Breath Relaxes and Releases


Breath Relaxes and Releases
I once had a class with the great voice teacher Cecily Berry. We did the exercise below. After the class, she talked about how she done this exercise with prisoners in jail, with people suffering from anxiety and with older people who are dying. Once, I had a friend who was in his thirties and dying of cancer. He was a tough, New Zealander who had played rugby to a decent level. When I visited him in hospital near his final days, he was all skin and bones and weighed only 45 kgs. He could hardly communicate and his wife said he always seemed anxious. His wife left the room for a well deserved break. I told him I would stay there for a bit and we would just relax. I said, "Breathe in - relax. Hold. Breathe out - release. Now, breathe in and relax on 1-2-3. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4. Again. Now, breathe in and relax on 1-2-3. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4. Now slower. Now, breathe in and relax on 1-2-3-4. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4-5. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4. Now slower. Now, breathe in and relax on 1-2-3-4. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4-5. Now even slower. Now, breathe in and relax on 1-2-3-4-5. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4-5-6. We repeated this maybe six more times." When his wife returned he was calm and spoke to her for the first time in days saying, "Thank you ______. I love you."

Exercise
Lying down you are going to notice and control your breath. You may want to put your hands or a hand on your belly. You can do this this your eyes closed or open. If they are open, please maintain a soft focus on what is in your sight line. Breathe in - relax. Hold. Breathe out - release. Now, breathe in and relax on 1-2-3. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4. Again. Now, breathe in and relax on 1-2-3. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4. Now slower. Now, breathe in and relax on 1-2-3-4. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4-5. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4. Now slower. Now, breathe in and relax on 1-2-3-4. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4-5. Now even slower. Now, breathe in and relax on 1-2-3-4-5. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4-5-6. We repeated this maybe six more times. Now repeat the whole sequence but this time when you breathe out use sound on an open but relaxed 'Ah' sound.

A variation to this can be done standing up and walking around. Make sure if you do this in a group, that you have enough room not to bump into one another. You will take a step for every second you count in your head. Stay still for when you are holding your breath and then change direction when you breathe out. You may want to extend this until for are doing longer breaths. Breathe in - relax. Hold. Breathe out - release. Now, breathe in and relax on 1-2-3 taking three steps as you breathe in. Hold and stay still for 1-2. Now face a new direction and start walking as you breathe out - release on 1-2-3-4. Now, turn in a new direction and move three steps as you breathe in and relax on 1-2-3. Stay still as you Hold 1-2. Now change direction as you move and breathe out  over 4 seconds - release on 1-2-3-4. Now slower. Face a new direction. Now, breathe in, move and relax on 1-2-3-4. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out and move in a new direction - release on 1-2-3-4-5. Now breathe out and release and move in a new direction on 1-2-3-4. Now slower. Now, breathe in and relax and move in a new direction on 1-2-3-4. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release and move in a new direction on 1-2-3-4-5. Now even slower. Now, breathe in and relax and move in a new direction on 1-2-3-4-5. Hold 1-2. Now breathe out - release and move in a new direction on 1-2-3-4-5-6. You can repeat this a number of times and/or increase the number that you breathe and walk to. ow repeat the whole sequence but this time when you breathe out use sound on an open but relaxed 'Ah' sound.

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