#175 Layers of Awakening: What It Means to Truly Have a Voice

Today, I interview Manya Gittel who lost her voice during a stroke and woke up to something far more unexpected than the crisis itself. She describes that moment as an inner awakening she didn’t see coming, one that shifted her sense of who she was and how her voice lived inside her.

Manya shares parts of her early life, shaped by her parents’ history and the roles she learned to carry as a child. These patterns became so natural to her that she never questioned them, even as they influenced how she showed up in the world.

What changed after the stroke is something she explains in a way that feels both surprising and deeply human. The way she describes that shift invites you to listen closely and wonder about the places where you too might be living from habit instead of truth.

Today, Manya reflects on how that experience continues to shape her voice and her presence. Her story opens a rare conversation about authenticity, connection, and the moment a person realizes they have been further from themselves than they knew. It is an invitation to explore what happens when someone finally hears the voice they didn’t know they lost.

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Manya Gittel is a coach and trainer from South Africa who works with people around the world. Her background spans decades of facilitation, education, training programs, coaching, participatory theatre, and deep study of the Enneagram. She is known for helping people explore truth through voice, presence, and honest connection.

Manya’s work is rooted in meaningful engagement, both with oneself and with others. She brings a unique blend of insight and experience, shaped by training in both formal and informal settings and by the recognitions she has received for her commitment to personal growth and awareness.

Recent life events have opened new layers in her understanding of authenticity and expression, and she now weaves those insights into her coaching. She continues to guide people toward a more grounded, truthful relationship with themselves and with the world around them.

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Find Manya here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manyagittel/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KnocKnockCoaching/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/masteryofselfandrelationships

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/manyagittel

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I’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.