Does your voice come from your navel? You are not lying, then. Words that come from the mind and the throat may not be aligned with your identity, Master Yogi Bhajan said.

The role of the navel center for effective communication is an aspect that I wish to share because it is usually not included in communication courses, while it is central in the yogic teachings.

The navel is your main center of gravity through which energy and its 5 “qualities”, called the Vayus flow in your body. That’s why verbal expression that “comes” from that point truly expresses your personality and vibrant energy.

When you listen but do not really understand, when you misperceive situations when you get anxious in the middle of a conversation your navel area may not work properly.

The Navel center is a point located 2-3 inches below the physical navel. When not properly trained, it can lead to disorders such as indigestion and bulimia, anxiety and stress.

This view also corresponds to the most recent theories about the enteric brain. Michael D. Gershon, an expert at Columbia University, explains in his bestseller “The Second Brain” that a real autonomous neuronal tissue is set in the belly:

  • 90% of the fibers of the vagus nerve carry information from the gut to the brain and not the other way round
  • It contains about 100 million neurons, more than in either the spinal cord or the peripheral nervous system
  • The enteric brain is responsible for the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates

A real “belly–head axis”, then. No coincidence that Masters say that “all yoga starts from the navel“, being yoga a discipline that allows you to clear your mind through physical training.

For a successful communication then, stimulating your navel point through exercises and meditations is a great way of rebalancing yourself, tuning your brain and emotions and communicate effectively. The practice of any of the martial arts will also help you find and align this center of gravity in your body.

Alessio Arduini, an opera singer, agrees on that point. He explained to me that his voice comes from the abdominal area when he’s performing “The work of an opera singer is based on breathing from the diaphragm, the abdominal muscles and the lower part of the lungs”. “The feeling is to have your breath resting on the diaphragm muscle and that the sound comes from the belly and not from the throat. If we strain the throat it would be difficult to sing for more than 5 minutes.

Also, the sound coming from the abdomen is soft, deep and smooth. Music to our ears!

Alessia Tanzi – Giacomo Ciampoli