I seem to resent and rebel against such roles. I feel strong, consistent gratitude to Jill, Rachel and Caroline for the generous caring skill with which they have treated me and taught me."

Of the many people who have claimed benefit from GV, it's possible that only a few people disclosed their history of abuse. Of those who did, here are a few encouraging stories – Sexually abused as a child/teenager, Zita had sought help for her self-harming behaviour, including around food, “but to no avail”. Wanting to learn a new way of being, she attended two 6-session GV courses. During the second one she found herself writing “I don’t need anybody. I can prove it! My body is larger than life!”. Then, after engaging with two particular songs, including one that Jill created especially for the course, she realised this was bravado, and that "I don't want to be cut off from my body any more". She did 'homework' every day, and found the songs offered her a way through. She reports realising that she was learning how to allow herself to be supported, including by song. After the course, Zita realised she could now move through difficulties using GV as a tool – “I feel I have moved on; become more alive ... Allowing ‘negative’ feelings to come out seemed to release me of them and any hold they had on me ... I feel stronger now [and] more trusting of other people. I don’t feel afraid any more: I’ve learnt to let go of fearful habits and replaced them with habits that help me move forward ... [GV] helps me to express and nurture myself." Instead of smoking and drinking to relieve stress, she now uses other means, including “listening and bringing to mind the songs ... This also enables me to feel more powerful." "Feeling joyful and empowered is a new way of feeling for me.” More about Zita's story can be found in Jill's article in Positive Health. Janet, sexually abused in childhood too, wrote to Jill after exploring GV for a few months – "I realise how far I’ve come given where I started from – overdosing, cutting, bingeing, vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, living in a windowless attic room, apologising for existing. I’ve moved light years. There is an enormous change in my level of self-criticism. I used to beat myself to a pulp on a very regular basis and I don’t do it half as often or to such an extent. I can feel a contentment in myself that I didn’t have before. I can feel very loving to myself sometimes, without having to consciously ‘work’ on getting in touch with feelings of self-love. They jump up out of the blue on a regular basis and make themselves known. It’s good. I’d never have believed that getting in touch with my voice could have had so many good side effects. ... I’ve taken what was available through our work and I’ve used it to alter my feelings. I’ve drunk from the water you took me to. And continue to drink!" Janet used to feel that her pain/turmoil was being negated when joy was mentioned. Remarking how this feeling too had lessened through using GV at home, she wrote one day, “I even felt happy (yes HAPPY) all weekend. What an admission!” Our book reveals more about Janet's story, and how she – and others – have engaged with song to effect change in their lives. Janet sent her friend Diane, a fellow-sufferer, a copy of Jill's Songs for Universal Peace and Healing. She wrote back – “Listening to ‘Old Man’ ['A Song about Finding Peace'] I have the strangest sensation of watching something on the surface yet being aware of a stillness underneath at the same time. It makes me feel very settled inside, peace and contentment spread through me ... I feel everything is OK, there is no need to worry about anything. It gives me a really lovely good feeling. Thank you very much [for the recording]. Jill has a beautiful voice and listening to her songs is like a balm to me inside. It is very healing.” The story of the song Diane refers to is described in the book, where many others' stories can be found, together with 'Handy Hints' on how to unlock the song's power. The song is often used in GV for Peace, and can be found on our GV for Peace CD too (available for a donation, to aid the promotion of peace). Another abuse survivor wrote after attending a short course, where the above song was shared, together with a number of others – “Experienced lots of positive feelings, which I’ve stored within ‘like jewels’ – and which am currently using to sustain myself through a traumatic time. Also gained much clarity and understanding about my life. I feel really able to use what I’ve learnt in the future … I couldn’t get over how I experienced soothing and calm – almost despite myself, I couldn’t get over that. It made me think.” Some sexual abuse survivors share after a day of GV ... “I felt confident for the first time ever – for such a substantial amount of time.” “For the first time, I felt the real me coming up. I couldn’t believe it!” “Thank you so much for enabling me to feel whole for the first time since I was a very small baby.” ... Some abuse survivors share after a short GV session “[I learnt] I can deal with issues through voice - it’s more than just an ‘escape’" “I enjoyed it (and I didn't think I would!)" "A very calming experience. I feel uplifted and positive" “A sense of strength and inner peace, joyfulness … a wonderful experience” “A sense of well-being and healing” “It soothed me and made me smile” "“Empowerment” "Confidence and Liberation!” "A revelation!” “Sense of richness, relaxation, happiness” “Helped me regain some equilibrium and perspective” “I’ve gained some confidence and also a feeling of optimism. I’ve always felt scared about using my voice” "I was able to ‘let go’ more” “I went away with my mind having been gently caressed” “Thank you so much for enabling me to get in touch with ‘happy’ feelings” See also Our relationship with music – GV's impact and Our relationship with singing – GV's impact for some remarkable discoveries by survivors of abuse.

Sandra was attending a Giving Voice (GV) and Mental Health course, to see if it might help her after the death of her son in violent circumstances. Like other participants, she was encouraged to explore using this approach at home.* After doing this one day, she wrote the following in her diary – “The last half hour has just been a most unbelievable experience. I’m looking after my 14 month old grandson. He’s having a bad day, teething, crotchety and to cap it all he trapped his fingers in the cupboard door. We snuggled down into the chair and rocked. I See Beauty [on our CD and Song No. 3 in our book] surfaced from deep within. I couldn’t believe it. [Previously Sandra had been having great difficulty with this song emotionally.] I began to sing quietly. He settled to sleep in the warmth and comfort while I sang and cried. Does each tear help to empty that great well of sorrow? My initial reaction is to question and try to analyse what happened – but instead I have just accepted the experience and feel the calm relief ripple though my whole being.” A few days later, “I feel very solid after the last group … my feet still feel to be connected, and drawing strength from the earth, while anxiety drops from my shoulders and my mind feels clear ... “ After completion of the course, “[GV] has been my Golden Apple. See the beauty of it then experience the healing properties as I continue to nibble. I am learning to savour the delights of this fruit ... It has opened my heart and mind to allow song to seep osmotically in and work its magical qualities … Thank you Jill for being so supportive and encouraging. Your skills have opened up an amazing new vista for me … I feel so lucky … I’ve been given a goldmine! It's been a lifeline. It still is” 6 months after the course's completion, Jill received a phone message from Sandra, having again found herself singing the same song – “I just had to tell you! I’m glowing. I feel beautiful. Thank you so much ... Initially I did not like the song – now it blows my socks off!” * Our book gives guidance on how to do this, which Sandra had learnt about in the group. Deciding whether we 'like' a song or not is something discussed in the book too. In The impact on our relationship with music Sandra describes how her entire relationship changed after engaging in the GV Process.

"For seven years I’d been living with a diagnosis of M.E. and for the first two of those years I was confined to bed much of the time. As I learnt to manage my condition better, I could spend more time out of bed, but needed frequent rests. In time, and using Giving Voice (GV), I eventually reached a point where I could start looking for work again – at the time I was in my 30s and a single parent. Establishing a resting routine at home ... By now I had begun a routine of resting every day after lunch ... I’d learnt to do this whatever I was feeling - not tired at all, too tired to rest, and anything in between. I often rested with a song in my heart. When I was offered a job, before accepting it, I explained to my manager that I would need a ‘reasonable adjustment’: a daily 20 minute rest after lunch, lying down. She was great and saw this as no problem, so I started part time work. ... and at work Every work day after lunch, the meeting room was booked for my 20 minute rest. I had sheep skins and a blanket to lie on, an eye mask and ear plugs, and an alarm clock. The song I had in my heart, every time, was A Way Through Uncharted Territory. I was definitely in uncharted territory: starting a new job after years of severe illness and disability, and attempting to enrol my employers so I could maintain my functioning. The words sank into my body and became reality: letting go of fear, anxiety, tension and stress, letting in love and breath and feeling parts of me joining up into one whole. Relaxing my brain and thoughts, experiencing trust, sensing my heart, becoming really present. Feeling joy, feeling rested and the deep joy in that restfulness. This state of being pervaded how I was at work every day, and how I was treated at work too. Using GV, I’d done loads of work on my feelings and thinking patterns in relation to being ill, let go of much resentment and bitterness, and was in touch with the joy and miraculousness and purposefulness of being back at work. It felt remarkably easy, and I rarely had time off sick. Changes at work We moved offices and the meeting room was lost. Instead I had to rest in my manager’s office. This room was in high demand for other meetings and for her to work at her desk, so the whole team of 20+ had to juggle the availability of this room. My need to rest was always accepted and accommodated: by me and everyone else. At one point I felt upset about being singled out as needing the room to rest when other people needed the room just as much for other purposes. My manager had the brilliant idea of making a sign for the room when it was in use: 'do not disturb: meeting or resting in progress'. My rest was put on an equal footing with meetings. Another radical change that became normal and part of the culture at work. Then the manager left and a new manager arrived. I continued to rest every day with the song and together the team and the new manager found our way through that new territory. Recommitment and reconnection As my recovery progressed I was in danger of becoming less disciplined about resting, because I could get away with it on some days, and function through the day. But I very quickly learned that if I skipped even one rest, it would have a cumulative effect for days and weeks afterwards, and my health would deteriorate. So I did some more work with the song, to recommit and reconnect to my routine. The new manager even started reminding me to rest if by 1.30 I hadn’t done so. The fantastic support around me continued. Resting when out of the office When out on a training course for example, whoever booked me on it would request a place for me to rest, and an extended lunch break for me. I was very moved by the positive response of all sorts of organisations. Sometimes I had to do some internal work to avoid feeling embarrassed or isolated, but often the trainer or people at the venue were so lovely it was a pleasure. I rested in all sorts of places: libraries, counselling rooms, faith centres, on floors and sofas and yoga mats. On one memorable occasion the training provider booked a hotel suite for me to use for free and I had 20 minutes of luxury! Being inspired and inspiring others to rest Once I was delivering a training course with a co-trainer from a partner organisation. He was really supportive: we didn’t have time for an extended lunch break so he ran the session on his own for 20 minutes after lunch while I rested. Later he said he often felt too tired to work in the afternoons and, inspired by me, had approached his own work place with the idea of creating a space to rest at work. He told me they have now provided a bed and all the employees can use it when needed. This song almost instantly takes me to a deep place of rest and relaxation. With a bit more effort it can also take me to a place of deep joy and ease, which can then be present in my work too. This means I and other people experience my resting as positive rather than disruptive, less of an interruption and more of a benefit. I love it and it helps me love myself and accept myself as someone living with illness and needing adjustments. It helps me experience these adjustments as gifts. Thank you Jill for this amazing song and for GV. It enables me to participate in society as a disabled person, to give something back, to have a job and earn a wage to support myself and my child. "After more than 4 years I sometimes rest with different songs, but often, still, with Uncharted Territory.” The song Rachel refers to is No. 7 in Unlocking the Power of Song: A Companion for Challenging Times Note from Jill: Rachel had already done a lot of GV before her diagnosis, and she had also undergone the longish training and apprenticeship to become a GV teacher. So she was extremely skilled. Both she and I hope that her detailed description might help others who want to explore using GV to support them through illness and/or at work. If Rachel's managers were emulated elsewhere, who knows what life-enhancing possibilities might transpire!

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

By Rachel Healey In this time of the global pandemic, there is a lot of fear and anxiousness around. Fear for ourselves and our loved ones. Fear of the unknown. Fear about whether we’ll be able to cope, and how long for. Understandably, there’s a lot of anger and despair too. This particular article is about feelings of fear and anxiety, and how Giving Voice could help. Anxiety in the air When I walk in the park, there’s an atmosphere of anxiousness. Some people are getting too close to each other, and to me. Some are coughing and wheezing. Joggers and cyclists pass by exhaling forcefully. Many people look anxious. Will I catch the virus? Will someone report me for leaving the house twice today? When I turn on the news, there are the awful latest death figures, and gloomy speculation about how bad the impact of Covid-19 will be, on people, society and the economy. It’s terrifying and devastating. When I work from home, I’m trying to learn new ways of working, using new technology and new processes. I worry that it’s all too demanding, that I won’t be able to keep up. I’m finding it difficult to learn new things. I think about key workers and front line workers putting themselves at huge risk, and I feel guilty for feeling anxious about my own situation. There’s often an anxious atmosphere in my home, where I really need peace and rest. My home life is quite simple: I live with one housemate, my child is grown up and left home a few years ago. I think about families home-educating children, caring for babies and toddlers, and wonder how on earth do they manage? What can I do to address feelings of anxiousness and fear, and create an atmosphere of calm, relaxation and flow in myself and in my home? Using the Giving Voice Process Pretty much any song we use in Giving Voice can help address anxious feelings: we don't have to worry about finding exactly the right theme or words. We can even use songs without words. Engaging with a song using the Giving Voice approach reminds me of a few things, which are good tips for managing feelings of anxiety and worry in any context: I remember to breathe and to feel physical sensations in my body I admit to myself that I’m feeling anxious I’m taking action to do something about it, as best I can I’m interrupting thoughts that might be recurring or obsessive, and focusing on something else I’m making time to take care of myself I’m part of a community of people who practice in this way and have found it helpful Spending time with a song alone, whether listening to a recording, or singing silently or aloud, is a great way to connect with something deep within ourselves, and feel connected with something bigger than ourselves too. When I do this, I feel my anxiety shrink in proportion. Usually, I can gently bring my attention to other things – feeling nurtured, feeling powerful, feeling that I matter, and feeling calm, for example. Connecting with a song that I’ve learnt in the context of Giving Voice reminds me that the atmosphere in my home, in my body, and in my mind is within my control. If I attend to what is possible for me – the things I can control – and practice keeping those free of anxiety, it really helps. If I am able to turn my focus away from my anxious feelings, I notice there are plenty of other things there too, which are more helpful. Such as love, joy and calm. Then I can choose to focus on those. I sometimes use the song to feel like I’m pouring water and nutrients on to those helpful things, to make them grow in my home and in my awareness. Often I have an experience of sacredness. It’s difficult to describe, but it’s about the potential beauty and preciousness of the space within me and around me, if I choose to attend to it. All this helps me and it helps the wider world too. How I am within myself sets the tone for how I interact with others, even at a social distance. It affects how I perceive non-human things too, and I appreciate the good things more. It has an effect in more subtle ways – it’s like finding a current of hope and helping to direct that, rather than being sucked in to anxiety. To become more regularly free of feelings of worry and anxiety, and get the most from Giving Voice practice, it’s important to commit to working with a song regularly, ideally daily at the same time each day. To help people do this, we at the National Foundation for Giving Voice have put lots of information and tips on our Facebook page, and there is a Facebook group 'Unlocking the Power of Song' where people who want to work with a song can access recordings and other information, as well as facilitation from Giving Voice teachers. It’s important to add that if you have longstanding mental health difficulties, Giving Voice is not intended to play the same role as therapy or medical help. It can be used alongside, so you could talk to your therapist or mental health professional about that, and you or they can be in touch with us to get more information. If you’ve found this article interesting, please give us a like and a comment, and visit our Facebook page or website to find out more.

My name is Rachel Healey. I teach Giving Voice and have been practising it in my own life since 1998..  This is my first blog.  In this article, I’ve written a bit about myself and about my relationship with Giving Voice, how I became a teacher, and how I use it in my own life.  Finally, I’ve said something about how Giving Voice could be really useful for me and others at this particular time, during the global coronavirus crisis, to help us cope with, and even grow through, enforced isolation and lockdown. My first experience of Giving Voice was a residential weekend with Giving Voice founder Jill Rakusen. I loved it so much that I set up a group in Leeds, where I lived, for Jill to come and teach on a regular basis.  I also asked her if she would train me to teach Giving Voice. She had to think about it for a while, but eventually said ‘yes’.  I graduated in 2005, after completing a first level training followed by an apprenticeship. I’ve been teaching GV regularly ever since.  Jill and I jointly set up the National Foundation for Giving Voice, and together with GV teacher Caroline Thorpe, we now run the Foundation, which is a charity overseen by a Board of Trustees. In 2006 I became ill with a long-term chronic illness.  I was bedridden a lot for the first 2 years, then got around using mobility aids, before eventually getting back on my feet.  Giving Voice was an absolute lifeline - it was something I could do alone at home, without even having to get out of bed. I used it in so many ways to support myself during that difficult time. I went back to regular work in 2010, and back to full-time work in 2016.  Giving Voice continues to play a major part in my ongoing recovery and managing my condition. I don’t know how I’d cope without it. This blog has been prompted by the coronavirus pandemic and the amazing initiatives around the world linking people up using social media and online platforms. Giving Voice is such a wonderful resource for people who are isolated, alone and/or ill, as well as a great way of bringing people together to deeply experience what togetherness can mean.  It helped me a lot when I couldn’t leave the house, and stopped me from feeling completely cut off and useless. I can still feel like that sometimes.  Doing Giving Voice practice, and teaching it, helps me appreciate how much each of us matters, how much everyone has to offer and contribute, and how we can give and receive support in subtle and surprising ways. Social media and online links can be the way you get hold of material about Giving Voice, and get a sense of the community of people involved.  Then you can go offline to practice with it, and hopefully tap in to that sense of belonging and togetherness, without having to be on a device or connected to the internet.  It’s certainly a welcome break for me, as I find being online and looking at a screen really tiring. I do Giving Voice practice every day for at least a few minutes, and sometimes up to an hour.  I have a big repertoire of songs that I work with, but usually stick with one for a few weeks or months, so I can develop a really deep relationship with it.  I also have an intention that I bring to mind before I do my practice – what do I want from this?  At the moment it can be to address my anxiety about the pandemic, tackle the overwhelm I sometimes feel, and cope with feelings of fear and disconnection.  It feels like building an inner resource that I can draw on, and be more resilient and fit enough to get through each day, and when needed, to connect with and support other people. During this coronavirus pandemic I want to spread the word about this amazing resource, enable more people to learn how to use it, and to connect with others who are also using it.  If you’re interested, have a look at our Facebook page.  If you want to learn more about unlocking the power of song, you can join our Facebook group find the link on our Facebook page. If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, please give us a like or a comment.