I am a First-Degree Nia Black Belt  and a Sound Alchemist , but that was not always a comfortable truth to live inside of. When I first walked into a Nia class and later into Nia training, I carried something many people could not see: a deep fear of using my voice.

You may: Tone out loud Tone very softly Tone internally without sound Or simply listen and rest There is no right way to do this.

There are moments when language collapses. Moments when words feel thin, inadequate, or completely unreachable. Trauma, grief, and deep emotional states often live beyond the reach of speech. The mind searches for explanation while the body holds experience in silence. This is where the voice becomes a portal. Before we learned to speak, we learned to sound. Long before meaning, there was vibration. The human voice is not simply a tool for communication—it is an instrument of

Wellness readers and somatic practitioners find deep listening especially valuable. It supports: Mind-body connection: Enhances awareness of physical and emotional states. Stress reduction: Activates relaxation responses in the nervous system. Emotional processing: Creates space for feelings to surface safely.