Don’t Press

Don’t Press

I was researching websites of other singers the other day and came across this vocal tip from Lisa Popeil. “Don’t press your vocal cords.”
Singers know this is true, but sometimes we do it anyway, unconsciously, thinking it will make the sound we want, which it never does. The voice just sounds constricted.
I began thinking about this tip as applied to life. Don’t press into life.
Don’t press more into my day. Don’t press with guilt, thinking that will motivate me to work harder, better, faster. Don’t press into shoulds of any kind, like – I should eat less, do more, be more. Because what happens is instant constriction – constriction of muscles, energy and breath. Those conditions hardly make it easier to do whatever it is we want to do, from singing to creating to working to living. Constriction of that kind restricts our ability to live the moments we have.

The question is – how can we live, work, grow, and achieve goals without pressing? Singing has taught me the value of letting go of everything unnecessary to what is essential to the moment. But my body has a habit of holding. And my mind has a habit of pressing. Now I am practicing noticing the pressing, whether mental, emotional or physical, checking to see if it’s necessary. The very act of noticing often releases some if not all of the tension. If not, I accept my habit, acknowledge my efforts, my self, and relish the moment.