Little known, equally little considered, the relationship between the voice and the pelvic floor opens a novel, as well as effective, way to address vulvodinia. We talk about it, starting also from her personal experience, with Barbara Schera Vanoli, Somatic Vocal Coach, founder of the VocalBody-Sphere®️ Method, on the web as @lavocalcoach_olistica
Before we get into the meat of the matter, let’s define what voice is.
Where can we “read” the relationship between voice and body?
Chronic tension, rigid motor patterns, dysfunctional patterns, blockages or withheld emotional “bubbles” also inevitably manifest themselves in the voice, which may be compressed, bridled, bodiless, unresonant, unstable or easily fatigued. The body influences the voice, and the voice in turn influences the body, in a dynamic that can be described as circular. A rigidly controlled, pushed or restrained voice can in fact reinforce in turn patterns of bodily rigidity, creating compensations involving, for example, the breath, jaw, neck, diaphragms and pelvis. Voice and body converse in a continuous way, influencing each other on a functional level. Intervening on one of the two poles always means, directly or indirectly, affecting the other as well
Let’s get specific: so is there a direct relationship between voice and pelvic floor?
Of course, too often underestimated. In my own personal and professional journey, a turning point was precisely the study and work I carried out on the connection between voice and pelvic floor, following a diagnosis of ipertono pelvico and vulvodinia. This experience prompted me to question myself in a profound way about the functioning of my body and the connections that, until then, had not been considered in an integrated way.
Thus, I began to delve into the functional relationships between the pelvis, pelvic floor, diaphragms, jaw, larynx, vocal cords, psoas and other districts, observing them not as separate elements, but as parts of a single system that cascade influence each other, just as within a Sphere. In this view, a tension or dysfunction at one point in the system tends to affect the overall balance, changing the way the body organizes and responds. Through body awareness practices, somatic explorations, gentle release techniques, micro-movements, and integrated voice work, I have been able not only to resolve my issue, but to profoundly transform the way I inhabit my body and voice. This direct experience has become the foundation of the somatic-systemic method I have created, the VocalBody-Sphere®: the voice is an integral part and direct expression of each individual’s Sphere, understood as a living and dynamic system in which body, voice and inner dimension continuously dialogue. Because of what I have observed, both personally and professionally, I believe that the focus of attention should not be placed exclusively on a single isolated district, but on a global body setting that may have become dysfunctional over time. Therefore, the first step is to understand and read the overall Sphere of the person, and then intervene by trying to interrupt a vicious circle that, by domino effect, also involves the pelvic floor, and encourage the triggering of a virtuous circle that progressively involves the entire system
Can one understand that pelvic floor dysfunction exists by listening to the voice?
Listening to the voice means observing the person’s global functioning at a given moment, grasping its balances, compensations and possibilities for transformation. When I listen to someone speak and/or sing I can tell if there are contractures, tense areas, blockages, pain; I can often tell if there is pelvic floor hypertone just from the quality of the spoken voice. On singing, it is even more obvious because the voice usually lacks harmonics and low-mid frequencies. In working with people, whether singing or body pathways, I have observed that a pelvic floor in hypertone is frequently accompanied by reduced elasticity of other districts, such as a stiff larynx, sometimes an excess of supraglottic tension, an unmobile thoracic diaphragm, and shortened or hypertonic psoas.
In these cases, the body and voice tend to express less overall fluidity, the pelvis is “compressed,” and the spine shows reduced flexibility. Starting from this awareness, one can act systemically by aiming at the progressive rebalancing of this network of deep connections to generate meaningful changes
Is the dialogue between pelvic floor and voice therefore bidirectional?
Absolutely, as long as we think of this bidirectionality within a systemic view of the body. Fostering a rebalancing of pelvic floor tone can have significant effects on vocal quality: when hypertone is reduced, the voice tends to become freer, more stable, more sustained, and to have more body. In singing, this also often results in greater timbral richness and smoother access to different areas of the vocal range. Similarly, vocal work conducted in a conscious and integrated manner can also act indirectly on the pelvic area, helping to reduce deep tension and improve the overall organization of muscle tone.
To really affect pelvic floor hypertone and voice quality, it is often necessary to intervene on seemingly “distant” areas, such as, for example, the thoracic diaphragm, sternal area, small pectorals, larynx, mandible, pelvis, and psoas. Acting on these districts can trigger a virtuous chain circle, which gradually changes the overall body structure and also helps the pelvic floor to come out of a defensive and hyper-active condition
Working on the voice, then, as your personal experience shows, can be a valuable support in cases of vulvodinia?
Yes, it can be an excellent integrative support. Using the voice in a safe, gradual and respectful way, including as a tool that promotes release processes, can help the person reduce patterns of control and restraint that often accompany chronic pain, promoting better perception and a more trusting relationship with their body
How does a meeting practically play out in the presence of pelvic floor hypertone?
Each story, each voice and each body is its own: there is no predefined procedure, the path is built from time to time in a personalized way, within a safe space where nothing is forced, always starting from listening and global observation of the person. Work is never done directly “on the symptom,” but on the overall functioning of the body-voice system: the goal is not to intervene on a single district, but on the system as a whole in order to promote a reorganization of the overall body setting.
In the presence of pelvic floor hypertone, theapproach is particularly gradual and safety-oriented: exercises of body perception, unforced, three-dimensional and complete breathing, simple and non-performative sounds, accompanying the person out of control and restraint modes, without forcing, are favored. The voice and the body thus become instruments of exploration and listening, not performance. The goal is not to “do more,” but to create the conditions for the body to progressively let go of what it is holding back, regaining greater elasticity, confidence, and the possibility of self-regulation. Important is that the person can get a concrete sense of what is happening during the encounter. Even when the changes are subtle, the ability to recognize a real difference, a bodily detail, a different quality of presence or voice, is very important. This perception helps the person to stay motivated, because what happens does not remain abstract, but becomes experience