do you think that dealing with a vocal issue is a complicated process in this
video i will break down the process into four big milestones to help you understand what your
next step should or could be so that you can get your voice back and speak without tension again
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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 and in this video i will share a simple four-step process that will uncomplicate
the process of optimizing your voice i use this process with my clients and my signature
coaching program is built on these milestones too my recommendation is that you focus on one
milestone at a time and once you feel confident enough that you understand or have done a good
job in one milestone then move on to another one i often see people working on all four milestones
at the same time and while this is possible it is also what adds to the complexity of the process
so if you want the less complicated approach here we go milestone number one optimize vocal health
the absolute minimum that you need to do for your voice is overall vocal health before doing any
vocal exercise or before working on your technique consider the vocal health of your instrument
are you doing everything possible to ensure the best conditions for your voice here are
some things to consider number one your general health if you are sick you cannot expect your
voice to work efficiently number two hydration if your voice is dehydrated it cannot function
optimally and it takes more effort to produce sounds number three sleep and vocal naps
if you don't give your voice a chance to rebalance regenerate you are asking for vocal
trouble number four diet do you know what your body and voice like and what you are sensitive
or allergic to number five movement of the whole body if you sit all day long at the computer you
may develop bad habitual posture which will affect your voice and finally your state of mind if you
look at the world through dark glasses your voice will reflect that your voice is not just a little
box inside your throat it's your body it's your mind so ask yourself have i considered everything
in the area of vocal health if yes that's great let's move on to milestone number two
release tension this milestone means that you know how to release tension and have some tools like
exercises or manual approaches to release muscle tension whether it's tension in the muscles of
the voice box or somewhere else in the body everything is interconnected in the body so
tension in the muscles let's say of the lower back can be affecting the vocal function strained weak
and overworked muscles anywhere in the body will not allow your voice to work efficiently
if you are doing vocal exercises with muscles that are stiff or tight your voice will not sound the
way you want it there are many different ways to reduce tension for example manual approaches
vocal exercises mindfulness exercises alignment exercises breath work relaxation stretching
even straw exercises can be used for this goal but also meditation or other exercises i really want
to stress the importance of emotional work working with emotions identifying factors that negatively
and positively affect your voice using techniques that stimulate the vagal system and calm
your body down if you are not looking at the emotional part of your voice
then you are not looking at the whole picture so ask yourself do i have a routine that helps
me release tension from my voice and body if yes then you can move to milestone number three
improve vocal function i see many people who come to me and they say well i'm well hydrated and i do
straw exercises and i still have vocal problems that's because they stop at the second milestone
we still have two more milestones but again if you jump straight to this milestone without conquering
the previous ones you may not be successful at achieving your vocal goals this milestone is
broad and really encompasses all kinds of techniques exercises approaches but the goal
is basically to learn how to use your voice more efficiently or without inviting tension
for some people this may mean relearning vocal patterns from the very basics for some people
it may be just tweaking or fine-tuning of their voices examples are better body incurring and
support breath coordination vocal fold closure resonance allowing for laryngeal movement
or widening of the throat improving tongue and jaw motor patterns and
many more so ask yourself can i produce a free sound without getting vocally tired or without
bringing on tension or pain if the answer is yes then move to your final milestone number four
vocal endurance and power this is where you do exercises to build stamina and strength so that
you can use your voice for as long as you need it for demanding vocal tasks for tasks that require
loud voice or prolonged use of voice these include exercises and techniques that help you
project your voice without taxing the tiny muscles inside your larynx or shape the vocal tract to
amplify the resonating properties of your voice and more that was the fourth and final milestone
in the comments let me know where you are on your vocal journey now i know that this four
step process is an oversimplification and each of these milestones can go into a lot of details
if you don't know what exactly to do find a good voice specialist who can guide you through the
process if you are experiencing vocal strain tension or even pain when speaking and you are
ready to work with me towards a strong free and confident voice you can apply to our vocal freedom
system coaching program check out the links in the description below and link right here and that's
all for today but before you go check out the link in the description below for a walk through video
with seven steps that lead to a strong voice without tension if you want to know what body
voice and mind factors you need to consider to finally free your voice click the link in
the description below this video and if you found this video helpful click the like button and share
it with your friends and check out my other videos right here below and i'll see you in those bye
you