Running Out of Breath? Here’s an Exercise from an Opera Singer

Episode 2:

Here it comes. That super long phrase. You know it won’t help to panic, you know it won’t help to hold back. Suddenly your mind is overwhelmed by everything you’ve ever been taught or heard about breath support. No matter how the phrase ends up going (maybe you surprised yourself!), there are reliable mindset tricks to retrain the brain in those panic moments, as well as exercises that—if done consistently!—can strengthen peace of mind and help your body help you without your conscious instructions in the moment.

Today I’ve got an extremely effective exercise you can do daily to increase your lung capacity, regularly circulated amongst my friends and colleagues in the opera community.

1. Stand or sit with good posture, relaxed and confident.

2. While relaxing your shoulders away from your ears, take a deep breath in through your nose. Imagine sending the breath straight down into your lower torso. 

3. Then suck in more air through your mouth as if sipping repeatedly through a straw, until you’re at capacity.

4. Hold your breath for three seconds. Imagine that instead of “holding,” a verb that can cause stiffness, you are “suspending” the ribs, stomach, and lower back in this expanded inhaling position.

5. While relaxing your jaw and tongue, blow out the air on a “shh” sound, switching to “sss” as the air runs out. Imagine you are a sponge being rung out, squeezing out every last drop of air.

6. Repeat steps 1-5 three times! Yes, realign your posture at the beginning of each cycle! 

You’ll be surprised at how quickly your speaking and singing voices become clearer and more resonant, as your support muscles become stronger and more flexible. And, of course, how much longer you can sing on one breath!

Happy practicing!