“Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out – Vaclav Havel, Czech playwright

One of the most common disorders that people write to me about is hoarseness or a raspiness in the throat. Here are my thoughts on that subject.

Have you ever felt like you were losing your voice?  I sure have!

In fact I’ve lost it several times and it’s a nasty experience, especially because my life is centered around being able to use my voice to perform, communicate and teach.

So I’d like to tell you what I do when my voice starts to get hoarse, which means I first have to tell you why it gets hoarse.

• I’ve drained my energy by working too hard
• I haven’t been exercising enough
• I haven’t been laughing enough
• I haven’t been resting or sleeping enough
• I’m talking too loudly or harshly
• I haven’t been eating right
• I’m frustrated with my life, the outside world and the people around me, so I push my voice outside of its safe zone because I’m not paying attention to what if feels like inside of me

Sound familiar?

Here’s what I do about hoarseness: I do all I can to rein it in before it strangles me or I get polyps!

• I gargle with salt water
• I soften my voice and speak very little
• I give myself permission to rest – this is a tough one!
• I eat more fresh green vegetables
• I drink fresh squeezed orange/grapefruit juice
• I drink licorice tea
• I suck on fresh ginger and drink fresh ginger tea
• I rinse out my nasal passages and sinuses with a warm saline solution
• I sleep and dream nice dreams
• I look at my throat with a flashlight and a mirror, face the nasty swelling or infection and then ‘talk’ to my throat as if it’s a friend of mine who needs my encouragement and lots of TLC.
• I use an anatomy book to visualize what’s physically going on in places I can’t see and then focus on making it better. All healing starts in the mind.
• Did I mention rest?
• Did I mention rest?
• Did I mention rest?

Take care of your voice because it’s the only one you’re going to get in life, and you won’t be able to replace it at a music store if you badly damage it.