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
The esophagus, also
known as the
known as the food
windpipe, is in front.
tube, is behind the
It lies just under the
trachea. It is
skin in the front of our
responsible for
lower necks, and is
swallowing food or
merely a passageway
drink
for air on inhalation.
A swallowed breath
A breath will be quiet
will sound noisy and
if properly allowed to
raspy
be taken in through the
The pharynx is in the
trachea
upper part of our neck
The larynx sits right on
(think adams apple),
top of the trachea, and
and is part of the
houses the vocal cords
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

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o
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Important Verbal Cues for Breathing

Breathing moves from the top down, not like a glass filling
Breathing moves into the body in a wavelike motion, from
top to bottom
Breathe through your front tube, not the back tube
Breathe without using your swallowing muscles
You breathe at breathing joints, located in your back
Experience the whole cylinder of your abdominal wall
LEAVE YOUR DIAPHRAGM ALONE!!!

o
o
o

When you take in air, your spine gathers, like a cat

preparing to pounce
When you are using air to sing, your spine lengthens,
like a cat pouncing
As you sustain a phrase, is your spine lengthening