[Monika Welch]

Thank you Eliza:) Really great idea with keeping their details for newsletter purposes! Many thanks and have a great week!:)

[Monika Welch]

Hey there, I think the concept of ‘recoil breathing’ may be overcomplicating what in my understanding is actually very simple. Lungs expand / stretch during inhalation. So the way I see it, recoil is nothing other than the natural ease with which the lungs ‘rebound’ after we exhale, which in very simple terms means they go back to the same state we experienced previously at rest, before inhalation. The process repeats every time we inhale & exhale without us having to think or control it in any way.

With regards to breathing exercises in general, I always incorporate at least 1 or 2 into my lessons, as I’ve found conscious focus on ‘just breathing’ for a couple of mins has a number of benefits:

– It helps to alleviate tension
– It helps students to get into ‘training / singing’ frame of mind & switch off distractions
– It calms them down and makes them feel more relaxed & comfortable in a learning setting
– And it sets their breathing into a smoother, steadier, more consistent pattern, which paves a great start for vocal warm ups & subsequent singing

I use various breathing exercises and alternate them to keep it interesting for the students, e.g.

Exercise 1 – Breathing out a consistent stream of air

Start by taking a deep breath, filling your lungs all the way down to the abdomen (not just the top half of your lungs). Then let it out very slowly in a constant stream. Imagine that you’re exhaling through a very thin straw and the air is going out so slowly that you don’t appear to be breathing at all. It may help to picture a candle out in front of you, and your breath is moving so slowly that the flame doesn’t flicker as you exhale.

Exercise 2 – Breathing out and sustaining a note

Pick a nice comfortable note and hold it through the entire breath. Don’t let it change in pitch or volume–make it seem like a key being held down on an organ. Be sure that each note is a comfortable pitch–somewhere in your normal speaking register. Low notes are good because they help the throat relax. Use a different pitch for each breath. Don’t try to belt out high notes. That strains the vocal chords.

For those who struggle with the concept of diaphragmatic breathing I advise to practise at home the following:

Lie on the floor on your back with your hands on your stomach. Breathe in (inhale) and your hands will rise. Now breathe out (exhale) and they will lower. In this position it is virtually impossible to breathe incorrectly. Try to breath in the same way when you speak or sing.

Hope this helps

[Monika Welch]

Hi Eliza, sorry to hear about your vocal issues. My guess would be that it’s mostly e-cigarettes causing your problems (or / and allergies?). The vapour produced during vaping is highly irritating and it is inhaled passed the vocal cords, which causes inflammation of the lining of your cords and throat. Your best bet will be to speak to an ENT specialist, but meanwhile, perhaps you could also try stopping e-cigs for a week or so to see if this helps? Best wishes 🙂