My wonderful husband took a trip to Berkeley right before Christmas to be with his father, and together they found this beautiful Singing Bowl. It was the perfect gift and I am thrilled to own it! It takes a great deal of concentration and a steady hand to achieve a smooth, even ring without scraping. The bowl starts out with a lower frequency and overtones, and as the energy builds, the lower fundamentals drop out and the higher overtones really start to ring. I can feel the vibrations buzzing around my eyes and in my sinuses. I think it would be beneficial for a cold or congestion. It’s quite energizing. I am interested in learning more about these types of bowls, their use in meditation and their healing properties. They can be really expensive, particularly the antique ones, which apparently become richer in tone as they age. Last Christmas my mom bought me some gorgeous Tingsha bells, but I seem to have lost them! I could just cry. I’m sure they are buried away in my house somewhere, in the same black hole where all the socks seem to end up.

Being a singer, I am fascinated by the connection between yoga and music. The two disciplines truly complement each other. I haven’t been singing as much as I used to because I found that the competitive music world was making me unhappy. I used to beat myself up after every performance, focusing on all the things I could have done better. But singing doesn’t have to be an ego-driven pursuit. It can be done for the pure joy of creating something from your heart and soul. That is how I want to live my life. To do things because they bring joy to me and to the people around me. I believe my singing comes from a more authentic, less studied place now as I have discovered yoga. I feel a deep respect for my body and what it is capable of, finding beauty in its “flaws” and weaknesses. Like my bowl, whose little imperfections and subtle differences simply add to the unique character of it’s sound.

10. Keeps your mind sharp, so you can memorize your music more easily!

9. Increases physical and mental stamina, which is vital for a singer who performs frequently.

8. Reduces tension in the neck and throat so the voice can open up and flow more freely.

7. Teaches you to connect with your authentic self, which is a must for a good performance.

6. Strengthens the core muscles, which a singer must use to properly support the voice.

5. Helps prevent illness. Nothing ruins a performance like a bad cold or flu.

4. Improves singing posture. Put that Mountain Pose to work!

3. Increases breath control by training your lungs to breathe more efficiently.

2. Decreases stage fright. Smooth, controlled breathing regulates your adrenaline response.

1. Keeps that Diva ego under control!

As a trained classical singer who has taught voice lessons for over 10 years, I have been struck by the many parallels between Yoga and singing. Correct singing posture is identical to mountain pose, but with hands at the sides. Deep, diaphragmatic breathing is taught in both disciplines, and although most singers breathe through their mouths, I have found that a modified, quieter form of Ujjayi breathing has amazing benefits to the singer. It eliminates stage fright, warms and humidifies the air flowing into the lungs, and helps send the breath deeper into the body. The best singers strive to let go of all physical and mental tension and allow their voices to come from an authentic, natural place. Singing is the epitome of being present in the moment. If you let your mind wander, your voice can become unstable. If you tense up and push beyond your vocal limits, your voice will inevitably crack or waver. If you allow your ego to run your singing, your voice will sound false and manipulated. A great singer understands and cultivates a solid technique, and then, when performing, lets go and just sings from the heart.

I was searching for articles about Yoga and the voice, and I found this gem, which crystallizes everything I have wanted to say about healing properties of healthy vocalization.

In Full Voice

If speaking or singing hurts, or if you’ve never taken the time to explore your voice, it probably isn’t bringing you joy, warmth, or calm—or helping you express those feelings to others.

Yoga is a good way to get acquainted with your voice, as it helps you release unwanted tension, fully access your lungs, and improve your posture. The speech-language pathologist Arboleda, who’s also a yoga practitioner, emphasizes posture in particular—and not only because it smooths the breath. “How you’re positioned affects the shape of the throat and the alignment of the very small pieces of the larynx,” she says. “It’s a complex system, and everything needs to come together symmetrically.” Poor posture, she says, can bend the soft tissues of the throat out of shape, muting your sound.

And yoga, by calming the mind, allows you to focus on the quality of your voice. Listen closely to yourself. Do you use only a narrow range of pitches when you speak? Sterling says that people who speak only in the deepest pitches of their range often inhabit only that part of their emotional selves, eschewing lighter, sweeter feelings. By contrast, those who speak only in the high part of their range may lack gravity. Try broadening your vocal range when you talk, exploring expressive highs and lows. “It’s like moving in the full range of your personality as well as in the full range of your voice,” Sterling says.

A daily chanting practice, whether it’s done alone or with yoga, helps develop and strengthen your voice as well as attune you to its particular qualities, much like observing the breath in pranayama does, Dyer says. The more familiar your voice becomes to you, the more it will begin to reveal your truest self. “Are you getting sick? Are you getting run down? Are you falling in love? Or overwhelmed? Each of these things is reflected in your voice,” Dyer says. “The voice is the barometer of your being.” (See Unchain Your Melody for a guide)

Karin Beuerlein is a writer in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Read More – Enchanted Voices.

As a singer and voice teacher, I have always been interested in the power of the voice. Vocalization was one of my most powerful tools during my labors to help me deal with the pain of childbirth. I found an interesting article on www.myyogaonline.com about this subject.

BENEFITS OF VOCAL TONING:

• open throat = open birth canal
• increases the length and depth of the exhalations
• sound vibrations also carry tension out of the body
• relaxing
• the sound helps calm and focus mind and body
• helpful tool to cope with labor contractions
• helps to let go of anxiety
• creates a sound of familiarity/continuity (and therefore reassurance) for your baby
• it is also a powerful breathing exercise

HOW TO TONE

Always tone from a soft throat and the sensation of an open throat tone for the entire length of the exhale, always following a deep inhalation low vibrations help to resonate the lower body, higher vibrations help resonate the upper body during labor, tone for the full length of the contraction if you are un-able to intake a deep breath during labor, try layering the breath in 2 or 3 short inhales, and then tone for the full length of the exhale/contraction.

Go with your intuitive sound. If “owww” is what works, go with it. There is no wrong or right sound.

PRACTICE

Start experimenting with different sounds. An easy one to start with is : ” ahhhhhhhhh”. Practice “mmmmmmm” The try all the vowel sounds “a e i o u” noticing what those different sounds feel like as you vocalize them. Everybody gravitates to their own personal sound. There is no wrong or right sound. Feel free to combine sounds, or even use a word.

PRACTICE WHILE PREGNANT! Your baby will listen! You are creating a comforting sound for baby.

PRACTICE WITH YOUR BIRTH PARTNER! So that they can help match your rhythm during labor,

and so that they know what to expect. Their voice can add a powerful support for your momentum during labor.

PRACTICE IN THE SHOWER, THE CAR, WHILE DOING DISHES, WHILE LYING IN BED……

DO NOT ALLOW ANY ONE TO TELL YOU TO “SHHHHHH” OR BE QUIET DURING LABOR. If this is suggested to you, request that this person leave the room. You are the one in charge of your labor, and ultimately, the birth. Be Empowered to know your voice can be spoken.

ENJOY, RELAX, FIND RHYTHM IN THIS RITUAL

Read more at My Yoga Online.