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breathing diagram
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The Movement of Breathing Once our bodies are balanced and aligned, we can create an efficient container which will allow air to fall effortlessly into the body through inhalation, and produce an exhalation process that is free of tension, engaged and dynamically supported, full of energy and vigor.
Remapping the trachea There are two pipes in your neck the trachea and the esophagus
The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is in front. It lies just under the skin in the front of our lower necks, and is merely a passageway for air on inhalation.
A breath will be quiet if properly allowed to be taken in through the trachea
The larynx sits right on top of the trachea, and houses the vocal cords
The esophagus, also known as the food tube, is behind the trachea. It is responsible for swallowing food or drink
A swallowed breath will sound noisy and raspy
The pharynx is in the upper part of our neck (think adams apple), and is part of the digestive system
The Four Moving Parts to Breathing
Ribs, back view
Ribs
Ribs move at joints in back along spine, and move at cartilage in front
Each rib swings up and out during inhalation, and down and in during exhalation (excursion)
You can control the amount of rib movement
Rib movement is NOT: o Heaving chest up
and down o Pulling shoulders
up and down breathe into your back
along your spine
Diaphragm NEVER SAY/THINK THE TERM USE MY DIAPRAGHM. IT IS AN INVOLUNTARY MUSCLE, AND IS AS SILLY AS SAYING USE YOUR HEART OR USE YOUR LUNGS (using your brain is OK) The diaphragm, like the ribs, has its own
movement of excursion o On inhalation, it goes from a
highly domed position to a less domed position (pointy, then it flattens
o On exhalation, it returns to its highly domed position
There are no sensory receptors in the diaphragm; therefore, you can only feel that it is working by the movement of abdominal walls and the pelvic floor
o The downward movement of the diaphragm moves your abdominal and pelvic viscera (organs, gut, entrails, innards) downward and outward
REMEMBER NOT TO USE YOUR DIAPHRAGM SIMPLY LEAVE IT ALONE AND LET IT DO ITS JOB!!!
Abdominal Walls
The abdominal wall is a layered cylinder
of muscle surrounding our viscera, front, sides, and back
The pressure put on the abdominal wall by the viscera being moved outward and downward as a result of the descending diaphragm is equal in all directions
o breathing into your back o breathing into your sides
The Pelvis and the Pelvic Floor The breathing movement process creates a sensation of pressure against the pelvic bones
on inhalation, and the engagement of deep interior pelvic structures on exhalation The pelvic area consists of muscles that are interior and exterior to the pelvis During inhalation, you should feel a sensation of release and dropping throughout the
exterior muscles (your glutes, or gluteus maximus) o The pelvic floor, like the diaphragm, drops during inhalation
You should feel a downward and outward release through the pelvic floor The interior muscles are continuous with the base of the diaphragm
o They are powerfully felt in tension-free singing (exhalation) Toned, engagement, dynamic support, energy, vigor, fire, aliveness
o The pelvic floor, like the diaphragm, naturally rises during exhalation Inside your pelvis, you should feel an upward flow of support as the
diaphragm ascends on exhalation
YOU SHOULD NOT FEEL THESE MUSCLES WORKING!!! LIKE THE DIAPHRAGM, THESE ARE NATURAL MOVEMENTS!
BONUS PART!!! The Spine
All singing structures lie along the entire length of our weight-bearing spine
o Larynx, back half of each lung, diaphragm, inner pelvic muscles The spinal movement is a crucial part of the movement of breathing
o The spine gathers on inhalation, and lengthens on exhalation The lengthening and gathering of the spine in breathing is involuntary; therefore, just
leave it alone and let it be! o Forcing your body to stand up straight, or slouching, creates tension which
prevents the natural processes of breathing from occurring
Up and Over During exhalation, as the spine lengthens, there is a slight movement of the head away from
the spine at the A/O joint. o The term Up and Over was coined from Alexander technique, forward and up
Up and Over can be seen and felt, if you allow it to happen naturally without tension!!! o A sense of buoyancy, created by a sense of space in the joint (A/O Joint) o a little balloon between my skull and my spine o a sort of nodding toward the stars o a making room for the breath
Eight-Handed Breathing Technique
Important Verbal Cues for Breathing
o Breathing moves from the top down, not like a glass filling o Breathing moves into the body in a wavelike motion, from
top to bottom
o Breathe through your front tube, not the back tube o Breathe without using your swallowing muscles o You breathe at breathing joints, located in your back o Experience the whole cylinder of your abdominal wall o LEAVE YOUR DIAPHRAGM ALONE!!!
o When you take in air, your spine gathers, like a cat preparing to pounce
o When you are using air to sing, your spine lengthens, like a cat pouncing
o As you sustain a phrase, is your spine lengthening