How to Strengthen the Breath to Voice Connection

Proper breathing techniques build the foundation for supported and healthy vocalizations. There are many exercises that provide the space to really feel and connect the lower breath to the voice. Of course, the voice and breath are always connected, but to deepen the awareness of this connection and to fully utilize the breath that is thoughtfully being received by the body is an art.

We know that everyone has a voice, not simply a speaking voice but a voice which is pure energy and comes from the whole body.

-Roy Hart

The voice is of the body. It is a predominately physical act that is supported by our muscles and resonates in our bones. Over time, with a gentle breathing and singing practice, your body begins to remember this magical act. The muscles of your diaphragm begin to strengthen, your vocal chords are more flexible and have a muscle memory of their own. As the uncertainty begins to wane, you start to feel the ground beneath your feet, supporting you and energizing you to release your voice out into the world.

Reclaiming your voice is to reclaim your sense of self. Think of it is a sort of liberation through vocalization. A beautiful release of the throat chakra and all of the tensions that have built up through years of vocal restraint. These tensions manifest themselves mainly in the chest, neck and facial muscles.

To sing is to surrender and let go to create space within yourself. The space to be able to breathe, move, imagine, create and feel. The best part about this practice is that it is always available to you. You carry your voice with you throughout your day, throughout your life. To begin to thoughtfully connect the breath and the voice is an act of connecting deeply to everything that makes you who you are.

An exercise to deepen this connection can be done while seated and reading this post. Ground your feet on the floor, place your hands on your stomach and breathe deeply into your hands. Feel how your ribs and stomach expand with the inhale and then return to their normal place on the exhale. Replace your next exhale with a long easy hiss out. For an example, click here. Not only does this exercise help you to begin to connect breath and sound, it immediately centers your mind and has a calming effect on the nervous system.

There is so much to discover within ourselves. You hold so much power and beauty in your depths and you are able to go beyond the limits that have been set for you. I have found that you are able to begin to discover your inner strengths so easily through the breath and the voice. Your voice is your unique gift that enables you to speak your thoughts, ideas, and dreams. It feels as though it is that secret passage that will eventually reveal your truths.

Too often the voice is suppressed within the body. This suppression inadvertently limits your reach. This is when thoughtful, deep breathing and singing can step in and create space inside of the core of the body, a space that is often idle. The resonance of sound and the opening of our mouth and diaphragm release tensions that have been building in the jaw, forehead and chest. The effect of this release is significant and there is no more important time than now to begin.

If you sit and close your eyes and begin to focus on your breath, you suddenly become more peaceful, more grounded. As you breathe begin to hiss and then eventually add a gentle hum to your out breath and feel the resonance of your voice in your facial bones and the vibrations that permeate out of your chest. This is simple and basic, but already a change begins to occur.

Dr. Larry Culliford, a psychiatrist from Brighton, England has stated, ‘There are hidden reserves of strength and hope, and indeed happiness that singing somehow spontaneously helps people to find. It may be this is one of the ways in which mind and body are interrelated.’

It is a beautiful discovery, so much is waiting inside of you and out in the world for you. Let’s breathe deeply and thoughtfully and feel this breath support the voice fully as you release your sound and vibration out into the world.