Reclaim Your Voice:
A Women's Workshop

“Once upon a time, when women were birds, there was the simple understanding that to sing at dawn and to sing at dusk was to heal the world through joy. The birds remember what we have forgotten, that the world is meant to be celebrated.” ~ Terry Tempest Williams

In this workshop, Mila creates a soulful, playful, and enlivening space to explore the unclaimed territories of your Voice. Using the Five Elements framework designed by her mentor Barbara McAfee, we will journey into the full spectrum of the Voice using the elements of Earth, Fire, Water, Metal, and Air. Together, we’ll use group-singing practices and playful exploration to connect more fully with our authentic voice as Women, and ultimately to our full aliveness.

As Women, our voices have often been silenced or repressed through experiences of cultural conditioning, personal or collective traumas, and gender norms that place less importance on the voices of women. Worldwide, we are seeing women rise up to reclaim their voices – speaking up, singing out, and coming together to create positive change.

In this workshop, you will…

• Discover a broader range, spectrum, and aliveness in your speaking and singing voice
• Explore themes of identity, power, visibility, vulnerability, and joy through the lens of voice
• Build confidence in your voice in a safe, welcoming, and supportive space
• Learn joyful, diverse, easy-to-memorize songs that you can take home and weave into your daily life
• Exercise your body and mind through the practice of oral-tradition group singing
• Release the stress of your busy life and work week
• Connect with a community of women who support and celebrate your gifts
• Nourish yourself, and fill up the reservoir that feeds you

While we use singing as a tool, this work encompasses all of the ways you express through your voice – singing, speaking, sound. It’s not about honing a technical skill or even about sounding “good”. It’s about discovering more of your full self through your voice, and opening pathways to greater expression in life. The voice is the muscle of the soul. We were born to sing, it is our birthright.

This workshop is for people who identify as Women. No singing experience is required, and no one will be asked to sing on their own. Bring a water bottle, journal, pen, and your beautiful selves. Please know that you are welcome however you are – tired and weary, fully ablaze in your brilliance, or anywhere in between.

Mila Redwood is a Community Songleader, Mother, certified Full Voice practitioner, and the Founder of Sing for Joy in Toronto. Like so many others, Mila grew up believing that her voice wasn’t good enough. She carried this belief for most of her life, casting seeds of self-doubt and insecurity. It was through Community Singing that she found the medicine needed to reclaim her voice and vibrancy. Today, Mila uses song as a tool for building community, for restoring our sense of belonging and connection in the world. To read more about Mila, including her personal voice story, Click Here.

Our workshop will be held at Runnymede United Church, in the warm and welcoming Kingsbury Room. The Kingsbury Room is a lovely, spacious meeting room for singing, with fabulous acoustics. For ventilation, there is an air circulation system and windows that open to an outdoor courtyard garden. Please let me know if you have any accessibility needs for the day.

Tuition: $145. Tea, coffee, and snacks provided. Please bring your own lunch. 

We are offering two half-scholarship spots, and one work-trade position, for this workshop. If you’re interested in one of these spots, please contact Mila at mila@singforjoy.ca.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

A refund, less a 50% cancellation fee, will be issued if notice is received by October 5th, 2023. No refund will be issued for cancellations after October 5th. For cancellations up to October 14th due to testing positive for Covid, or for a known exposure to Covid, we will offer you a full refund minus a $10 admin fee. If the retreat is cancelled by the host, you will receive a full refund.

“This workshop was incredible. It was fun, playful, and deeply healing. Connecting with other women through song has helped me to feel more alive and empowered. Mila is a gifted facilitator, and gently guided us all in reclaiming our power and our voices. I left feeling joyous and renewed”. – Chloe Oliver

“This was a day full of acceptance, community, enjoyment, and growth. We learned how to build deeper connections with ourselves and explore the elements of our voices in a supportive and comfortable environment. There was no competition and no performance. Just the gift of finally reclaiming a vital and intensely personal part of ourselves. It was deeply moving and transformative. Thank you, Mila!” – Aja Dykes

“I have taken this workshop three times now, and every time is a tremendous gift to myself. It has given me the confidence to speak up in my daily life, to stand for what I believe in, and to share my voice with others. As a teacher myself, I’ve been able to take the techniques learned in this workshop into my classroom, with great success. Thank you for this wonderful gift.” – Angela Ouroumov

“Singing with Mila has changed my life. It has helped me to overcome my fear of singing out loud. Her loving and warm approach is deeply healing for the spirit and I feel so free when I am singing in a circle with her. I always leave her workshops feeling lighter and full of confidence.” – Edane Tobias

“Mila holds some serious song magic, and has a beautiful ability of weaving song, playfulness and deep meaning into her workshops. These moments of group singing are cherished, and feed my soul in ways that are palpable for days after. Singing in this way has helped me to feel ever-more confident in my own voice and ability to share songs.” – Sammy Tangir

“Mila draws you in with authenticity and opens you up with her joy. Then, you remember parts of who you really are, and you come home to yourself. Connection and healing happen in the safe, thoughtful, exuberant song-scape that Mila creates. As she moves our group, I experience myself as an essential part of an essential whole, and I know singing is everyone’s birthright.” – Sarah Vandenberg

“Mila holds space with warmth, wonder, and wisdom. The songs she offers seem to be carried in her bones, and her leadership approach is embodied, welcoming, and playful – always uplifting the voices in the room, embracing the gifts that each individual brings to the circle. I felt so deeply nourished by my experience in the Reclaim Your Voice workshop, being held by and with community, weaving harmonies, playing, laughing, and crying together – it was like protein to my soul! Thank you, Mila, for planting the seeds for this magical space to bloom.” – Michaela Bekenn

“Thank you Mila for the wonderful voice workshop yesterday. The work was empowering, the women were rejuvenating, and the food was outrageously good. I feel blessed to be in connection with community dedicated to standing for each other.” – Alina Kouvchinova