Life and breath are intertwined, just like singing and the breath.
Voice projection, resonation and musical phrasing are just a few factors that make performing artists very aware of their breath.
Yoga has many different breathing techniques. This article focuses on the alternate nostril breath, an overwhelming favorite for the performing artists in my classes.
A few guidelines
Be sure not to eat for two hours before practicing these exercises.
Especially for singers, drink water after breath work, because it can dry out the vocal chords and dehydrate the body.
If you have high blood pressure or a heart condition, consult your physician before practicing these exercises.
In general, be gentle with yourself, never force the breath or become breathless, and take a cleansing breath at the first sign of strain to avoid possible hyperventilation.
The benefits of alternate nostril breathing:
• It Balances both the body and mind.
• It is helpful in calming your nerves before a performance, or regulating the “performance high” after the show.
• It May be used as a deep relaxation exercise
• It may help insomnia.
• It may calm panic attacks.
• The majority of my students say it leaves them feeling mentally alert, relaxed and refreshed at the same time.
Begin by sitting in a comfortable position with correct posture. You may sit in a chair or cross-legged on the floor. There is a tendency to bend the neck forward in this breathing technique so be aware of the need to keep your head and neck aligned with the spine and your chest lifted.
Bow your head slightly downwards. Bring your right hand up to your face and place the second and third fingers to your forehead. (See Figures 1 and 2) Take a deep cleansing breath through both nostrils.
Now cover your right nostril with your thumb and inhale through your left for a count of five. Cover your left nostril and exhale through your right again for a count of five. Inhale through your right and exhale through your left. Inhale through the left and exhale through the right. Repeat the sequence at your own pace. By this, I mean taking in as much breath as your body allows and exhaling at the same rate.
I find that singers in general have a much greater lung capacity and control of their breath than my non-singer yoga students. After practicing this breath, you may try to increase the length of the exhalations from the inhalations. The ideal is to double the length of the exhalation from the inhalation. For example, if you can inhale for eight seconds, try and slow the exhale to sixteen seconds.
Remember that there should be absolutely no tension while practicing this breath, so listen to your body as you breathe. “Softening” the eyes by using peripheral vision is another way to reduce tension while breathing. Do this by becoming aware of the objects in your peripheral vision, rather than just what is straight ahead of you.
You can practice alternate nostril breathing in many different ways. The following are two more variations to get you started.
Once you have mastered the basic breath, you may add holding the breath at the completion of the inhale and at the completion of the exhale beginning with the count of three and working your way up.
The next variation consists of breathing from one nostril at a time for 3 to 5 minutes per side. If you have trouble concentrating in this pose you can use the counting to focus your brain. Another technique is to think of the breath as a color filling your entire body as you breathe.
A final suggestion for greater focus or a different intention for this breath is to choose a word to repeat to yourself on the inhale, for example; peace, and choose another word for the exhale, for example; calm. Inhale peace, exhale calm. This technique has many benefits and results in a significant calming effect on the mind.
Specifically, singers tell me they have used alternate nostril breathing to focus their mind when they feel overwhelmed, to clear a sinus passage, and to calm performance/audition anxiety. Lee Poulis, a baritone in The Washington Opera’s Young Artist Program of the Americas suggests, “I would not practice this breath for too long before a performance or it can make the body overly calm … just like a massage would!”
Many yoga poses actually do massage the internal organs and the breathing techniques combined with the poses make many students feel, after class, like they have just had a massage! When a person’s mind and body are balanced, they are working at the optimum level. It does not mean that you will add 10 IQ points or gain four notes to your range instantly, but your systems will be at their best.
The body is an amazing machine that has the potential to heal itself once the imbalances are released. An unbalanced mind and body occurs when one or several parts are doing too much or too little, causing stress in the body. Stress manifests itself in many different ways…from depression to mental and physical illness.
In future articles, I will continue to share poses tailored to the needs of singers. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please e-mail me at YogaSing@ClassicalSinger.com
