So just before the term started, I had the wonderful opportunity to perform with a client group at the one and only Opera House, together with 2 wonderful experienced full-time therapists.
Through this journey with them, I can see how performance can be part of the therapeutic process. For these clients with spinal chord injuries, immobilized in wheelchairs, the vocal flexibility and expression which they achieved gave them a sense of physical freedom which they otherwise might not be able to experience.
On a more practical note, singing also connects the left and right brains and balances them, hence regulating the imbalance which occurs when a person suffers from depression, which is not uncommon for a person who has sustained a crippling injury.
At a basic level, singing is also beneficial for respiratory health, acting as a supplement for the exercise which most of us would get from simply walking around on a day-to-day basis.
Most dear to me was the opportunity to get to know these amazing men and women who have encountered so much more trials than I have ever known, and yet are still trying to live with their limitations and make the most of each day.
We have so much to learn.
Along Life's Path 
2 thoughts on “Reflections After The Opera House”