The Importance of Proper Breathing

If you run out of breath or your voice sounds thin when you speak, it is likely that you do not have a sufficient stream of breath to support your voice. For most of us, insufficient breath is caused by the fact that we have bad posture and slouch out of habit and/or stress. Bad posture automatically reduces the volume of the chest cavity and promotes shallow breathing from the upper chest. When we breathe using the upper chest, we fill only the upper lobes of our lungs that constitute only a small fraction of our lung capacity. In contrast, when we are relaxed (but not slouched), the free and easy expansion and contraction of the lungs, diaphragm (i.e. that muscle layer that separates the lungs from the digestive system), ribcage and spine is enhanced during breathing, thereby increasing the volume of air that we inhale/exhale. Consequently, we have more breath to sustain the length and quality of our speech. In addition, breathing well is also beneficial in other ways. As Paul Wilson
100 Successful Techniques (instant Calm: Over

observes, breathing "is the most vital of all bodily functions", because "all other functions depend on it; not only does (it) give life, but it also enhances the quality of life... Your general health and wellbeing, indeed, the way you think and your overall state of mind, are inextricably linked with the way you breathe... By being able to control your breathing, by harnessing this incredibly powerful life force, you can control the way you feel. You can find calm in times of stress. You can cope with almost any pressure."
for Relaxing Mind and Body. London: Penguin Books, 1995, p. 58)

An Exercise in Breathing
1. Make sure your body is relaxed and your posture is straight. 2. Focus only on slowly breathing in and out. If necessary, close your eyes to block out visual distractions. 3. As you inhale, feel your chest/abdomen/ribcage expanding and air entering your lungs. 4. As you exhale, feel your chest/abdomen/ribcage contract, pushing the air from your lungs. 5. If necessary, place your hands on your chest/abdomen/ribcage to help you feel the movement of these parts of your body. 6. Continue with and enjoy this breathing exercise for a few minutes.
NB! - Forget the dictum of 'chest out, stomach in' as such a posture will create unnecessary tension in your body that will prevent proper breathing. - When concentrating on your breathing, be careful not to hyperventilate.

An Exercise to Improve Your Posture

1. Stand with spine straight and feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your head level, and eyes and feet facing forward. 2. Slowly breathe in and out a few times, focusing on the quality of each breath. 3. On the next breath out, very slowly curl your torso forward one vertebra at a time, starting from your head, neck, shoulders, chest, belly and hips, until your torso is hanging over your legs. Coordinate the release of breath with the curling action. As you curl down, ensure that your legs are straight and your knees are soft and not locked. 4. As you breathe in, very slowly uncurl your torso in the reverse direction: hips first, then belly, chest, shoulders, neck, head. The last thing that should come up is your head. Again, coordinate the intake of breath with the uncurling action. 5. Repeat Points 3 to 4 a few times.

6. Imagine that you are a puppet and that the puppeteer's string is controlling you from the topmost point of your head (when your head is held level). When you are standing upright, imagine that it is not your spine that is keeping you upright, but it is this string at the top of your head that is suspending you. You should feel that your spine then straightens effortlessly. 7. Imagine that the puppeteer suddenly cuts the string at the top of your head: you have no control over the top part of your body and it flops down into the hanging position (described in Point 3). As you flop over, let your breath come out In a quick rush. Remember to keep your knees loose. 8. Imagine that the puppeteer is pulling you upright from the string on the top of your head; as he/she pulls the string, you uncurl slowly vertebra by vertebra into an upright position. As you uncurl, slowly breathe in. 9. Repeat Points 6 to 8 a few times.