the practice of reading aloud
what began as practice for school exams became a practice of focus, empathy, and connection. a reflection on the profound essence of reading aloud.
As I slowly add voiceover to each post, I realise it is more than just an addition. It’s almost like a practice I cherish, one that reminds me of something I’ve done since I was young.
Back then, I would read the tickers on news channels aloud. It was simply to prepare for my exams. I now realise how it trained me in something deeper: presence. Reading aloud demands a focus and clear mind, fully engaged in the moment. It might be awkward at first, but what reading aloud brings me is rewarding.
These days, I found myself reading aloud whenever a story moved me, or when words felt too beautiful to keep silent. Reading aloud is also a doorway to creativity. You might picture how the character would speak, or let the rhythm of the words guide you like music. You’re co-creating with the words.
In those moments, you’re not only reading, you’re seeing the experience on the page. You’re hearing it, bringing the story through your own voice. And something surprising happens when you do this: empathy grows. Speaking another person’s words, feeling the tones, makes you less judgemental and kinder to the human behind the words. Even though reading silently may also do the same job, reading aloud is another act of connection that could be more profound.
The human voice is the organ of the soul.
— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
But perhaps the most powerful shift comes when you hear your own voice. To articulate feelings and ideas aloud is grounding. It slows you down, teaches you to breathe between sentences, and creates a steadier rhythm that calms the mind. Reading aloud isn’t just reading; it’s a synchronicity between the words, your breath, and your being.
The more you do it, the more it could transform your everyday communication. You begin to express yourself with more clarity, more ease. Like singing, it carries both melody and honesty with the words you want to express, anchoring you as you speak.
This practice is even richer when shared. Read with your children, a partner, or friends. Listen to each other. Notice how language shifts from mere interaction to true communication that is mutual, engaging, and fun.
And if you wish, make it meditative. Sit comfortably, feel the words rise with your breath, let them resonate through your belly, your chest and out through your throat, into the space. Offer them to yourself before anyone else, or share it with someone who loves to hear it from you.
Read to be heard, yes. But above all, read to hear yourself.
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