A Mystical Journey into the world of Your Voice
Meditative vocal practices to become
more fully embodied & expressed
A six week interactive online course that brings together metaphysical principles with cutting edge somatic practices.
Sound & Soma is a unique course that blends voice work with meditative vocal practices. It not only teaches you how to use your voice to open your breath, but provides a physical, possibly even mystical, experience into your sense of Self that leads to greater confidence, agency and power.
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Your tone of voice, reflects how you feel, it's a tool that connects to your Soul, shifts your state of being and regulates your nervous system. Essentially Sound & Soma is a vocal embodiment practice that uses your voice as a catalyst to connect to deeper layers within the Self allowing more Soul Essence to course through your being as the throat chakra opens. As a consequence more peace, understanding, and lucidity are experienced.
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These playful practice sessions will give you the opportunity to explore the rejuvenating capacity of your own voice while connecting to each other through various exercises using sound. The sessions provide a space for physical self exploration that replenishes you from the inside out, while cultivating deeper embodiment. Plenty of time and space is given to share and integrate your experience.
With only a small number of participants in a deeply supportive environment, you'll learn how to use your voice to ...
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​​open your breath, so you can breathe more fully & deeply
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transmute emotions by gently directing sound-waves
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connect to your sensual essence & the pleasure of making sound
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reduce severe anxiety and increase confidence
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release deeply held tension through gentle vibrations
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open the throat Chakra resulting in increased clarity & lucidity
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rejuvenate and replenish depleted energy levels
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tap into your subtle energy field
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Starting in Oct 2023
Module 1 Intro & Welcome Friday afternoon 27th Oct. 3 p.m. - 4.30 pm London time
First Practice Session Wednesday Evening 1st Nov. 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Times are in BST (British Summer Time)
What people are saying...
I felt much, much better after each session. Seeing the quick positive effects, I was eager to start practicing everything I learned.
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It was fun and exhilarating to try to express myself without holding back.
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I so appreciate how you hold the space at Sound & Soma. There's ease and flow and also homour and cheeckiness. I really get the sense that you have your eyes on the arc of the experience and your finger on the pulse, by the time we end it always feels complete.
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I learned that a louder volume doesn't necessarily imply straining the vocal cords.
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It's actually possible to be louder and have a fuller voice by getting more of my body involved in producing the sound.
Somatic Voice Work makes your body release a powerful cocktail of feel good hormones. The four most obvious ones are …
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Dopamine - a neurotransmitter that forms an important part of your brain's reward circuit and is associated with pleasurable sensations
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Oxytocin - also known as the cuddle hormone that promotes bonding, trust and empathy in relationships and generally increases affection
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Serotonin - a further neurotransmitter that regulates your mood, appetite, sleep and digestion
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Endorphins - your body’s natural pain reliever that also increases when you engage in working out, eating etc.
These hormones are generated through connection, tone of voice and sound waves. By cultivating expression that comes from a genuine, embodied impulse we grow our body’s ability to create these hormones and experience profound states of well-being.
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SOUND & SOMA is for
Yoga Teachers & Body-workers
Wanting to explore their voice
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Therapists, Coaches & Councellors
Wanting to connect to their voice
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Regular people & those afraid of speaking up
Who want to find their voice
People suffering from anxiety
Who want to feel confident and solid in their body
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Healers & Sound Healers
Wanting to understand vocal mechanisms
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People healing from trauma
Who want to feel safe in their bodies
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Together we'll explore
The Fundamental Building Blocks for a Healthy Voice
Similar to yoga postures vocal exercises affect your whole being. They develop your respiratory capacity, help you breathe deeply, increase lung volume and strengthen your voice.
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The Five Pure Vowels
Vowel sounds are the feminine element of voice. They give colour, express feeling tone and create atmosphere. But too much vowel without enough form can lead to feeling depleted, loosing energy and possibly even a sore throat. It ends up being murky, a bit like mixing too many colours turning all into a muddy grey.
Similarly, the pure vowel sounds, need to be clear and distinct like primary colours. This lays the foundation for wholesome vocal development.
Sensual Enunciation
Through sensual enunciation we use sound as a vehicle to connect deeply to our body's internal viscera. These specialized exercises are designed to help you connect to the pleasure inherent in making sound and re-connect to the verbal phase of adolescence where sound was juicy and fun. The focus on combining enunciation with sensuality will give you a deep experience of the self within your body.
Opening the Breath
Most breathing practices focus on the breath and ignore the voice. However breathing to develop vocal potential is different from breathing for purely meditative purposes. When you breathe to vocalize, your breath needs to support sound, as it forms the bases upon which sound waves travel.
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Combining breathing exercises with sound is unique. It reduces stress, regulates heart rate and builds core strength. It also opens new energy pathways and leaves you feeling nourished and energized.
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Releasing Jaw Tension
Relative to size, the masseter muscles are some of the strongest muscles in your body. A huge amount of tension gets held here. Too much tension in this area symbolizes a withholding of expression. By releasing jaw tension you'll experience deep relaxation and a sense of ease flowing into your voice and being.
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The 3 Basic Principles
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of chanting that underpin all mystical traditions are breath, rhythm and sound. Gaining a practical understanding of these principles will open a door to experience the power of voice work and why it's so effective and healing. We'll delve into each principle so you can begin to work with them in your own practice and explore accessing altered states of consciousness, feeling subtle energy, as well as releasing tension enabling deep states of relaxation.
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The Nervous System
The ancient practice of singing lullaby's serves a deep purpose of soothing and calming a child in distress. The pace and tone instill a sense of calm and peacefulness for the mother as much as for the child. The tone transmits a sense of safety and familiarity that signals all is well.
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As adults we too can use our voice to calm our nervous system on a physical level, and thereby sooth our mind. Through healing sounds we can reduce anxiety, come out of a freeze response and regulate our state.
Primal Expression
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The primal voice is spontaneous, effortless and universally understood It's the essence that gives colour and vibrancy to every voice. It can be as subtle an inaudible sigh or as loud as a scream.
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As we become attuned to the nature of our expression, we'll explore wholesome ways of shifting healthy aggression through our system. This can be a positive surprise as the experience of healthy aggression can be very different from our mental understanding of it.
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Rhythm & Consonants
Emotionally infused articulation coordinates reflexes in the vocal folds and strengthens the voice as a whole.
It is the masculine element of the voice creating the structure that enables flow. It is the rhythm in language setting the pace.
Similar to a yoga workout, emotionally enfused articulation invigorate the whole body, activates the breath and strengthen the diaphragm which builds resilience. It enables tension to flow where needed, while reducing tension where it is unwanted.
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Nothing reflects your wellbeing as much as your voice, and when you lose it, it's your Soul calling for attention, and that call needs to be heard!
If you've ever lost your voice you'll probably know that it was because you were going through a crisis, a dark night of the soul or a rite of passage.
Sound & Soma provides a safe space to explore your expression, align to your body's rhythms and needs, and learn to trust your inner voice. You'll develop your intuition, practice attuning to your own truth and guidance, and unlock the wisdom of your Soul. You'll also understand how to change your state and feel subtle energy.
Your voice is a key that can open doorways into mystical realms of experience, because it's the seat of your Soul.
Still on the fence? Find out
what this course isn't
It isn't about catharsis or vomiting sound out which, unfortunately, I've seen way too often! This is a trauma informed approach. Catharsis can be re-traumatising as boundaries easily get violated. Further, it can become a habit to re-create intensity which is a form of addiction that prevents more subtle nuances of growth. Overwhelm isn't helpful, it locks the nervous system back into more shame, adding further layers to already existing ones.
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Real voice work leaves you feeling replenished, calm and energised, expansive, connected to yourself and others. It restores a profound sense of agency and trust in life and deep confidence.
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Cordelia deeply understands the connection of the voice with the body, the emotions and the intentions one carries. Her balance of humour and depth make her teaching a fascinating and wonderful experience.
Mary Ann Ferguson
Munich Germany
Course details & format
what to expect...
6 Live theory / Q&A / integration sessions on Zoom Friday afternoon 3 pm - 4.30 pm
These calls are recorded - so you can watch later!*
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In these calls we'll look at the theory needed to understand the anatomy, metaphysics and psychology of why we do certain exercises and delve into the principles that underpin them. These modules vary in length, they're usually between one hour to 90 minutes. They are live so there'll be time to ask question and participate in inquiries. These modules are recorded and can be watched whenever you desire as they'll be posted on members access.
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6 live practice sessions Wednesday evening 7 pm - 9pm
These calls are NOT recorded!*
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In these practise sessions you'll learn how to work with your voice and body instead of overriding and resisting it. In these sessions Cordelia will build upon and guide you through exercises and practices as well as offer strategic adjustments, so you can get the personal attention that makes all the difference in good voice work. The practice sessions will not be recorded to ensure your privacy (if a number of participants are on different time zones, a further practice session can potentially be added).
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* All times are BST British Summer Time. And because "sound" speaks louder than words and your voice developed in relationship, interactive and relational inquiries that encourage connection will be explored mainly in the practice sessions as well as in the firs Welcome & Intro session Friday 22nd Sept so we can start creating a collective field of trust. These inquiries allow you to delve more deeply into the influences that formed your expression and still impact you today. By incorporating your whole being, your body, voice and use of language you'll gain new ways of relating that enable more intimacy and deeper connection.
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PDF Handouts with essentials
You'll also get PDF handouts that accompany the essential theory, anatomy of the voice that we cover as well as some recommendations of you tube videos that go more deeply into certain topics.
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Private Members Platform with access to recordings, feedback, PDFs
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And last but not least there's a members only platform where you can access the links to the videos and course content in one place.
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Cordelia was fully present, compassionate and knowledgeable as she gently guided me on a journey of hearing my own voice express just what I needed to move forward. I feel heard, understood and nourished. I highly recommend working with her.
Susan Barker
Hypnotherapist
What you need to know, before joining Sound & Soma
This course is designed to be interactive, it's NOT a prerecorded course. It requires your active participation. So in order to join Sound & Soma you'll need to have your cameras on and intend to participate in person, as much as possible, on the Zoom calls. If however, you live in a time zone where this simply isn't possible, reach out to me personally to inquire about a second practice session for your time zone.
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