STAY in Shape..., Drop Your Shoulders, and PYV Friday!

The Week of May 3rd Blog: 

Tuesday Toss Up (STAY in Shape So You Don't Have to GET in Shape...)

STAY ready so you don’t have to GET ready…

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This applies to SO many things in our lives… Physical health, VOICE, mental health, & even spiritual health. What are you doing TODAY that you future self will thank you for? 

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Are prioritizing your VOICE? How about physical exercise & movement? Are you prioritizing what you put in your body? Are you prioritizing your immunity? Are you prioritizing mental breaks and all the ways you can have power over releasing tension & stress? Are you prioritizing faith & spiritual health? If you’re consistently prioritizing these things everyday, you are creating a life where (when “needed”), you don’t have to actually “GET in shape” because you’ve been prioritizing & upholding good behavioral patterns that positively contribute to your overall health a.k.a. you have been “STAYING in shape”. 

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It’s not that hard to do… & it actually makes your life so much better & helps you to find a beautiful routine that you can feel good about and feel confident in, & it helps you feel in control of your life too. Remember, it’s not what happens TO you…it’s what happens FOR you.  If you are consistently prioritizing “staying in shape”, then there is no rush to GET in shape.

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CARE for your voice, PRIORITIZE your voice, TRAIN your voice, & then get out of your own way and let it SHINE.  You don’t have to rush & stress about “getting in shape”… You‘ve prioritized STAYING in shape AND you will continue to succeed and grow from there!!

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#voxfit #tuesdaytossup #voice #vocalfitness #bevocallyfit #occupationalvoiceuser  #vocalhealth #vocalwellness #prioritizeyourvoice #prioritizeyourhealth #protectyourvoice #healthyvoice #educationispower #singer #fitnessinstructor #publicspeaker #speechpathologist #voicespecialist #awareness #beproactive #stayinshape #stayinshapesoyoudonthavetogetinshape #letsgo 

Hump Day Health:  DROP Your Shoulders

Just do it. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing..just DROP your shoulders. 

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And EXHALE.  

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Notice if/when you are holding your breath, holding any tension, or simply “holding”. Release these holding patterns by LETTING GO.    

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WHAT can lead to high or “raised up” shoulders? Tension, stress, anxiety, sleeping position, driving, breathholding patterns, inefficient postural positions while working at a computer or on the phone, and.the.list.goes.on. For all my fitness instructors, you can unintentionally habituate this postural inefficiency while riding a stationary bike (your shoulders are not earrings; roll em back and relax em down your back), while holding a yoga pose (or while teaching), while at the barre leading or taking a class, while teaching or taking a Lagree class on the megaformer, while teaching or taking a rowing class, etc. (again, the list goes on). Singers—you can definitely habituate this postural position, and it’s commonly seen because of reduced coordination of the respiratory and phonatory subsystems of voice, a forward head position/protracted chin (ex: reaching for the mic or while playing an instrument), and also using the extrinsic laryngeal musculature during pitch navigation tasks. WHERE can this lead YOU? MORE tension, more breathholding, vocal strain/muscle tension, vocal fatigue, reduced respiratory support for voice, and muscular or fascial tightness or even pain (just to name a few).  

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Try to CREATE SPACE between your earlobes and your shoulders, think of relaxing your shoulders down your back, imagine that your shoulders weigh 100 pounds each, visualize reaching the crown of the head to the ceiling and reaching the shoulders the opposite direction. One of my faves: LIFT your sternum (this will facilitate a secondary gain of relaxed/lowered shoulders most of the time). There are lots of ways to foster an awareness of the importance of dropping.your.shoulders.  

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Dropping those shoulders, and letting go as you exhale and initiate more efficient breathflow is a monumental reset you can consistently put into practice throughout your day… EVERYDAY. Catch yourself and RESET. And then mayyyyybe one of these days you won’t even need to drop your shoulders because you’re walking around more relaxed and less tense… Your breathflow is natural and consistent and you have established new patterns that do not involve “holding” at all.  

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#voxfit #voice #humpdayhealth #vocalfitness #bevocallyfit #occupationalvoiceuser #vocalhealth #vocalwellness #prioritizeyourvoice #healthyvoice #educationispower #singer #fitnessinstructor #speechpathologist #voicespecialist #awareness #beproactive #dropyourshoulders #publicspeaker #reset #createnewhabits #exhale #letgo 

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