Diaphragmatic Breathing Lesson #2

An article by Cari Cole    No Comments

In December 2007, I presented Diaphragmatic Breathing lesson #1 where you learned how to reach down into the body for the breath. Let’s first revisit the last exercise from December:

1. Put your hands on the sides of your ribcage.  Be sure your hands are high up enough to be on the ribcage. The hands should be wrapped around the ribs at the height of the upper stomach.
2. Exhale blowing the air out gently.
3. Squeeze the air out with your hands.
4. Inhale into the lower abdomen first and then let the air travel into your ribs and let the air push your hands slightly outward as your ribs fill with air.  It is important to try to breathe sideways and not upwards.
5.  Repeat 5 times until you feel the ribs open.
6.  Put your hands on your ribs with your thumbs wrapping around to the back of your ribs.
7.  Exhale blowing the air out gently.
8.  Inhale by letting the breath drop down into the hips, expand the ribs gently sideways and then bring the breath into the back of the ribs where your thumbs are. Try to expand the back of the ribs as much as you can while imagining they are an elastic rubber band – buoyant and stretch-able.
9.    Repeat 10 times until you can coordinate the breath into all three areas.

Now we are going to practice what to do with the breath now that you are breathing deeper.

The goal in the technique of singing is to use the breath, not lose it. To use the breath one has to practice the technique of not letting the breath go too quickly.  Singers develop strength in the muscles of the rib cage and lats to help them stay expanded and use the breath during singing. Follow these instructions to develop your breathing technique.

1. Put your hands on the sides of your ribcage.  Be sure your hands are high up enough to be on the ribcage. The hands should be wrapped around the ribs at the height of the upper stomach.
2. Inhale diaphragmatically and grow your ribcage 360 degrees around your midsection.
3. Blow the air out slowly and gently while keep your midsection expanded as long as you can. Try to gently push outwards with the ribcage and lats as you exhale.
4. Repeat and this time try to expand your lats in the back where your thumbs wrap around your ribcage (expand as you exhale).
5. Repeat until you can keep your lats expanded for most of your exhale.
6. This motion shows you how to use the air and not lose it.
7. To get good at this practice this exercise every day.

Next we’ll show you how to sing using this technique. Stay warm and practice your breathing technique!