Mini Vocal Workout to Release Tension
October 4, 2016Carrying Tension
There has been a lot of tension in the air of late, and I have discussed this series of exercises with my clients on several occasions. This mini workout of about 10 minutes is designed to release general tension that effects the voice, and help calm the mind, and increase oxygenation to the blood and brain which helps us to think more clearly. All these benefits also help us to keep strain out of the voice, which gives a more pleasing sound.
Downloads
There are some downloads available for you to help with this workout at home – please read the shopping cart download instructions here to ensure you receive your products safely.
1) Stretches For Singers
[purchase_link id=”1578″ style=”button” color=”blue” text=”Physical Stretches For Singers”]
Click this free download for full instructions.
Start this workout by standing with good posture, and rolling your shoulders, and doing some neck stretches (full instructions for two neck stretches are on the sheet). Stand tall, clear your mind, and take at least two diaphragmatic breaths in the stretched position each time. Although this may take no longer than 2 minutes, try to experience the peacefulness during those 2 minutes, rather than remaining in ‘task mode’ and filling your mind with all the things we have to do. Be a human being, not a human doing, just for those few stretches. If your mind wanders, just bring your attention back to the breath.
2) Relaxed Your Tone Exercise
This exercise is on the ‘Vocal Exercises For Beginners – Volume 1’ CD, or if you do not have that, you can download this one track here. Focus on singing free from strain and creating a freely produced sound. If you feel tense or hear strain, stop, yawn, swallow, take a deep inhalation and exhalation, and join back in with the exercise.
[purchase_link id=”869″ style=”button” color=”blue” text=”Relax Your Tone – Vocal Exercise”]
3) The Square Breath
You may have come across a version of this exercise affectionately referred to in the Igloo as Breathing 101.
This is a modification of this exercise, working with the four natural stages of the breath – inhalation, resting on full, exhalation and resting on empty. Find somewhere comfortable where you can lie on the floor, and have your legs elevated, 
resting against the wall. Make sure you can keep your ribcage open and breathing easily. You should be comfortable and able to rest in this position. This increased blood flow back to the heart and brain, and has a reviving effect.
Once in your rested position, imagine a square in your mind. As you inhale, count to four, and ‘draw’ in your mind’s eye the top of the square. Then hold, resting on full, for four counts, and draw the side of the square, exhale for four counts, draw the bottom of the square, and hold resting on empty for four counts and draw the remaining side of the square. You can stay at this stage for a few minutes, and do 5-10 repetitions of this exercise, and then get on with your day. By concentrating on the visualisation, you bring stress levels down and slow down your breathing which promotes calmness. As your mind wanders, as it naturally will do, just keep bringing your attention back to your breath, and the square in your mind’s eye.
Up to this point, this workout will take no more than 10 minutes.
Enlarging The Square
If you have 15minutes or more for this exercise, you can try extending the breath. Each time you go round the square, add a count. So your second journey around the square would be to the count of 5, your third journey to the count of 6 etc. Work up to about ten, but as you go beyond about 6 or so, keep the ‘sides’ of the square at a comfortable count – whatever that is for you – you should not feel that you are unnaturally holding your breath at any point. We’re just slowing the process down. So inhale for 10, hold for 4 or 5, exhale for 10 – so we’ve created an oblong rather than a square. Finding a comfortable way to fit a tiny bit of this into your daily routine is the best way forward. You can do this workout in it’s entirety, or do any part of it in isolation, or any combination thereof depending on the window that you have. If you take 90 seconds to do some stretches, 2 minutes to sing through the track, or 3 minutes to concentrate on your breath, you are still releasing some tension, which is good for your body and your singing.
When you’ve finished, sit back up slowly, and take a minute to allow your body to readjust before you go dashing back off to your ‘to-do’ list.
Varying The Workout
Finding a comfortable way to fit a tiny bit of this into your daily routine is the best way forward. You can do this workout in it’s entirety, or do any part of it in isolation, or any combination thereof depending on the window that you have. If you take 90 seconds to do some stretches, 2 minutes to sing through the track, or 3 minutes to concentrate on your breath, you are still releasing some tension, which is good for your body and your singing.