Day 15- Breathe & move equally to sing freely

This nervous system regulation practice is the whole enchilada- it has everything!

Anytime you start to work with the breath in relation to the voice, control & manipulation of the breathing apparatus enters the chat. This can result in breathing that is overly forced, tightly held, or constricted with the potential to impede your vocal progress. You can become so focused on breathing “the right way” that you don’t allow yourself to just breathe the way that feels best in your body. This was the story I attached to my breathing for years when I was training in high school & college. But remember- your body knows how to breathe! However, if you begin to relate to your breath in a rigid way, when you are introduced to new breathing cues the feeling of resistance can come up. Maybe you’ve even experienced this in the 30 days thus far through the three part breath or the circle lip ‘oo’ inhale. Please know that you should always feel empowered in your voice work to let go of any practices that do not align with what you need. Trust your inner wisdom!

At the same time, while using your voice you might ask yourself “What am I feeling?” & you might reflect that you are running out of breath or that you need more breath. Both of which are valid observations that can be addressed. First, if you are running out of breath & the circle lip ‘oo’ inhale is a comfortable practice for you, I would start with that strategy as it focuses how much air is entering the body at one time. But, if you think you need more breath, please know that each of our bodies only has so much capacity for breath. Additionally, we all have our own unique anatomy that we must keep in mind- the capacity for breath in my body will be different from yours & on & on. This is why I prefer to share pranayama practices that are not just breath capacity focused, but also energetically mindful. Often what you do with breath once you’ve inhaled is more important than how much you took in the first place. Thus, let’s reframe your approach to breathing. What if the intention for your breath was to cultivate fuel for sustainable sound & a tool for nervous system regulation that supports your whole self instead of something that needed to be overly managed?