Learn about voice and movement therapy with Zoe

When did you first start practicing yoga?

I started practicing yoga in 2014.

Can you tell us a bit about your background in performing arts?

I am a movement and voice artist, and a performer. I work with the voice and the body as a

medium for expression and for making theatre. I have been making theatre and performing since

2010, but, I have been dancing, singing and playing the piano since I was very little, which I am

very grateful for!

In 2015, I received a scholarship to undertake a practice based research at the University of

Glasgow. I investigated relationships between voice and movement in

performance. In 2016, I founded the ‘Moving Voice Laboratory’, a space for dancers, actors and performers to explore relationships between choreography and text.

Increasingly, I use my performance work as a form of activism, using my skills to comment on

current socio-politics and to create platforms for misrepresented voices to be heard. It is what I

love the most, to create conversations and to raise questions.

What does your personal yoga practice look like just now?

My at-home yoga practice draws on Hatha yoga sequences and principles, and I occasionally like

to attend Ashtanga and Yin Yoga classes. I am currently treating an ongoing back

injury, so I mainly practice at home and I integrate a lot of Pilates and Feldenkrais exercises in my

daily routine. It is important for me at any moment of my life, to listen to my body and adapt the

content of my regular practice in relation to my changing needs.

What is the somatic voice?

The Somatic Voice came out of my dedication towards investigating how our physical habits

affect the use of our voice, and our communication with others.

My research evolved out of my private voice coaching tuition and it has never stopped growing -

very exciting! The practice, as it is at the moment, is a compilation of principles and exercises

which I have found useful for observing and strengthening the body, the voice and the mind. It

draws on somatic practices including yoga, meditation, Alexander Technique, Pilates,

Feldenkrais, and reflexology, and incorporates those with voice coaching, singing and clear

communication practices.

The Somatic Voice is a space specifically created to give attention to the voice through

investigating it’s connections with the ways we use our bodies and thoughts with regards to our

relationships to ourselves and to others. The more I investigate, these connections become

clearer and clearer, I see it on myself, I see it on others. You know how sometimes you hear

someone’s voice and you can tell they are not well? I was on the phone with my father yesterday

who is in recovery at the moment, and, just by listening to his voice, I knew he was scared. Our

voices reflect our inner world, our choices our aspirations, the sense of ourselves.

When did you start exploring voice training and body work together? How did this come

about?

I have always had an interest in both mediums. A more conscious research on the relationships

between body and voice came through my Physical Theatre work, particularly through the work

around Greek chorus. And then, during my research masters at the University of Glasgow, I

started incorporating somatic practices in this work. Since then, my research keeps developing,

evolving, shifting and I am very confident that it will never stop changing!

What are the benefits of doing this type of exploration?

I would say that benefits of this practice are different for each one of us, depending on where we

stand each moment and our needs. I could tell you that it brings clarity, improves confidence in

speaking and interactions, empowers the sense of self, but these are some of the benefits some

of my students have expressed. For me, it is a constant discovery and affirmation of myself and

who I want to be in this world.

Tell us one fun fact about yourself!

My favourite snack is crisps :)

Join Zoe for her course Somatic Voice which starts on 28th April from 1-2pm. Each week will be focusing on a different part of the body. 28th April: Feet and Lower Body, 5th May: Pelvis, 12th May: Lungs and Upper body, 19th May: Head and Articulation mechanisms - £49 in total.