Voice and Meditation: The Secret for Many Singers and Speakers

Whether singing or speaking in public, you have probably felt that your voice is more than just sound. It is expression, emotion, presence, body and soul, but have you ever thought about how meditation can transform your relationship with your voice?

Meditating is not just sitting cross-legged and trying to ‘think of nothing’. In fact, meditating is more about being present, observing the body and mind without judgement.

The Body that Speaks

The voice is not born only in the vocal cords — it passes, vibrates and resonates throughout the entire body. Notice how tension in the shoulders can affect your breathing. In the case of a clenched jaw, it is directly reflected in clear articulation. And if you are constantly in ‘stress’ mode, your body goes into survival mode, and your voice... well, your voice suffers.

Meditation helps to relax the nervous system, reduces cortisol (that annoying stress hormone) and, little by little, the body begins to release accumulated tension. The result is a freer, more natural voice that is more your own and more present.

These are the details I try to convey in my singing or voice lessons

Breathing its importance in the voice

Breathing is essential for both singing and speaking well. Shallow breathing does not provide enough vocal support and makes you even more anxious. I often encounter this situation in singing lessons with inexperienced students. Meditation, especially practices that focus on breathing (such as mindfulness or conscious breathing), teaches us to breathe deeply, with depth and awareness, moment by moment, and this improves vocal support and gives us more control when using our voice.

Presence

Have you ever been singing or speaking and felt that you weren't ‘there’? Even during a singing lesson, can you feel your mind racing, worrying about the next note or phrase? It's normal, but it's not very effective. Meditation trains mindfulness: being where you are, living in the moment and feeling the sensations you feel. With practice, this translates into more authentic, more connected performances — and the audience feels it.

Taking care of our voice is taking care of ourselves

We often treat our voice as just a work tool, but we forget that it is connected to our identity, our being, our experience and our history. Meditation invites us to listen to our body, our mind and, by extension, our own voice. Not only the physical voice, but also the inner voice. What do I want to communicate? Am I aligned with what I say or sing? It is an exercise in authenticity.

So, where to start?

You don't need to spend hours in silence. Start with 5 minutes a day. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, observe how you feel. There are countless options available on the internet that can support and guide you, practise in a group or simply in silence. The important thing is to practise regularly so that you can integrate meditation into your daily life.

I will bring some specific guided meditations for the voice that I have been developing over time... coming soon...

Your voice deserves this care. And so do you.

Vocal greetings,

João Charepe