Wellness In-Sight: Sing Above the Cold

CINDY E. FARRAR

Some memories reverberate throughout our lives allowing us to recall them as if they are occurring in the present moment. They are even so seminal that they take on additional meaning. One such memory for me is as a first grader having a cold, my nose all stuffy and sounding quite nasally when trying to talk. In music class, trying to sing (and breathe) was nearly impossible. The remedy to my dilemma (and what makes this memorable for me) is Mrs. Town, our music teacher, melodically saying, “Sing above the cold, sing above the cold.”

What she was instructing me to do was, at first, incomprehensible for my six-year-old mind. From a technique perspective and my adult understanding, I believe what Mrs. Town was teaching me, and my classmates as the cold made its rounds, was to sing with our “head voice.” (My voice teacher and singer friends, please excuse my limited singing knowledge.) As I understand it, “head voice” refers to singing with the voice vibration coming from the upper part of the head, as opposed to coming from the more typical chest or a mix of chest and head, which is what I was apparently trying to unsuccessfully do through my stuffy nose. With Mrs. Town effectively modelling what she was sing-saying, eventually I was able to join my classmates and successfully sing (and breathe) “above the cold.” (By the way, the technique is effective when speaking as well.) Once I figured it out, overcoming the nasally effects of cold made my six-year-old self feel like she had a superpower. It has been said, “Children should be seen and not heard.” However, our becoming who we really are is inextricably linked to our self-expression. When our expression is suppressed, it can manifest in many ways detrimental to our health and wellbeing on all levels: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. After all, one of the reasons the Dead Sea is considered dead is because it’s all inlet and no outlet.

The Bible verse, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34), is applicable here. While the context is referring to what fills our heart will be that which comes out, it is also reasonable to think if the heart has an abundance that is not allowed internally or externally, by ourselves or others, to be brought forth, it can lead to the “good things” within our heart going to waste and the “bad things” festering.

Over the years (actually decades, many decades), I have continued to find empowerment in “singing above the cold.” In many situations, it has become a mantra reminding me that it is possible to find my voice in difficult situations - that I can rise above an obstacle trying to prevent me from “speaking my truth by telling all of my heart,” a reference to the original meaning of “courage” as noted in last month’s column.

Give voice to your younger self, your current self, and inner kid. Embrace the courage to become who you really are. When in doubt, “sing above the cold.” Thank you, Mrs. Town.

CINDY E. FARRAR, LMT, BCTMB, CLC is a licensed massage therapist, certified life coach and the owner of Massage Associates of Atlanta, LLC (Lavista Road in Tucker). In addition, she is a certified Qi Gong instructor and a nationally approved continuing education provider for massage therapy and bodywork. Cindy enjoys sharing insights on wellness and personal and community development as a speaker and writer.