Supporting your vocal health
When you answer the question “ what do you do” you most probably answer “I’m a pilates instructor.” With the knowledge of the body, the muscles, the exercises, the importance of each movement- that is a fair title. Do you know what else you are? A vocalist. Your work, as an instructor, cannot be done without the constant use of your voice. Yet, so little is considered in our training to do this work. Why is that? What do we not know?
How do we connect to this thing that we have so little thought about or understanding of?
Why is the voice such a foreign concept to us- and, why are we so afraid of it?
The voice is our most powerful resource, it is how we communicate to the outside world our thoughts, ideas, knowledge, wisdom, passion and personality. Is it so terrifying to offer your voice to someone because it is the truest form of ‘you’ put forward? How do you find your courage to speak all day long, and with authority?
To understand the voice, you must also understand the care and health of the instrument. The breath is one of the key factors at play. If you have short, shallow breathing then your voice is going to be under constant strain, you are pushing the sound out rather than letting it flow easily on a continuous stream of air. Shorter breaths also stress the body, a stressed body stresses the voice so it all becomes cyclical. Longer, deeper breaths calm the body, calm the voice and it also allows longer phrases to be spoken. A longer phrase is easier for the listener to understand the context and meaning.
Where does this breath stem from? You will have heard of the term ‘diaphragm’ before, of course. But to have a voice that is totally supported, it needs to ride on a breath that actually begins in another area very familiar to pilates gurus- the pelvic floor. Breathing is automatic, no? Yes- but, no. As you know, good breathing technique is critical to your pelvic floor health. We discuss the positive use of the pelvic floor all the time in pilates. We discuss what to do if your pelvic floor is compromised, but do we examine how coordinating the breath with the pelvic floor, not only, can help reduce pain and increase flexibility- but can also greatly improve your overall vocal health.
So, how does it all tie together?
Breathing that begins in the pelvic floor allows you to speak on a supported breath. That also allows for perfect projection, no longer needing to push the voice out, straining the neck muscles and vocal cords. A properly projected voice allows you to have access to that voice when you need it and want it because you are caring for it and using it in its most functional way. A voice that is supported, with less straining of the cords, means that the voice will be much less likely to get fatigued as quickly and a less fatigued voice means less possibility of nodes and other voice related damage and injury. You must recognise your voice as another muscle in the body and treat it as such. If one of your clients came to you with a rotator cuff injury, you would modify the exercises that person may do in class to avoid further injury. Consider that the vocal cords are the same, but rather than ‘after care’ begin to think more along the lines of ‘long term’ and ‘preventative care’.
To begin to link voice and pelvic floor there are some easy exercises to do that you can start to add into your daily routine until they become muscle memory. A lot of people feel silly when they are asked to do any sort of vocal warm up if they are not vocally trained -I would ask you to be as brave as your new clients who come to class for the first time and feel totally out of their depth. We encourage them to stick with it and soon enough, they are reaping the benefits. And, again, with the idea of reframing the voice as a muscle, it may be easier for you to imagine.
Exercise one; stand with your feet hip distance, keeping your spine nice and long, hands relaxed by your sides. Take a few cleansing breaths- allowing any tension to run out of the body and mind, remembering that any tension in the body will run straight into your voice.
Exercise two; once you feel at ease in your body focus on a tuneless hum, lips together/teeth apart. This is a hum, just for you-it does not need to reach the outer corners of the room. This is how you begin any vocal warm up because it prepares the cords for use. Hum for, at least, a minute. As you become more familiar with these exercises you can do this hum as you prepare for your class or moving through your day, as needed.
Exercise three; find your diaphragmatic breathing, allowing the belly and ribs to expand on the inhale. As you begin the exhale, very gently, engage the pelvic floor 10 to 15 percent% and let it stay engaged until it is time to refill. This is your supported breath. Do this five or six times, until you are not needing to think about it as consciously, and then rather than just the breath being released, begin to add a tone to the breath. You will notice how much longer the tone lasts without the need to push it out. After you feel that connection begin with small blocks of dialogue (talking) until you connect breath and voice as one component, working effortlessly together. It may feel a little like patting your head and rubbing your belly for a little while but soon enough it will be as normal as any other movement pattern you do.
The more you do this work, the more you will recognise yourself for the vocalist that you are and the voice as your ally.
Paige Walker has been a voice coach, here in Australia, for 23 years. She understands the demand placed on the voice as an instructor, also the fear that speaking can invoke and aims to create the most positive relationship possible with your most powerful resource; your voice.
Paige takes instructors through really user- friendly workshops discussing topics such as proper breathing techniques, projection, the relationship with the voice and sound, mic technique as well as functional tips and tricks for keeping the voice healthy. She creates your voice toolbox to carry with you into, not only, your work as an instructor but your daily life as well. Find out more here.