In this video, I will guide you through a 10 minute warm up for your strained or tired
voice.
The best part?
We are not going to use your voice at all!
Yes, that is correct.
We are going to use your body and mind to wake up your voice.
Stay tuned to find out how.
Hi!
I am Katarina, speech language pathologist and here on this channel, I share practical
tips about using your voice in a healthy way.
So, if this is a topic that interests you, consider subscribing to this channel and hitting
that bell notification icon so that you don’t miss any of my future videos.
If your voice feels tired or strained the first thing in the morning or if you experience
vocal strain or even pain in your voice throughout the day, there are some simple ways to warm
up your voice and give it more life.
But here is the thing.
You don’t need to use your voice to warm up your voice.
What???
Yes, you can use other body muscles and mind exercises to prepare your voice for the tasks
ahead without making any sounds whatsoever.
I recommend doing a combination of vocal and silent exercises as part of your normal vocal
routine and I made other videos on this topic but in this video, I want to show you that
your voice can actually improve its function by doing just silent exercises.
This is what I have been doing with my clients and it works.
They experience improved vocal function and more ease in their voice.
So, let’s test it on your voice.
Shall we?
The first thing we need to do is to take a baseline.
Taking a baseline means making a short informal assessment of your voice before you do the
exercises and then comparing it to your voice after the exercises.
It’s a quick way to know if there are any changes in your voice.
So, let’s do that . Simply count from 1 to 10 or say the days of the week.
If you are a singer, sing a short cut from a song.
Then, notice how your voice feels and how easy it is to use your voice in that moment
on a scale from 1 to 10 where 1 means that it is really hard to make a sound and 10 is
the easiest voice you can have.
You can pause this video and do it right now.
Great, you are back.
I encourage all of my clients and you to take a baseline so that you know if an exercise
is beneficial or not.
If you are experiencing vocal strain, tension or even pain when speaking, and you are ready
to work with me towards a free, strong and confident voice, you can apply to our Vocal
Freedom System coaching program.
Check out the links in the description below this video.
Now, let’s do a 2 minute mindfulness exercise.
I spoke about the effect of mindfulness exercises on your voice in my previous video.
I will post a link to it at the end of this video so that you can watch it later.
For now, just do this easy exercise that will bring us into the present moment.
Get comfortable on your chair.
Breathe normally.
Let’s wake up your sight.
Look around you.
What do you see in front of you?
Now, wake up your peripheral vision.
While looking straight ahead, notice what you see beside you.
Now, close your eyes.
Can you still see what is in front of you and beside you?
Keep it in your mind.
Your eyes are still closed.
Now, wake up your ears.
Notice the sounds around you.
What do you hear?
Extend your hearing behind the room you are in.
Now, go even further.
Extend your hearing behind the house or apartment, street, block.
Notice the sounds of cars going by or birds chirping.
With your eyes still closed, turn your attention to your body.
How does your neck feel today?
How is your head?
What about your collarbones, shoulders, arms, ribs, lower back, pelvis, thighs, knees, calves,
and feet?
How
do they feel?
Do you feel any tension?
Your eyes are still closed.
Notice any strong emotions today.
Are you happy, sad, angry, or hungry?
Just notice your emotions, you don’t need to change them, just notice them.
Eyes are still closed.
Notice your breath.
Breathing usually changes when you notice it but for now, just observe it.
Don’t change your breathing.
Very good.
Now, we are present with our bodies.
Very good.
Slowly open your eyes, wiggle in your chair.
Let’s continue with a simple 2 minute breathing exercise.
We are going to take about 20 breaths.
But I want you to exhale twice as long as you inhale.
So, if you are inhaling for the count of 4, exhale for the count of 8.
Try to prolong your exhalation.
It will calm your nervous system down and the parasympathetic, the “rest and digest”
system will kick in.
And you know that the same nerve, the vagus nerve, also innervated your larynx or voice
box.
So let's start.
Inhale and then exhale.That was breath #1.
And again inhale and exhale.
Breath #2.
Continue on your own until you come to number 20.
Very good.
The third non-vocal exercise is a light massage of your larynx.
First, let’s find the hyoid bone under your chin.
It may be challenging because it is embedded in the muscles deep inside your neck.
It is the first bump on the way down from your chin.
Once you find it, slide the fingers to the side of the hyoid bone and massage them with
gentle circular motions.
You can also move it gently from side to side.
Do this massage only if it feels comfortable for you.
Some people may be very sensitive to touch in this area so don’t force anything.
Apply gentle pressure only as much as it is comfortable for you.
Do this for a couple of minutes or more if you find it soothing and relaxing.
Then slide your fingers down to the thyroid cartilage.
First, find your Adam’s apple or Eve’s apple.
It’s the second bump on the way down from your chin.
Slide your fingers to the sides of the thyroid cartilage to the lamina, these are the flat
surfaces of the thyroid cartilage.
And gently massage this area with circular movements.
Very good.
Again, do this only if it feels comfortable and relaxing for you.
Some people may actually experience more tension when they touch their neck so be very mindful
of this.
Now, gently move the larynx from side to side.
Really slowly.
If you hear clicking that is absolutely normal.
This was a very short version of a laryngeal massage.
If you want to watch a longer version, I will post a link to a video where you can spend
more time on the laryngeal massage.
Excellent.
Now, we are at the end of our 10 minute warm up and let’s test your voice if you feel
less tension, more stability, clarity or ease of sound production.
Assess your voice in the same way as you did at the beginning of this video.
Count from 1 to 10 or say the days of the week.
If you are a singer, sing the same cut from your song.
And compare your voice.
Is there a change in the ease of production?
Or is there anything else that changed in your voice?
Sometimes, your voice can be stronger, clearer, more stable or resonant.
Sometimes, the change will be very small – just one number towards an easier voice.
But that is ok.
Let me know in the comments below how your voice feels now after this warm up.
In this video, I showed you how to warm up your voice but there are more things to consider
when you are dealing with vocal tension and strain.
I made a video, in which I walk you through 7 steps that lead to a strong voice without
tension.
If you want to know what voice, body and mind considerations you need to take to truly free
your voice, click the link in the description below this video.
If you found this video helpful, click the like button and share it with your friends.
Check out my other videos right here below.
I hope to see you in one of them.
Bye.