I Lost My Voice – Let’s Learn Together | Amber Hawken Blog | Mindfulness CBT

Things are interesting in my neck of the woods. Or should I say, throat. I’ve lost my voice. Literally. I know, it’s hilarious, I speak for a living. I am also the master of ceremony at my dear friends’ wedding this coming weekend. So, there is that.

I announced this on Instagram and received an influx of loving support and also ridiculous suggestions. I’ll keep this all PG though, I am sure you can imagine some of the advice one receives on the interwebs. The throat can be somatically linked to expression and recently I have been in contemplation; sitting back considering very carefully and intentionally where it is I want my energy to flow with ease, joy and abundance within my business. I feel very full and want to map out my next steps with ease and sometimes for me, this means pressing pause on projects so I can listen. I have not felt the pull to express/write/create anything new or action current projects as I sit in this pause. I can feel my head fight this pause and creative silence and struggle to accept it. It’s entertaining (sometimes frustrating AF) as I experience and observe the battle simultaneously.

So, what to do with lemons? A human experiment of course.

I want to invite you to join me for a challenge over the next few days and I am also going to run a competition with some rad prizes for those of you who join – because why not.

Winner gets a 30-minute session with me where they can use all my psychotherapy experience to ask me whatever they like as well as a signed copy of my book and a $50 Lululemon gift voucher. For reals. Obviously, this will be in the near future once my vocal chords are nourished and want to play nice once again.

Im inviting you to not speak in an effort to reveal to yourself some of the deepest understandings of life you’d not be able to discover without such intentional verbal silence.
Okay, you probably could do it another way, but let’s give this a crack.

We are going to have an #InnerRetreat together.

How to enter the competition:
1. Head to facebook and comment on this post, “I’m in”.

2. Email us hello@amberhawken.com at the end of your number of chosen days and tell me within 500 words what you learnt. I want to listen to your mind and soul. There are no boundaries around this. Obviously, if you tell me you are planning on doing some hitman/woman work I will be forced to call the police. So maybe this is the moment to get clear. As long as no one gets hurts, there are no boundaries to what you share with me. I will be posting my learning early next week too. I’m with you on the revelation front, don’t worry.

Some clear steps for you to follow for the challenge:

1. Set an intention for your vow of silence. Mine is: hearing what my higher self and or life is trying to reveal to me that can only be communicated when all is silent.
2. Choose a number of days between 1-5.
3. Do not speak (unless you absolutely must) and use common sense. Must is not because you just thought of the pun of the century and need to share it. Not is it to order food at a cafe or to make a phone call because it’s easier than writing. Must is if your children are going to cross the road and you need to warn them of oncoming traffic. Or your job is a lawyer or McDonalds’ drive through. Oh, and of course, if you are the ‘friend’ for someone on who wants to be a millionaire and they call you for the answer.
4. Write. This advice is something I dish out to my clients on the daily. It’s responsible for some of the
   greatest success on a vocational, mental, emotional and spiritual level I’ve had in my life. It’s also the advice my dear friend Emily Ann Peterson gave me. She’s an incredible musician and singer that I have previously interviewed on my Podcast. She saw my story on Instagram and has directed me to turn in even more. Some questions to prompt you:
   – What were the top 10 moments in my life where I felt both free and grounded?
   – How can it be easy? (it can be anything, this is flow and intuitive)
   – What stories do I not realise I am telling myself that are creating patterns and emotions of stress, anxiety or scarcity?
   – If I didn’t hold back, what would I express that I am not because I am afraid of rejection?
   – And how might people benefit from this?
   – And if they did, and I created a circulation of financial through this, what would I do with that circulation? E.g build a home, travel to Iceland, not work and just write a book.
   – And how might that cycled investment help others?
   You could also use these 50 questions from one of my other dear friends who I also interviewed on my podcast, Dr Jeremy Goldberg.

5. Meditate. For 22 minutes a day. Follow this Meditation for dummies checklist.
   – Sit up with your legs crossed and a straight spine (using pillows under hips and knees is fine).
   – Close eyes and relax hands on knees or in your lap.
   – Inhale and exhale through your nose in this fashion: fill up your belly, then your lungs then your chest and exhale in opposite order.
   – Focus your attention on your breath.
   – When your mind wanders or a thought grabs your attention, simply say in your mind, “thinking” and bring your attention back to your breath.
   – Watch for thoughts like, “I’m doing this wrong”, “I am bored”, “I don’t know how to meditate” and the best of em’ all, “I don’t have time for this”. They’re the note on the keyboard our mind strikes over and over that keeps us in the addictive loop of thought. Don’t listen to any of them

Okay, that’s it, folks.

Head to the Facebook post now and comment, “I’m in” and email me when your days of silence are up. I will email and message the winner by 12PM next Tuesday 🙂

Hugs,