Book Recommendation: The Lost Voice by Greta Morgan

Have you ever read a book that described your own experience so completely that you finally felt seen and understood? For me, Greta Morgan's memoir The Lost Voice is that book (Amazon affiliate link). 

My story isn't exactly like Greta's. She was a successful songwriter-singer touring with a rock band when Covid triggered what would eventually be diagnosed as spasmodic dysphonia (also known as laryngeal dystonia). I was a high school student and aspiring classical singer when the flu weakened my vocal cords and decimated my high range. (You can read more of my story here.)

Still, similarities abound. Years of vocal struggles before finally receiving a diagnosis. Undergoing vocal rehabilitation. (We both worked with the wonderful Lori Sonnenberg, who specializes in rehabilitating singers with vocal injuries.) Turning to mindfulness. Pivoting to a different career path.  

Most people with a voice disorder don't know anyone with similar struggles. If this is true for you, Greta's memoir will hold a mirror to your own experience. 

So much of what Greta describes in her book reflects the themes that both I and my mindfulness students with voice disorders have lived:

• the disorienting sense that your voice has betrayed you

• a frenzied search for answers, both medical ("What's wrong and can it be fixed?") and metaphysical ("Why me?")

• an overwhelming sense of loss

• grieving the old voice

• struggling with identity and sense of self ("Am I still myself without my voice?")

• confronting social isolation

• turning to mindfulness

• settling into acceptance

• finding new purpose in living with a voice disorder

Greta's book is a poignant tale of human struggle: first, a constant striving for career success, and then a gradual acceptance of the vulnerability that a voice disorder brings. Her prose is powerfully descriptive and deeply emotional. She is a talented songwriter, after all — and she finds beauty and humanity everywhere.

One of the best parts of my mindfulness work is connecting people with voice disorders with each other while also modeling mindfulness skills that can help them cope with their condition. Greta's gorgeous memoir accomplishes a similar task in story form. And I think it's a must-read for anyone with a voice disorder. 

I love watching my mindfulness students listen to each other's voices. People who are shy about speaking up in work meetings feel comfortable talking to others who sound like them. And this brings me to my favorite thing about Greta's book: in the audio version, she reads the introduction and acknowledgements herself! As someone who loves seeing people embrace a beautifully broken voice, this touched me deeply.

Struggling with Mindfulness: Mindful Activities for People Who Don't Like Meditation

Let’s say you’ve tried a few meditations or taken a mindfulness class, but nothing clicked. Maybe you felt like you were doing it all wrong, or there was a feeling you expected that never came. Instead of mindfulness being relaxing, it became an exercise in frustration and failure. 

You are not alone. A lot of people have misconceptions about mindfulness that involve unrealistic expectations. (For example, “mindfulness means clearing your mind of thoughts.” Um, that’s not going to happen — and that’s okay.) 

Mindfulness can be particularly difficult for certain people (neurodivergent brains, trauma survivors, people with mental health challenges). Some of us just need different ways in. 

Below is a list of mindfulness practices you can try if traditional meditation has been a struggle. 

• Engage your senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Engage sight by setting aside time to look at artwork, a colorful object, or a beautiful view. Try listening to a video of ocean sounds. Use essential oils to engage your sense of smell. Do the raisin exercise for taste. Enjoy the touch of a soft pillow, blanket, or pet.

• Deprive your senses. If sensory experiences overwhelm you, try depriving your senses of input. Lie still in a dark room and simply notice your breathing or your body. Wear comfortable clothing. Cover your eyes with a sleep mask. Use noise-canceling headphones to block distracting sounds. Some people even enjoy using a sensory deprivation float tank.

• Try mindful movement. Some of us just can’t sit still, but that doesn’t mean we can’t benefit from mindfulness. Yoga, tai chi, and qigong are all forms of mindful movement. You can also try a walking meditation.

• Turn everyday activities into mindful experiences. Explore mindful eating or mindful walking. Practice the STOP technique.

• Do calming, single-focus activities like gardening, needlework, crafting, puzzles, or coloring (Amazon affiliate link). Notice your breathing and your body as you engage in your chosen activity.

• Engage your mind by learning about mindfulness. If you enjoy books (printed, electronic, audio) or podcasts, there are numerous options. My favorite mindfulness book is Jon Kabat Zinn’s Wherever You Go There You Are (Amazon affiliate link). Favorite podcasts include Tara Brach’s podcast, Sharon Salzberg’s Metta Hour, Gil Fronsdal’s AudioDharma, and On Being with Krista Tippett.

• Take a mindfulness class. Over and over, my mindfulness students tell me that my 8-week mindfulness course for people with voice disorders has changed their perspective on what mindfulness is — and has helped them practice it in a way that is accessible to them. The class begins on September 21, 2025.

Voice and Stress: How Mindfulness Can Reduce the Stress of Living with a Voice Disorder

If you’ve been following my work, you know that I am passionate about mindfulness as a tool for helping people with voice disorders. A few years ago, I ran a study on the subject, which was eventually published in a peer-reviewed journal as “Effects of an 8-Week Mindfulness Course in People with Voice Disorders.” Since then, I have continued to lead mindfulness courses and study the relationship between stress and voice. Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject:

• Stress alone rarely causes voice disorders. It can be part of a perfect storm (along with viral illness, surgery, voice overuse, or genetics) that can lead to a voice disorder. However, it’s almost never as simple as “stress caused this.”

• Having a voice disorder is extremely stressful. In their book Psychology of Voice Disorders, psychologist Deborah Rosen and laryngologist Robert Sataloff write that new voice disorder patients exhibited stress levels that “were comparable to that of newly diagnosed cancer patients in outpatient cancer care clinics.”

• Stress can show up in the body in numerous ways. These can include physical tension, pain or discomfort, shallow breathing, digestive issues, and fatigue.

• Mindfulness can reduce the stress of living with a voice disorder. It can help us respond differently to stress, which reduces suffering. Mindfulness can also make us more aware of our physical patterns of pain or tension. Awareness is the first step toward resolving these entrenched patterns. This may reduce some vocal symptoms.

• Mindfulness can help us release the stress of other people’s expectations. By focusing on what is, we learn what we can’t control (other people) and what we can (our responses to others).

• Voice disorder patients respond positively to exploring mindfulness in community with others who understand their struggles. My students frequently tell me that being part of a community is their favorite part of my mindfulness course.