In this video, I’ll show you how you can use mindfulness exercises to release tension from
your voice. It may be a new way of dealing with vocal tension for you
but research tells us that it actually works. So stay open-minded and keep on watching.
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. I have a question for you. Do you believe
that our emotions affect our voice? Yes or no? Let me know in the comments below the video.
And here is my opinion. I truly believe that if you are experiencing vocal tension
and you are not considering your thoughts and emotions as a factor
that causes some of that tension, then you are not seeing the whole picture. For some people,
their emotions are the biggest factor affecting their tension. For others, it may be a small part.
But for most people, our mindset affects the way we perceive our voice and vocal issues.
Just consider this. I want you to think back to a difficult conversation that you had in the past.
Maybe a conversation that you did not want to have or a conversation on a topic that you
were trying to avoid. I bet that your emotional state at that moment was affecting your voice.
Did you feel constriction in your throat, did your breathing change,
did the muscles in your body tense, did you feel butterflies in your stomach, did your head spin?
These are just some ways your emotions and thoughts can act on your body and voice. I
feel unsettled even now just talking about it. Another example of our emotions affecting our
voice is performance anxiety or fear of public speaking. Your mind is affecting
your body and voice and in those moments, it feels like your voice stops working
or is out of control. Your throat muscles feel tight, it’s like you have no control over your
voice. We all have experienced something similar so I am sure you know what I am talking about.
Finally, there is research that tells us that meditation or mindfulness exercises in combination
with gentle vocal exercises actually leads to more healing of the tissue of the vocal folds than
vocal exercises alone. Isn’t that interesting? There was a study done that compared three groups
of people: a group of people who just rested their voice, a group of people who did vocal exercises,
and a group of people who did vocal exercises and 15 minutes of meditation or mindfulness exercises.
All three groups of people went through a series of high demanding vocal tasks that put a lot
of pressure on their vocal folds. The study was measuring changes in the tissue of the vocal folds
and it found that the group of people who combined the vocal exercises with mindfulness
or meditation exercises significantly outperformed the other two groups. Their tissue healed the most
in a short period of time. And all it took was 15 minutes of sitting and breathing in a quiet space.
Mindfulness is becoming a popular term these days and it simply means to be
present in the moment and pay attention to our thoughts,
emotions, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment with openness and curiosity. In
today’s world we often worry about what is to come or what we should have done in the past.
And I believe that this type of thinking is ever so present in people with vocal issues. Questions
like: Will I ever be able to speak again without tension? Will I be able to find my old voice? What
have I done in the past that led to this tension? What should I have done differently? are always on
the minds of people who deal with voice problems. And as you can imagine worrying about the future
and regretting the past will only add to the cycle of tension. These types of thoughts will
translate into emotions that have physical signs such as tension, throat constriction,
changed breathing patterns or upset stomach. If you are experiencing vocal strain, tension
or even pain when speaking, and you are ready to work 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. Ok. I hope that I convinced you that you should
be engaging in some kind of mindfulness work or meditation if you are dealing with vocal tension,
strain or pain. I have to admit that I am not big on meditation. Not that I don’t believe in it!
I am a person who has a hard time sitting for a long time in a meditative state. Therefore,
I engage in shorter mindfulness exercises that do the same job for my voice, body and mind. And I am
going to share one of them right here with you. I call it Breathing 478. It’s a simple breathing
exercise during which we focus on breath. You can make this exercise your own; you can make
it longer or shorter. You can change the numbers or focus on something completely different.
I am going to show you a simple 2 minute breathing exercise during which we inhale
for the count of 4, hold breath for the count of 7 and exhale for the count of 8. It helps
me when I focus on my breath to keep me in the present moment. There are a lot
of breathing apps for this purpose. I am using an app called Relax: Meditation and Breathing
but you can use any other breathing app available in your country. And if you don't have a breathing
app, just follow this video. Are you ready? Find a quiet place where you will not be
disturbed. Align your body well while sitting or standing. You can close your eyes or not.
And just breathe normally. Settle down into your normal breathing pattern. Now we are going to
inhale for the count of 4, then hold your breath for the count of 7 and then,
exhale for the count of 8
and we
are going
to
repeat
this
a few
times.
Excellent! The added bonus of this exercise is that the exhalation is twice as long as
inhalation which stimulates our parasympathetic system. It calms our nervous system down,
which is delivered through the tenth cranial nerve, the vagus
nerve. And the vagus nerve also innervates our larynx, our voice box. Isn’t that neat?
I hope you liked this simple exercise to release tension from your body and voice.
But there are more things to consider when 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 on the topic of
vocal strain and tension right here below. I hope to see you soon. Bye.