The Connection Between Yoga and Singing
Who knew such a strong connection existed between yoga and singing? It took me a lifetime to discover this phenomonom!
I was first struck with the music bug at the age of 4. My dad used to play the piano all the time in our home and I would naturally sing along. I would dance and sing to any songs he played, not knowing that singing had a profound impact on my overall wellbeing. I was a shy girl but, if you handed me a microphone or a stage, I would gladly sing in front of anyone!
Growing up, I continued to study music during my youth and adolescence, with teachers and in school choir. I was trained classically, and used many of those techniques to perform in regional theater productions. Any opportunity I had to sing, I would take in an instant! I was never lacking vocal techniques however, I felt a slight disconnect between my voice and my body. It was as if my voice was this separate entity from the rest of my body…
Fast forward to age 18, when I was introduced to yoga. The deep breathing and yoga movements reminded me of singing and performing. The connection between my breath and the flow, were similar to singing. Yoga moved me in a similar way that singing did. I continued to study with different vocal teachers to learn techniques that would connect the two as well as learns techniques that helped me sing through different vocal registers.
I began auditioning for Broadway shows in New York City right after college. It was a pretty crazy routine since I was living in North Jersey at the time, it would take my over an hour to get to the New York City. I would hurry off the bus to make it just in time to change and then take a few centering breaths before my audition. I would perfect my audition pieces at home but, then as soon as I walked into the audition room and saw a table of directors and producers in front of me, my nerves took over. When I sang my songs, I felt as though there was a disconnection between my voice and my body. If I had enough time beforehand and wasn’t rushed, I would do some yoga stretches and vocal warm-ups and nail the audition! When I didn’t warm up properly, my voice wasn’t as strong, and my body felt stressed.
In my twenties, I spent a lot of time singing in wedding bands. I’m pretty I’ve sung at over 200 weddings. With wedding singing, I had to learn all genres of music from Pop, Rock, Motown, Broadway and everything in between. Weddings are a blast and can be really exhausting. I sang at all hours of the night, from 7pm-1am. The only thing that got me through those gigs was my BREATH. I didn’t realize how important my breathing was until after my 150th wedding. I had an AHA moment when I was so tired one night, and I thought to myself, there’s no caffeine that’s going to help me through. The only thing that saved me was my breathing and vocal techniques.
Through all of my experiences, I found a unique combination of vocal techniques and yoga warm-ups that prepared me for all types of performances. It’s almost as if I can prepare for any kind of vocal marathon! I now offer these unique techniques and breathing exercises that can prepare every vocal register of the voice with ease.
The true take away from all of this: Yoga and Singing are connected. Yoga prepares the physical body by weaving the breath with fluid movements to strengthen, center, and support you. Singing specific exercises to warm up the voice can prepare you to sing music in any situation. Having the right breath support is the key ingredient!
If you are interested in learning about the fundamentals of singing or want to learn powerful vocal techniques and how to sing in a holistic, safe way, contact me for more details!