Yoga and Voice!, Garden Hose Revisited, and PYV!!

The Week of June 22nd & July 5th BLOGs: 

Tuesday Toss Up: YOGA and VOICE!

Recent literature reveals that yoga and pranayama are reported to improve the voice quality of individuals (Thirunavukkarasu et al., 2022).

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This article also relayed that various studies on different pranayama have shown significant improvement in cognitive function, IQ level, respiratory functions, and cardiovascular parameters. FYI—Pranayama (one of the limbs of Ashtanga yoga) is a practice of regulating the prana (vital force) which governs the body (a.k.a. breathing techniques).

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Many research studies have reported the positive outcomes of modified yoga technique practice along with voice therapy on patients with muscle tension dysphonia (Moore, 2012). 

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Additional research has shown that the regular practice of a few asanas (body postures), Mudras (hand postures), and meditation helps in improving the body health, voice quality, and performance anxiety in singing teachers. It’s also documented that a few postures (like basic chest opening and spine-lengthening) and some breathing techniques help singing tutors to hold breath for a longer duration and sing long phrases without much effort (Hutton et al., 2014). 

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Although not experimentally investigated, Rao & Hongsandra (2014) documented the role of a few postures and breathing exercises in yoga and pranayama in correcting functional voice disorders, with similar techniques that “help in increasing the lung capacity, reducing the tension in vocal muscles, and in turn improving the voice quality”. 

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Bhramari Pranayama (BP) is a yogic breathing technique that involves producing a vibrating constant pitch sound emulating the buzzing of a bumblebee (kinda interesting this is a resonant sound…and we already have TONS of research on these related to positive vocal impact!). BP has been shown to have benefits on general health, especially related to asthma, anxiety, depression, and hypertension, and a study by Manjunatha et al. (2018) found that it is effective in improving the acoustic and aerodynamic parameters of voice. They also found that BP can also strengthen and improve voice quality and eliminate throat ailments. BP also concentrates on forward focusing of the voice with minimum vocal effort, and it helps in producing the most optimal voice possible which is similar to the voice outcome expected from resonant voice therapy. Additionally, BP involves the participant placing the fingers in different positions on the face as it helps to provide self-biofeedback; closing the tragus of the ear also helps for better experience of forward focused resonance while humming and general kinesthetic awareness. Aside from the laryngeal system, BP aims to relax the mind, and improve the functioning of the cardiac, respiratory, and nervous systems in the individuals performing the technique. “In normal breathing, the posture and the breathing pattern is usually neglected by the individual; however, practicing BP strongly emphasizes the proper posture and breathing pattern” (Thirunavukkarasu et al., 2022). It also stimulates the vagus nerve which is responsible for breath rate and depth management. Pulmonary functions (peak expiratory flow, forced expiratory flow, maximum voluntary ventilation, slow vital capacity, and forced expiratory volume, are improved with BP (Kuppusamy, et al., 2016). Even more exciting for singing and other professional and occupational voice use, the normal rhythm of breathing is changed, with prolonged exhalation and short inhalation, which can produce significant impact within the physiological system ( Mooventhan & Khode, 2014). Continuous practice of BP for 5-10 minutes will create subjective feelings of a refreshed mind and blissfulness and sometimes the feeling of being in a meditative state (Hutton et al., 2014). The 2022 study mentioned above found that controlled breathing and humming in BP facilitated improved vocal quality in study participants, which supports the assumption that BP will have beneficial effects on vocal physiology and lead to improved voice quality in those who practice it.

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Have you ever done YOGA? Do you TEACH yoga? Do you use the Bhramari Pranayama technique? How cool that it is an essentially super deep version of resonant humming with heightened kinesthetic sensations, tactile feedback, and the ability to achieve a meditative state? LOVE when there’s new research combining my two favorite worlds—VOICE and FITNESS!

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#voxfit #voice #voicesfittoinspire #yoga #breathing #pranayama #bhramaripranayama #trysomethingnew #resonance #resonanthum #whatdoyoufeel #research #vocalhealth #vocalinstrument #vocalwellness #fitness #speechpathologist #voicespecialist #learnsomethingnew #fitnessinstructor #occupationalvoiceuser #chooseyourbestvoice #outsidethebox #vocalfolds  #prioritizeyourvoice #bevocallyfit #protectyourvoice #hydrate #voicetherapy #vocalcoaching #vocalfitness #voicefitness #singer #awareness #prioritizeyourhealth

Hump Day Health: Garden Hose Revisited...

I truly believe in this concept and utilize it consistently with patients and clients alike. Your VOICE is like a garden hose. So funny that I was at the beach (currently on vacation –woohoo--#neededitbad) and was reading an awesome book (Atomic Habits by James Clear—go check it out!), and read through a paragraph that DIRECTLY relates to this garden hose concept and VOICE.

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“…How to Achieve MORE with LESS Effort… Imagine you are holding a garden hose that is bent in the middle; some water can flow through, BUT not very much. If you want to increase the rate at which water passes through the hose, you have two options: the first option is to CRANK UP the VALVE and FORCE more water out; the second option is to simply REMOVE THE BEND in the hose and LET water FLOW THROUGH NATURALLY…” (p153). Of note, this book is about developing good HABITS, but ALLOWING EFFICIENT VOICE is a good habit to be aware of, don’t you think?

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Using voice in conjunction with a breathholding pattern or muscle tension is like “trying to force water through a bent hose: you can do it, but it requires a lot of EFFORT and increases the TENSION in your life”. Find a way to “remove the bend in the hose”; rather than trying to completely overcome the friction in your life (there will always be stressors…), aim to reduce it (stress management, breathflow techniques, fitness, etc.)…and eliminate its effect on the efficient coordination and connection of your vocal subsystems (respiratory, phonatory, resonatory, articulatory). You don’t “need” tension if the vocal folds are healthy and the subsystems of voice are coordinated.

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Again, in talking about HABITS, the book goes on to say “one of the most effective ways to reduce the friction associated with your habits is to practice ENVIRONMENT DESIGN”. Hmmm.. again applying this directly to voice…what better way to DESIGN the “vocal environment” than create more freedom, openness, ease, and/or support (through SOVTEs, tension release, flow phonation, and optimal positioning of the VFs)?! We have the ability to create this…and allow for the “open garden hose” idea to FLOURISH.

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Check out my post from the @voxfit_ past all about the lovely garden hose and its relationship to VOICE (10/16/19)… buuuut I just HAD to share and revisit this when I was reading yesterday and the concept jumped out to me but in another context. How cool ;)

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#voxfit #voice #yourvoiceislikeagardenhose #gardenhose #freeyourvoice #breathflow #allowthevoice #voicesfittoinspire #vocalfitness #bevocallyfit #voicefitness #chooseyourbestvoice #speechpathologist #voicespecialist #fitnessinstructor #singer #readabook #coincidences #letgo #releasetension #letvoiceflow #educationispower #vocalfolds #vocalhealth #vocalwellness #vocalcoaching 

PRIORITIZE YOUR VOICE!  

It’s Prioritize Your Voice Friday… So how are you prioritizing your voice today? And everyday? As an OCCUPATIONAL VOICE USER, it should be one of your top priorities! 
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Shouldn’t PRIORITIZING your voice be high on your list?!
What do you need to know to keep your voice healthy?  You should understand how the voice works, how to protect and care for your voice, and how to use your voice and entire vocal mechanism in the most efficient, effective, and dynamic ways possible.  
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I’m super PASSIONATE about this population of voice users (I’m one and most of you are too), and am HERE TO HELP! Reach out with any questions, concerns, or if you’d like to work together.
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#voxfit #desiretoinspire #aspiretoinspire #changelives #radiateconfidence #vocalinstrument #voice #voicefitness #vocalfitness #voicesfittoinspire #vocalathlete #occupationalvoiceuser #speechpathology #voicespecialist #teacher #instructor #fitnessinstructor #singer #performer #emcee #gamehost #clergy #sales #coach #speechpathologist #voicetherapy #voicedisorders #prioritizeyourvoice