Diaphragmatic Breathing & Your Voice

Breathing plays in integral part in our everyday living, as it is how we sustain life. Breathing properly through use of diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing) allows the body to complete specific tasks more efficiently such as speaking, swallowing and digestion. The secret to more efficient speaking, swallowing and digestion may be to allow the body to tap into our parasympathetic nervous system.

The nervous system has two parts: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. When we spend our day using shallow, short, sharp like breathing our body is signaled there is stress. Stress is triggered through the sympathetic nervous system, also thought of as “flight or fight”. Vocal stress is often associated with various symptoms such as hoarseness, feeling like there is a lump or something stuck in the throat and neck or vocal tightness. Through use of diaphragmatic breathing, one is more likely to help the body tune into the parasympathetic nervous system helping to reduce stress, tension and shortness of breath episodes when speaking. With additional techniques diaphragmatic breathing can be very beneficial to relieving the above associated symptoms.

Practice diaphragmatic breathing while lying on your back on the bed, or on the floor. Place a book on your belly. Practice breathing, allowing your belly to rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. Complete this exercise for 15 minutes daily to improve mastery and generalization of diaphragmatic techniques.

**Disclaimer – Discuss and check with your physician before initiating any new exercise routine.

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