Silence Not Allowed

Trust that little voice in your head that says

'Wouldn't it be interesting if ... '

And then do it.

Duane Michals

This season seems to be playing havoc with my sinuses and allergies.  When I don't ward off the headache early on, it tends to slop over into a migraine.  Once the pain gets ahead of me, I can be down for hours.

Louise L. Hay states that headaches occur when "Invalidating the self.  Self-criticism. Fear."  She suggests we use an affirmation such as:  "I love and approve of myself.  I see myself and what I do with eyes of love.  I am safe."  Of migraine headaches she reports, "Dislike of being driven.  Resisting the flow of life.  Sexual fears."  The recommended affirmation: "I relax into the flow of life and let life provide all that I need easily and comfortably.  Life is for me."

Others report migraines stem from repressed anger.  This, of course, is a subject I know only to well.  As a child, I cringed at loud voices, arguments, fighting, and any display of anger.  I vowed to myself I would never be angry.  So as a re-frame, I would say my feelings were hurt rather than embracing the human emotion,  anger.  All I was doing was repressing all of my anger inside of me.  This does damage on several levels ... body, mind, and spirit. 

This last year I spent some time exploring my angry feelings.  I then gave my lovely self permission to use my voice in expressing my anger.  Wow, was I ever surprised.  Instead of experiencing repercussions I discovered a sense of freedom and closure.  The problem was brought out into the open, addressed, and resolved.  It was all a matter of using my voice in an appropriate manner and being willing to listen to the other side.  All those years of repressing my feelings out of fear did more harm than simply voicing my anger.

The voice is an incredible tool and it is amazing when a person is blessed with the gift of song. The voice, however,  needs to be used for expression whether in the written word or outloud.  We should not allow ourselves to be silenced.

In his book, THE BOOK OF AWAKENING, Mark Nepo reflects:  "For even if no one hears us, it is the act of speaking that frees us."  We can express our words through any of the arts (painting, writing, singing, lyrics to music or poems, dance, etc... )  The experience is liberating, so much more fun than suffering a pounding headache.