amy@amybermudez.com

Amy Bermudez

New Meditation App Launch!

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Mavy Meditation app logo
Meditation app for which Amy Bermudez is the female voice.

I’m bursting to share my latest news!  Last week (June 19, 2023) Mavy: Meditation and Goals, a new mindful meditation app, launched on the Apple app store.  And I’m proud to say I am the female meditation voice of the app!

A major goal of mine – ever since my voice acting journey began- has been voicing a meditation app.  And now it’s a reality!

During college, I had a wonderful therapist who helped me through some challenging times. She taught me the technique of guided imagery meditation.  Being in a relaxed state and envisioning myself in a particular place (such as on the beach with the warm sun, the sound of the waves and the feel of the sand underfoot) provided a very calm state of mind. I was able to learn new ways of thinking, new ways to solve problems, etc., in that relaxed state. She recorded the meditations in her office so I could listen to them any time I needed to relax my mind. I can still hear her beautiful German accent, and her calming voice.

Over the years, I have turned to meditation at times when I’ve needed to slow down, get centered and just — be. Unsurprisingly, the benefits are many. Meditation is proven to be beneficial for managing stress, physical and mental relaxation, helping a person be more connected to the present moment, and more. For me it’s helped quiet my mind when I need to sort things out to make decisions, to relax from stress or anxiety or help me work through overwhelming emotions.

Mindfulness has become the hot topic surrounding meditation.  And thank goodness! I feel like with the emphasis on mindfulness, meditation has become simplified and more accessible than it was 15 or 20 years ago.  This reminds me of one of the best-selling books of a generation, of course – Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. In her autobiographical story, she describes with laughter and relatability, her journey to among other places, Bali. In Bali, Elizabeth experienced grueling, yet ultimately fulfilling, training in ancient forms of meditation. Not something most people can just pick up and do!

The good news is, mindfulness and practicing meditation is readily available to us.  We don’t have to fly to faraway islands, wake up before dawn and twist ourselves into uncomfortable contortions while chanting.

It’s all about the breath. Connect to your breath. Be aware of your senses and calming your mind and body by relaxing in this mindful way.  Once you’re in this relaxed state of being, you create the mental space to solve problems, to visualize yourself succeeding at a goal, to optimize your focus.

I am grateful to have a soothing and calming voice, perfectly suited for meditation. I have enjoyed writing and producing meditations of my own. Two of my favorites are Antidote to Anger and Spring Meditation. Please take a listen.

As for the Mavy app, I’ll be sharing some samples on my website soon!

 

Amy Bermudez is Cast in Award-Winning Radio Ad

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Gold Pixie Award Recipient

In September 2022, I had the pleasure of being cast with several other voiceover artists in voicing a radio commercial for Vermont Proposition 2. This was a special thing to be involved with because it called for the abolition of slavery by striking language that shockingly still existed in the VT state constitution. Thankfully, and not surprisingly, the Vermont voters did the right thing and passed Prop 2.

The radio ad was created by Vermont Interfaith Action, and cast and produced by Ryan Paige of PaigeVox.  Fast forward to this April 2023, and all of us involved in producing the commercial are  ecstatic to learn the radio commercial has won an award!

The commercial has received the Gold Pixie Award in recognition of excellence in audio. The entrants are judged not in competition against each other, but on standards of excellence.

Such an important and wonderful cause. And quite an honor to be recognized along with our amazing producer & voiceover artist Ryan Paige of PaigeVox, and the other fine voiceover talent in the commercial… Aura Paige, Jane Beverly, Stephanie Johnson, Rho Marsh, Terry Briscoe, Jane Beverly andPeter Rein Hirshorn, Jesse Paige, and Tim Powers!

I have so much gratitude for being among this cast of talented voiceover artists. Most importantly, to be involved in helping to pass a law that is on the right side of racial justice means the world to me.

Podcast Alert! How A Career Reboot Can Make You Feel More Alive

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Earlier this year, I had the great privilege to be interviewed by Dr. Amanda Crowell for her podcast Unleashing Your Great Work… The podcast is available on all platforms.  Hope you can take a listen!

Show Title:  How A Career Reboot Can Make You Feel More Alive with Amy Bermudez

Aired on February 21, 2023

Click here to listen to the podcast on Audible.

During my chat with Amanda, we talked about the following:

  • How the chaos of the pandemic created an opportunity for reinvention
  • How believing in myself has resolved a life-long worry that I wasn’t “good enough” to do what I love
  • How voiceover artistry has given me the creative outlet I yearned for
  • How interesting and rewarding I finds my new work, and how excited I am for the future.

In December 2019, I was feeling unsatisfied with my job.  I was working in an industry I had fallen out of love with, for people who stressed me out, doing work that was… fine.  I wanted more, but wasn’t sure what that “more” was.

In a chance encounter with a relative, I learned about voiceover.  I signed up for a course, enjoyed what I learned and began to wonder: is voiceover right for me? Then, in March 2020, the world shut down for the COVID-19 pandemic, and in response, the company I had been working for shut its doors completely.

Newly unemployed in a world that had changed overnight, my mind wandered to voiceover. Could this be my chance to try something new?  I decided to give it a real shot. Over the course of the past few years, I launched my fledgling voiceover business from scratch, and it has changed my life.

In our discussion during the podcast, I told Amanda, “allowing myself to do the thing I wanted to do has been amazing. I feel more alive.”

I hope you have an opportunity to hear this podcast, and I hope it inspires you to have courage when facing life’s big transitions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter 2022 Meditation

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At the time of this writing, there are exactly 12 remaining days of Winter.  We have persevered and nearly made it through the months of layering bulky clothing and longing for more sunlight.  The joys of the winter holidays may have created some stress, and a feeling of overwhelm as gift-giving and festivities changed our routines or possibly led us to put on a few extra pounds.

Sometimes our minds get bogged down thinking about all these extra things, on top of our usual daily responsibilities.  Factor in New Year resolutions and the often irresistible distraction from social media scrolling, and we may need to take a break!

Re-set and find balance with my Winter 2022 Meditation.  Give yourself a chance to breathe and relax so you can tackle your daily responsibilities with a feeling of balance and manageability.

Before you know it, Spring will be here!

Music used with permission.  Photo by Michael Niessl on Unsplash.

Spring 2021 Meditation

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In our over-achieving, always active culture, our intention to always be busy instead of just be-ing is usually celebrated as the norm. However,  even in the best of times, constant busy-ness can be overwhelming and depleting.  Factor in what we’ve lived through in the past year, we’ve survived challenges like nothing we’ve ever faced.

Surviving the past year is nothing short of a blessing.

Be proud of yourself!  Be gentle on yourself!

Give your high-achieving-self permission to do your daily routine in a reasonable pace, one day at a time, and to be good enough. Perfection is unrealistic. You are a good enough spouse, parent, sibling, caregiver, employee… whatever role you are fulfilling.

If this resonates with you, perhaps you’d like to check out my latest meditation.  I wrote and produced this guided imagery meditation with the intention of providing affirmation…that everything is manageable, and we can give ourselves permission to find balance. Hope you enjoy it!

Music: Bird Meets Dog by Moby, courtesy of https://mobygratis.com.

 Photo by 宸恺 邢 on Unsplash

eLearning Course on Wellness

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I’m so proud of my latest VO project. It’s an 18-module continuing education narration I voiced on the topic of wellness. Wellness (i.e. managing stress, recovering from exposure to trauma, maintaining healthy sleep, diet & exercise and coping strategies for improving mental health) could not be a more relevant or necessary topic these days, right?!

Being chosen to deliver this course content was a privilege. I loved being able to contribute my conversational and engaging style. For my client, the pandemic had caused a scheduling problem, so obtaining the audio files to get this course produced and launched in a shortened time-frame was critically important. And with good reason! Offering continuing education to public-service workers to enhance overall wellness during a pandemic is urgent. Public-service workers must be knowledgeable about maintaining their optimal health in order to perform their best.

If your next eLearning project requires a trustworthy, conversational and engaging voice, I would love to collaborate. Let’s chat, and I’ll prepare a custom quote. I offer quick turnaround from my broadcast quality home studio.

One last thing: It’s striking that many people suffering from depression or anxiety don’t seek treatment because they’re embarrassed about talking to a psychologist, psychiatrist, etc. Don’t let fear or shame prevent you from seeking help when you feel overwhelmed; the consequences can be tragic. Talk to a friend or loved one. Reach out to a trusted colleague or clergy member, or seek professional counseling. It’s important to manage our mental health just as we would more visible, physical health issues. An excellent resource is www.NAMI.org. The NAMI Helpline can be reached at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org.

Photo credit Jess Baily Unsplash