Warming up our bodies when we get up in the morning has the same benefits for our bodies as vocal warm ups do for our voices. In my experience, awakening the body with gentle yoga stretches every morning positively affects the quality of my life and my voice.
Very publicized medical studies reveal if “you don’t use it, you lose it!” Stretching the body in the morning helps maintain the body’s flexibility throughout one’s life. There are ancient drawings of yoga poses from the 4th century which depict poses learned from nature. Yogis learned many of their lessons by watching animals. Think about the first thing your dog or cat does when it gets up in the morning. It stretches and breathes. My cat yawns every morning. This is where the downward dog pose and the cat pose come from.
The body subtly informs the voice. If your body is tight or tired this may reflect in the voice. As I sense my body aging with a few more aches and diminished energy (maybe this has less to do with aging and more to do with having a two-year-old son), I look with new found respect to the older singers in our profession. Opera singing is not for the faint of heart or body! The amount of stress singers face each day is enough to make anyone’s body tight. Consider their auditions, traveling and performances, knowing that if sickness comes hundreds of singers are waiting in the wings to do their job.
The body’s reaction to stress is well documented. When faced with a stressor, the body increases its heart rate, breathing and perspiration. The muscles tighten in preparation for the “fight or flight” response. From there, the body may release a variety of hormones to increase blood sugar and blood pressure. If this response is repeated over and over, the body may become exhausted with the effort of fortifying itself. Taking time to de-stress the body each morning through the following gentle yoga movements may improve the way your body reacts to and handles stress throughout the day.
With all this said, singing is one of the most joyful professions! Young children burst out in song while playing with their toys, after meals, or just about any time of day. It is a natural expression of joy. Let’s keep the joy in our voices by keeping our bodies healthy and flexible.
The following exercises give a gentle awakening to the body and may be done upon awakening and while still in bed, or on a yoga mat on the floor.
1. Stretch. Let’s begin by awakening your body with breath. Take a deep, full inhalation followed by a deep full exhalation. Give your body an opportunity to stretch. Bring your arms over your head with your legs gently pulling in the opposite direction. Inhale and exhale.
2. Half Moon/C Pose. Now grasp your left wrist with your right hand and gently pull it to the right while bringing your legs over to the right into a half moon or C pose. Feel the stretch in your hip, waist, and ribcage. Continue to breathe. Change to the other side—your left hand holding your right wrist, gently pulling to the left. Continue with deep, full inhalations and deep, full exhalations.
3. Spinal Twist. Now bend your knees and bring your arms out to your sides with your knees over to your right for the spinal twist. This pose gives a nice spinal adjustment and is beneficial in the morning and at various times throughout the day. Inhale, expand, exhale softly. Let the body release. Focus on breathing into the areas where you feel the stretching sensation in your body. Continue by bringing your knees over to the left side. Breathe and release.
4. Jiggles. Bring your legs to center and place them and your arms up in the air. Begin gently jiggling your feet and hands, working your way down to your legs and arms. And stop. You may feel energy coursing throughout your body during this resting time. Be sure to keep conscious breathing. Begin jiggling again. And stop.
5. Table Pose. Now roll onto your right side and come up into table pose. Your hands are directly under your shoulders and your knees are directly under your hips. Begin to roll through any tightness in the body—side to side, forward and backward—connecting your breath with movement.
6. Toe Curl/Rib Lift. Stop the movement and curl your toes and roll your body up, bringing your arms overhead. Inhale and exhale. You are stretching your toes and lifting your ribcage to create more space for air.
7. Mountain Pose. Now bring your arms to the floor and come into squat pose. If you are doing this exercise in bed, now is the time to place your feet on the floor and roll up one vertebra at a time into mountain pose. Your hands are resting by your sides and your feet are together. Allow your body a moment to get used to being upright to begin the day.
8. Energizing Breath. We will now move into energizing breath. Bring your arms up over your head inhaling through your nose. Bring your arms down to the floor into a forward bend as you exhale through the mouth. Inhale as you bring your arms back up over your head. Exhale as you reach your arms back down to the floor. Inhale up. Exhale down. Remain in this forward bend position for a nice inversion of the body. Now roll up slowly, one vertebra at a time into mountain pose. Let your body receive the poses. Take a deep full inhalation and a deep full exhalation.
Now your body is stretched and energized and ready to begin your day.
