weeks 3 and 4

For weeks 3 and 4 we were began to put a bit more focus on our voice particularly working with the diaphragm and the breathing in the right way. Week 3 we started to incorporate our voices into the lazy day’s workout. We started off the lesson with a bit of yoga to stretch our muscles and then laid on the floor. When we were comfortable with our breathe having reached a steady rhythm of breathing in and out, we did the same motions with our body, breathing in as we lay still and as we rolled over we started to use our voice. For the first set we made ‘f’ sounds continuously in a vibration with our lips and teeth. The second was a ‘v’ sound as we hummed through it. This started to warm up the vocal cords. Third was a little louder as we hummed a ‘m’ sound and finally projecting our voice that little bit further we hummed a ‘mah’ sound. Following on from this we rolled over and repeated the voice motions in order in the yoga prayer position as we were encouraged to feel the voice coming from the pit of our stomachs rather than our throats. This resonates the voice further. Finally we got up into a crouch position and as we bounced on our toes we continued the voice motions which allowed us to project our voices that little bit more.

Alongside working on the diaphragm, we experimented with vowel sounds using our mouth in different ways. particularly working on the articulators that helped with pronunciation and using our voice correctly. 

One of the exercises was the ‘three suns’ which was where we breathed in using our hands to demonstrate our breathing and this also helped to elongate my breath which is a good exercise for me to practise in slowing down my pace when talking.

We also incorporated the idea of breath and emotion, for me this was the most interesting as it helped with the idea of breathing and talking on certain lines of my speech to deliver a certain effect. We walked around the room to begin with and we used breath to deliver compliments anonymously, this was heart-warming and it certainly lifted the mood for all students. Then we played a game called ‘breath play’ stood opposite a partner and in a similar manner we practised giving an imaginary gift, saying a heartfelt comment and each time trying it with a different breath; breathing out, breathing in and simply no breath at all! Breathing in for me was the warmest and happiest way of delivering those, breathing out made it less heartfelt and not breathing at all portrayed no emotion for me. This extenuated the importance of breathing at particular parts of the speech I want to deliver!

Following on from this we incorporated facial expressions with breathing. Standing in a circle we looked to the right of us. We pick a compliment to say to that person in our head and we breathe the compliment to them without saying a word. This helps facial expression delivering the emotion also. Following on from this we say the compliment with the breath.