More air!

Voice needs air!  Air takes up room!  You need room for your lungs to expand, so there will be plenty of air to support your sound.  Here’s how to expand your ribcage volume:  spine curls.  These can be done standing or seated.

  1. Let your head fall forward onto your chest (I promise it won’t fall off altogether).
  2. Allow the weight of your head, about 2 pounds, to pull your head over toward the ground. Keep your neck loose, like the clapper of a bell.
  3. When you’ve ‘unrolled’ as far as you can, let the weight of your head stretch the torso out, lengthening the spine.
  4. Now roll back up your spine, little at a time, like stacking blocks in order. LEAVE YOUR SHOULDERS ALONE UNTIL YOU GET TO THEM!  And your head is the very last to be added to the top of your spine- cherry on top.  Imagine your head is a helium balloon, easily floating at the top.

This exercise will add space between the vertebrae—you might even get taller.

Remember:  the spine goes up your back. To stand taller/longer/straighter, to float that balloon, think about being taller with your neck, the back of your head.

If you’re sitting down with the exercise, spread your legs apart and let your body curl down between them.

Standing taller allows the lungs to fill more fully with less effort.



Leave a Reply
