check out the new blog...
Choose To.. Not Have To..
http://ping.fm/6uFMi
Monday, December 28, 2009
Choose To … Not Have To…..
Because the New Year is almost here, I thought I’d give you something to think about perhaps as a new years resolution…. I think this can really be applied to life in general, but lets look at it as it relates to singing and fitness. (You may think singing and fitness are an odd combination to keep talking about. … I happen to look at singers as an athlete not just a singer, performing is it’s own kind of sport!)
To be a great singer or to be in top shape it requires what… your time… right. Well, the number one thing I hear from both types of clients is that they don’t have enough time to practice everyday or to workout “like they should.”
I would suggest to you that this is all about choice. Unless you are a minor and someone is making you practice or workout, go to dance class etc… YOU have the authority to make those decisions and YOU will be held accountable for your choices. You will be held accountable by how well you sing and perform and by how you look and feel. Do you have the stamina or endurance for your task… whether it’s a show or just playing with your kids? YOU are the one responsible for making the choice. Being responsible means that YOU have the choice. YOU are deciding what’s really important to you and what isn’t.
If you aren’t practicing like you should to get wherever it is you want to go, then it would seem like something else is really more important wouldn’t you say? Free time, friends, video games… something. Otherwise your practice would come first. If you can’t find the time to workout then again, something else is more important… your job, your spouse or significant other, your charity work…. Again, whatever it is, and I’m not saying those other things aren’t important, I’m sure they are, but are they really are more important than your health or practicing for your career … maybe, maybe not… it depends on your priorities…
So the question is where do these things, taking time for your health and practicing for your career, fall in line of priority for you. What may help you decide is to look at what the consequences of your choices will be if you don’t practice and take care of your body.
First I think you have to be honest with yourself and get really clear and focused on what you want out of your life… Then, as you think about where these things fall on your priority list, ask yourself what will be the consequences in a year, five years, and even 10 years and beyond if I say these things are important and don’t follow thru. Get some leverage on yourself… really FEEL what it will feel like…What will it cost me professionally, in my health, for my family, for my career, and for my life? Will I keep getting more jobs or lose them, will I learn new things, will I expand my talent and grow as an artist and be able to do new and different things or will I just get by and eventually just have to stop singing or have to continue singing as I am now forever … will I be able to physically stay strong as I age or will healthy problems take over my life and stop me from being there for family and friends, will I miss out on great vacations or events because I am too tired or can’t physically do what’s required…. I would suggest to you that your health, preventing or reversing disease in your body and giving yourself a better quality of life should be at the top of your list no matter what you do… if you aren’t around…. Or aren’t healthy enough to do anything… what have you accomplished… what do you gain….
Remember YOU are responsible because YOU have the choice to do what you need to do or not…. YOU have the authority and YOU are the one accountable for those choices. Being able to do all you want to do, whatever it is, all boils down to choice… remember it’s all about you and the choices you make. No one does anything to you that you don’t allow. So take some time, get clear about what you want… (write it down), get your priorities in line and then make the choices that support them. Keep doing what you know you should, stay with it… staying with something is not always the easy thing to do… but if you do, watch and see how the quality of your life and career will grow and improve.
You have the choice and deserve the very best life has to offer!
It’s all about you… Your time is NOW!
To be a great singer or to be in top shape it requires what… your time… right. Well, the number one thing I hear from both types of clients is that they don’t have enough time to practice everyday or to workout “like they should.”
I would suggest to you that this is all about choice. Unless you are a minor and someone is making you practice or workout, go to dance class etc… YOU have the authority to make those decisions and YOU will be held accountable for your choices. You will be held accountable by how well you sing and perform and by how you look and feel. Do you have the stamina or endurance for your task… whether it’s a show or just playing with your kids? YOU are the one responsible for making the choice. Being responsible means that YOU have the choice. YOU are deciding what’s really important to you and what isn’t.
If you aren’t practicing like you should to get wherever it is you want to go, then it would seem like something else is really more important wouldn’t you say? Free time, friends, video games… something. Otherwise your practice would come first. If you can’t find the time to workout then again, something else is more important… your job, your spouse or significant other, your charity work…. Again, whatever it is, and I’m not saying those other things aren’t important, I’m sure they are, but are they really are more important than your health or practicing for your career … maybe, maybe not… it depends on your priorities…
So the question is where do these things, taking time for your health and practicing for your career, fall in line of priority for you. What may help you decide is to look at what the consequences of your choices will be if you don’t practice and take care of your body.
First I think you have to be honest with yourself and get really clear and focused on what you want out of your life… Then, as you think about where these things fall on your priority list, ask yourself what will be the consequences in a year, five years, and even 10 years and beyond if I say these things are important and don’t follow thru. Get some leverage on yourself… really FEEL what it will feel like…What will it cost me professionally, in my health, for my family, for my career, and for my life? Will I keep getting more jobs or lose them, will I learn new things, will I expand my talent and grow as an artist and be able to do new and different things or will I just get by and eventually just have to stop singing or have to continue singing as I am now forever … will I be able to physically stay strong as I age or will healthy problems take over my life and stop me from being there for family and friends, will I miss out on great vacations or events because I am too tired or can’t physically do what’s required…. I would suggest to you that your health, preventing or reversing disease in your body and giving yourself a better quality of life should be at the top of your list no matter what you do… if you aren’t around…. Or aren’t healthy enough to do anything… what have you accomplished… what do you gain….
Remember YOU are responsible because YOU have the choice to do what you need to do or not…. YOU have the authority and YOU are the one accountable for those choices. Being able to do all you want to do, whatever it is, all boils down to choice… remember it’s all about you and the choices you make. No one does anything to you that you don’t allow. So take some time, get clear about what you want… (write it down), get your priorities in line and then make the choices that support them. Keep doing what you know you should, stay with it… staying with something is not always the easy thing to do… but if you do, watch and see how the quality of your life and career will grow and improve.
You have the choice and deserve the very best life has to offer!
It’s all about you… Your time is NOW!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Truth and Lies about singing...
Recently I read something that said Truth and Lies about singing… I found several things that I will probably respond to, but this is one I get asked about quite often. There are definitely two schools of thinking regarding breathing for singers. They posted that:
Lie - You will need special instruction to learn how to breathe correctly for singing.
Truth - You were born breathing correctly. You’ve continued to breathe. You breathe in, and speak easily on a regular basis. YOU KNOW HOW TO BREATHE ALREADY!
I believe:
How we should breathe…
Well, I do agree that we are all born breathing correctly. However, we do not all continue to breathe correctly or naturally. The movement of a good natural breath should come from the diaphragm, abdomen rib cage, back and lungs. And although the diaphragm is an involuntary muscle, which does initiate the breath, in most people, the secondary muscles take over and the natural breath is inhibited by a lack of focus or training or just habitual learned behavior. During inhalation, the diaphragm moves downward and should open the abdomen, chest, rib cage, back, and lungs. During exhalation, the diaphragm moves upward pressing up on the lungs and expelling the air. In addition, natural breathing should begin through the nose. Breathing in thru the nose not only naturally filters environmental allergens, warms, and moisturizes the air, but it also helps to prevent the release of carbon dioxide too quickly. When we inhale through the mouth we almost always inhale and exhale air too quickly and in too large of volumes. I have read that some researchers believe mouth breathing and the associated hyperventilation it can cause may result in asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, and many other medical problems. I can also tell you that in my years of teaching since 1991, I have never run into a student was already breathing thru their nose while singing unless they had already studied or were practicing yoga or something like it. This just isn’t the way most people breathe as they age.
So, then why don’t we keep breathing this way…
The diaphragmatic breath is not the normal breath in our society. As we grow up in this fast paced, competitive culture we do not continue to breathe naturally. In part because of constant pressures, the stress placed on us, (some from external sources and a lot we place on ourselves) we learn to breathe incorrectly, shallow and from the chest. It not only affects your singing but it affects your health and you life. This shallow breath I believe is also a way that people cut themselves off from uncomfortable feelings and sensations. By breathing less, I think we feel less. And just an aside, when you’re really singing, you need to tap into real emotions that hopefully you can still tap into and aren’t blocking by too much stress in the body, it’s important that you actually have them available.
We are for the most part a culture of upper chest breathers. Have you ever felt like you’ve taken a big breath… can you feel it in your chest… well if you can you are a chest breather and you are using the muscles in your upper body to lift the ribs off of the lungs so you can take in a breath. Unfortunately, breathing like this not only creates tension in the body (especially the upper body, neck and shoulders which is terrible for singers) it also causes us to breathe faster than we should. Breathing too fast may bring about what some call a chronic state of hyperventilation. That’s when we inhale by taking quick, shallow breaths from the top of our chest.
These quick, shallow breaths dramatically reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the blood. What’s wrong with that you may ask…. Well, those reduced levels of carbon dioxide in you blood cause your arteries to constrict and that reduces the blood flow throughout your body. When this happens, no matter how much air you are trying to get in, you brain and body will experience a lack of oxygen. When breathing like this, some may even experience themselves holding their breath. Any prolonged breathing in this way will trigger your nervous system into the “fight or flight response” and will make you tense, and anxious. It will also reduce your ability to handle any complicating stressful situations so you will become irritable and you will stop thinking clearly.
Another contributing factor that I mention quite frequently is the growing lack of daily exercise in our society. With so many people sitting at desks for many hours each day or in front of video games instead of actually moving by actually playing a game or sport, this has gradually conditioned our breathing to a very shallow range of movement. We don’t even get a chance to exercise the lungs during vigorous exercise because many of us live very sedentary lives.
Like I said not only will this affect you singing and your performance, it will affect how well you sleep, how much energy or lack of energy you have, how well you handle stress, danger and fear. If you’re not breathing well and you are compromised because of it… you won’t perform as well, practice as well or sing as well for as long… and I don’t know about you but I love singing and want to be at my absolute best all the time and for a long, long time…
So in my opinion breathing is not something that most of us continue to do naturally and as we get older, we may need to unlearn those bad habits life has taught us and re-learn the natural breath. The natural breath we were born breathing.
I believe as a vocal teacher and fitness coach that we all need to get up, get moving and get breathing…. Deeply...
Lie - You will need special instruction to learn how to breathe correctly for singing.
Truth - You were born breathing correctly. You’ve continued to breathe. You breathe in, and speak easily on a regular basis. YOU KNOW HOW TO BREATHE ALREADY!
I believe:
How we should breathe…
Well, I do agree that we are all born breathing correctly. However, we do not all continue to breathe correctly or naturally. The movement of a good natural breath should come from the diaphragm, abdomen rib cage, back and lungs. And although the diaphragm is an involuntary muscle, which does initiate the breath, in most people, the secondary muscles take over and the natural breath is inhibited by a lack of focus or training or just habitual learned behavior. During inhalation, the diaphragm moves downward and should open the abdomen, chest, rib cage, back, and lungs. During exhalation, the diaphragm moves upward pressing up on the lungs and expelling the air. In addition, natural breathing should begin through the nose. Breathing in thru the nose not only naturally filters environmental allergens, warms, and moisturizes the air, but it also helps to prevent the release of carbon dioxide too quickly. When we inhale through the mouth we almost always inhale and exhale air too quickly and in too large of volumes. I have read that some researchers believe mouth breathing and the associated hyperventilation it can cause may result in asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, and many other medical problems. I can also tell you that in my years of teaching since 1991, I have never run into a student was already breathing thru their nose while singing unless they had already studied or were practicing yoga or something like it. This just isn’t the way most people breathe as they age.
So, then why don’t we keep breathing this way…
The diaphragmatic breath is not the normal breath in our society. As we grow up in this fast paced, competitive culture we do not continue to breathe naturally. In part because of constant pressures, the stress placed on us, (some from external sources and a lot we place on ourselves) we learn to breathe incorrectly, shallow and from the chest. It not only affects your singing but it affects your health and you life. This shallow breath I believe is also a way that people cut themselves off from uncomfortable feelings and sensations. By breathing less, I think we feel less. And just an aside, when you’re really singing, you need to tap into real emotions that hopefully you can still tap into and aren’t blocking by too much stress in the body, it’s important that you actually have them available.
We are for the most part a culture of upper chest breathers. Have you ever felt like you’ve taken a big breath… can you feel it in your chest… well if you can you are a chest breather and you are using the muscles in your upper body to lift the ribs off of the lungs so you can take in a breath. Unfortunately, breathing like this not only creates tension in the body (especially the upper body, neck and shoulders which is terrible for singers) it also causes us to breathe faster than we should. Breathing too fast may bring about what some call a chronic state of hyperventilation. That’s when we inhale by taking quick, shallow breaths from the top of our chest.
These quick, shallow breaths dramatically reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the blood. What’s wrong with that you may ask…. Well, those reduced levels of carbon dioxide in you blood cause your arteries to constrict and that reduces the blood flow throughout your body. When this happens, no matter how much air you are trying to get in, you brain and body will experience a lack of oxygen. When breathing like this, some may even experience themselves holding their breath. Any prolonged breathing in this way will trigger your nervous system into the “fight or flight response” and will make you tense, and anxious. It will also reduce your ability to handle any complicating stressful situations so you will become irritable and you will stop thinking clearly.
Another contributing factor that I mention quite frequently is the growing lack of daily exercise in our society. With so many people sitting at desks for many hours each day or in front of video games instead of actually moving by actually playing a game or sport, this has gradually conditioned our breathing to a very shallow range of movement. We don’t even get a chance to exercise the lungs during vigorous exercise because many of us live very sedentary lives.
Like I said not only will this affect you singing and your performance, it will affect how well you sleep, how much energy or lack of energy you have, how well you handle stress, danger and fear. If you’re not breathing well and you are compromised because of it… you won’t perform as well, practice as well or sing as well for as long… and I don’t know about you but I love singing and want to be at my absolute best all the time and for a long, long time…
So in my opinion breathing is not something that most of us continue to do naturally and as we get older, we may need to unlearn those bad habits life has taught us and re-learn the natural breath. The natural breath we were born breathing.
I believe as a vocal teacher and fitness coach that we all need to get up, get moving and get breathing…. Deeply...
Saturday, December 5, 2009
The Art of Relaxation
It is surprising how little people know or practice the art of relaxation. Relaxation is more than taking a vacation, or getting out of work… it’s really the absence of stress and it’s a basic need that we shouldn’t shrug off as irrelevant or ignore. Given the pressures of everyday life, stress places a heavy toll on your physical and mental well-being.
Medical research into the origins of common diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers, and headaches shows a connection between these diseases and stress. It is also very detrimental to singers. Stress can take away your voice; stop notes from coming out, decrease your range, decrease your breath capacity and control and in some extended cases even cause vocal damage.
In our fast paced society many people feel guilty, or anxious when they aren’t doing something. Even vacations become fast paced, over scheduled time that usually leaves people exhausted and needing a vacation from the vacation. Doing this only undermines the value of vacation time as an opportunity for diversion and rest.
Far too few people know how to turn off the world. Not being plugged in is now a bad thing. Cell phones, computers, ipods, video games have all replaced sitting and enjoying your surroundings. People no longer know how to get satisfaction out of just being instead of always striving. The secret in getting the best results from attempts at relaxation is simple: Find activities that are fun for you. However, please remember that relaxation is not an achievement; relaxation is your main reason for doing your relaxing activity.
Here are two breathing exercise that I enjoy and I find to be very helpful… I hope you take some time and give this a try. If you can make this a part of your daily living… you will notice the benefits…. Enjoy!
1.) Everyone breathes all the time, but few people take the time to notice their breathing. When stressed, a person’s breath is faster and shallower.
Focusing on the breath and slowing it down can be a simple way to relax in any setting. The following meditation encourages deep breaths to fight stress any time and anywhere.
Preparing for the Catch Breath Meditation
This meditation can occur when one feels stressed and is conscious of it – in commuter traffic, during a difficult conversation, or before a medical exam. One may practice the meditation for three breaths or for several minutes, until the desired sense of calm or perspective is reached.
1. Pause in the midst of a stressful situation and decide to control it, rather than letting the stress remain in control. If desired, close the eyes.
2. Focus on the breath. Listen to the self breathe for at least three breaths. Is the breath fast, slow, shallow, or raspy? What does the pace say about one’s immediate state?
3. Stand or sit up straight and focus on slowing the breath. See how deeply one can breathe. Imagine drawing a breath from the very base of the spine and slowly bringing it upwards. When the breath can go no further, visualize it bouncing down from the top of the head and back into the body. Slowly exhale the breath down to the base of the spine.
4. Place the hand on the belly just over the belly button for the next breath. Notice when one breathes deeply, how the belly fills with air like a balloon.
5. On the exhale, focus on the belly and blowing it full of air. Notice how the breath feels going up and down the body.
6. Monitor breathing in this manner as long as desired, or until feelings of relaxation take over.
Suggestions for Catching the Breath in Meditation
Catching the breath in the midst of a busy life is much harder than it seems. One may desire to practice this exercise at home without interruptions before trying it in a stressful situation. Creating a routine of slowing the breath will make it easier to remember the exercise when feelings of stress emerge.
Journaling after practicing the catch breath meditation may also be helpful. After meditating, some find it helpful to write about what worked, what didn't, along with writing about any insights gained about the self and stress reduction during the exercise.
2.) Beginner's Breathing Meditation: Free Relaxation Script
This breathing meditation script will guide you to relax by focusing on your breathing.
When learning to meditate, it is helpful to keep sessions brief so you can maintain concentration. As you become more comfortable and skilled in meditation, you can increase the duration of your meditation sessions.
During this breathing meditation, you will focus on your breath. This will calm your mind and relax your body.
There is no right or wrong way to meditate. Whatever you experience during this breathing meditation is right for you. Don’t try to make anything happen, just observe.
Begin by finding a comfortable position, but one in which you will not fall asleep. Sitting on the floor with your legs crossed is a good position to try.
Close your eyes or focus on one spot in the room.
Roll your shoulders slowly forward and then slowly back.
Lean your head from side to side, lowering your left ear toward your left shoulder, and then your right ear toward your right shoulder.
Relax your muscles.
Your body will continue to relax as you meditate.
Observe your breathing. Notice how your breath flows in and out. Make no effort to change your breathing in any way, simply notice how your body breathes. Your body knows how much air it needs.
Sit quietly, seeing in your mind’s eye your breath flowing gently in and out of your body.
When your attention wanders, as it will, just focus back again on your breathing.
Notice any stray thoughts, but don’t dwell on them. Simply let the thoughts pass.
See how your breath continues to flow...deeply... calmly.
Notice the stages of a complete breath... from the in breath... to the pause that follows... the exhale... and the pause before taking another breath...
See the slight breaks between each breath.
Feel the air entering through your nose...picture the breath flowing through the cavities in your sinuses and then down to your lungs...
As thoughts intrude, allow them to pass, and return your attention to your breathing.
(Pause)
See the air inside your body after you inhale, filling your body gently.
Notice how the space inside your lungs becomes smaller after you exhale and the air leaves your body.
Feel your chest and stomach gently rise and fall with each breath.
Now as you inhale, count silently... one
As you exhale, count...one
Wait for the next breath, and count again... one
Exhale...one
Inhale...one
Exhale...one
Continue to count each inhalation and exhalation as "one."
(Pause)
Notice now how your body feels.
See how calm and gentle your breathing is, and how relaxed your body feels.
Now it is time to gently reawaken your body and mind.
Keeping your eyes closed, notice the sounds around you. Feel the floor beneath you. Feel your clothes against your body.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Shrug your shoulders.
Open your eyes, and remain sitting for a few moments longer.
Straighten out your legs, and stretch your arms and legs gently.
Sit for a few moments more, enjoying how relaxed you feel, and experiencing your body reawaken and your mind returning to its usual level of alertness.
Slowly return to a standing position, and continue with the rest of your day, feeling re-energized.
Medical research into the origins of common diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers, and headaches shows a connection between these diseases and stress. It is also very detrimental to singers. Stress can take away your voice; stop notes from coming out, decrease your range, decrease your breath capacity and control and in some extended cases even cause vocal damage.
In our fast paced society many people feel guilty, or anxious when they aren’t doing something. Even vacations become fast paced, over scheduled time that usually leaves people exhausted and needing a vacation from the vacation. Doing this only undermines the value of vacation time as an opportunity for diversion and rest.
Far too few people know how to turn off the world. Not being plugged in is now a bad thing. Cell phones, computers, ipods, video games have all replaced sitting and enjoying your surroundings. People no longer know how to get satisfaction out of just being instead of always striving. The secret in getting the best results from attempts at relaxation is simple: Find activities that are fun for you. However, please remember that relaxation is not an achievement; relaxation is your main reason for doing your relaxing activity.
Here are two breathing exercise that I enjoy and I find to be very helpful… I hope you take some time and give this a try. If you can make this a part of your daily living… you will notice the benefits…. Enjoy!
1.) Everyone breathes all the time, but few people take the time to notice their breathing. When stressed, a person’s breath is faster and shallower.
Focusing on the breath and slowing it down can be a simple way to relax in any setting. The following meditation encourages deep breaths to fight stress any time and anywhere.
Preparing for the Catch Breath Meditation
This meditation can occur when one feels stressed and is conscious of it – in commuter traffic, during a difficult conversation, or before a medical exam. One may practice the meditation for three breaths or for several minutes, until the desired sense of calm or perspective is reached.
1. Pause in the midst of a stressful situation and decide to control it, rather than letting the stress remain in control. If desired, close the eyes.
2. Focus on the breath. Listen to the self breathe for at least three breaths. Is the breath fast, slow, shallow, or raspy? What does the pace say about one’s immediate state?
3. Stand or sit up straight and focus on slowing the breath. See how deeply one can breathe. Imagine drawing a breath from the very base of the spine and slowly bringing it upwards. When the breath can go no further, visualize it bouncing down from the top of the head and back into the body. Slowly exhale the breath down to the base of the spine.
4. Place the hand on the belly just over the belly button for the next breath. Notice when one breathes deeply, how the belly fills with air like a balloon.
5. On the exhale, focus on the belly and blowing it full of air. Notice how the breath feels going up and down the body.
6. Monitor breathing in this manner as long as desired, or until feelings of relaxation take over.
Suggestions for Catching the Breath in Meditation
Catching the breath in the midst of a busy life is much harder than it seems. One may desire to practice this exercise at home without interruptions before trying it in a stressful situation. Creating a routine of slowing the breath will make it easier to remember the exercise when feelings of stress emerge.
Journaling after practicing the catch breath meditation may also be helpful. After meditating, some find it helpful to write about what worked, what didn't, along with writing about any insights gained about the self and stress reduction during the exercise.
2.) Beginner's Breathing Meditation: Free Relaxation Script
This breathing meditation script will guide you to relax by focusing on your breathing.
When learning to meditate, it is helpful to keep sessions brief so you can maintain concentration. As you become more comfortable and skilled in meditation, you can increase the duration of your meditation sessions.
During this breathing meditation, you will focus on your breath. This will calm your mind and relax your body.
There is no right or wrong way to meditate. Whatever you experience during this breathing meditation is right for you. Don’t try to make anything happen, just observe.
Begin by finding a comfortable position, but one in which you will not fall asleep. Sitting on the floor with your legs crossed is a good position to try.
Close your eyes or focus on one spot in the room.
Roll your shoulders slowly forward and then slowly back.
Lean your head from side to side, lowering your left ear toward your left shoulder, and then your right ear toward your right shoulder.
Relax your muscles.
Your body will continue to relax as you meditate.
Observe your breathing. Notice how your breath flows in and out. Make no effort to change your breathing in any way, simply notice how your body breathes. Your body knows how much air it needs.
Sit quietly, seeing in your mind’s eye your breath flowing gently in and out of your body.
When your attention wanders, as it will, just focus back again on your breathing.
Notice any stray thoughts, but don’t dwell on them. Simply let the thoughts pass.
See how your breath continues to flow...deeply... calmly.
Notice the stages of a complete breath... from the in breath... to the pause that follows... the exhale... and the pause before taking another breath...
See the slight breaks between each breath.
Feel the air entering through your nose...picture the breath flowing through the cavities in your sinuses and then down to your lungs...
As thoughts intrude, allow them to pass, and return your attention to your breathing.
(Pause)
See the air inside your body after you inhale, filling your body gently.
Notice how the space inside your lungs becomes smaller after you exhale and the air leaves your body.
Feel your chest and stomach gently rise and fall with each breath.
Now as you inhale, count silently... one
As you exhale, count...one
Wait for the next breath, and count again... one
Exhale...one
Inhale...one
Exhale...one
Continue to count each inhalation and exhalation as "one."
(Pause)
Notice now how your body feels.
See how calm and gentle your breathing is, and how relaxed your body feels.
Now it is time to gently reawaken your body and mind.
Keeping your eyes closed, notice the sounds around you. Feel the floor beneath you. Feel your clothes against your body.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Shrug your shoulders.
Open your eyes, and remain sitting for a few moments longer.
Straighten out your legs, and stretch your arms and legs gently.
Sit for a few moments more, enjoying how relaxed you feel, and experiencing your body reawaken and your mind returning to its usual level of alertness.
Slowly return to a standing position, and continue with the rest of your day, feeling re-energized.
Friday, December 4, 2009
6 Small Meals!
Here's something I read this morning and thought it might help you all on your way to healthy eating!
For more information on what a healthy diet consists of... you can visit... http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Six-Meal Diversity Deal
By RealAge
Are you still stuck in the three-meals-a-day mindset? You’re not alone. Many people get hung up on the misconception that eating anything beyond their allotted three meals per day constitutes a failure of dietary willpower. But while it's true that eating empty-calorie snack foods between meals is no recipe for health, limiting yourself to the traditional breakfast-lunch-dinner feeding format may not be doing you any favors, either.
So try this: Forget between-meal snacking. Forget three squares a day. Your new recipe for healthy eating: Six is better than three.
It sounds like a contradiction, but with a focus on diversity and proper portion size, eating six mini meals instead of three large meals each day will add variety to your diet and can help you feel fuller and be healthier overall.
Ditch the Word "Snack"
Your first step in eating six diverse meals is to kick the word "snack" out of your vocabulary. It often conjures up images of low-nutrition or high-fat items such as chips, pretzels, or ice cream. These types of snacks won't help you lose weight or make your diet any more diverse.
Your second step is to focus on size. Doubling your number of meals shouldn't double the food you eat each day. Instead, your three big meals become six mini meals. You should continue to take in roughly the same number of calories each day, assuming you are not currently overeating.
Finally, make each mini meal an opportunity to vary and balance your diet to include the proper amount of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats as well as important vitamins and minerals.
More Is Less
The health bonuses of eating more meals are varied. Studies show that people who eat more meals tend to eat a greater variety of foods and are more likely to meet their daily nutritional needs.
Eating frequently may also help control your appetite, which in turn could help you control your weight. And by breaking up your three big meals into six smaller meals spaced evenly throughout the day, you may also lower your blood cholesterol and your risk of heart disease.
Don't Space Out
With three squares a day, meals tend to be too far apart, which allows blood sugar levels to drop down low. When this happens, the urge to reach for unhealthful snacks in order to satisfy cravings can get you into trouble.
Grabbing a quick high-carbohydrate snack may bring your blood sugar level up quickly, but most likely too quickly, after which it could simply crash once again, leaving you searching for your next food fix.
Eating many small meals throughout the day -- as long as the meals are balanced -- can help stabilize your blood sugar, so you don't get energy highs and lows.
The key to the mini-meal approach is to pack your meals with enough nutritional punch and fiber to sustain yourself without adding a lot of unnecessary saturated fat and calories.
Choose Foods Your Body Can Use
To keep your blood glucose levels steady throughout the day, focus on foods that will increase blood sugar levels slowly and stably. Try to include a fiber-rich item, a protein-rich item, or a bit of healthy unsaturated fat in every mini meal in order to sustain your energy over a longer period of time. These kinds of food items digest more slowly and raise blood sugar levels more steadily.
Also, keep your focus on diversity with each mini meal. While you balance your intake of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats throughout the day, your goal should be to enjoy a number of different items from each food group.
If your morning meal contained protein-rich dairy, get your protein from another source in the afternoon. Try lean meats such as canned tuna, or vegetable sources such as soymilk, almonds, or red beans. If the fiber-rich carbohydrate in your midday meal was whole-wheat bread, get your next fiber fix from a piece of fruit. Fruits high in fiber include figs, dates, raspberries, raisins, and kiwifruit.
Dynamic Dietary Duos
Your mini meals will be more diverse if you try to include items from at least two food groups in every meal. Serving at least one fruit or a vegetable in each mini meal not only ensures variety but also helps you meet your RealAge Optimum of four fruit and five vegetable servings a day. Avoid mini meals that contain only a single kind of food.
Pairing certain foods can help maximize the benefits of the six-meal lifestyle. Here are a few examples of great pairings:
* Couple your vegetables with a bit of healthy fat to help your body better absorb the vitamins and minerals. For example, a drizzle of olive oil on a salad of mixed greens and sliced tomatoes makes it easier for your body to absorb the lutein in the greens and the lycopene in the tomatoes.
* Pair complex carbohydrates with a protein or healthful fat. The addition of a protein or healthy fat slows down the rate of digestion even more than a complex carbohydrate alone. Try whole-grain bagels with natural peanut butter, or dip your whole-grain crackers into spicy hummus. Or add walnuts to a fruit salad, which will help your body use any carotenoids in the fruit.
Healthy Eating Redefined
Eating smaller, more frequent meals is a great way to increase your opportunities to meet nutritional gaps in your daily diet. Mini meals that incorporate whole-grain foods, colorful vegetables and fruit, lean fish or poultry, low-fat dairy, and unsaturated fats not only will help to stabilize your blood sugar levels but also could help reduce your risk of several diseases, from heart disease and hypertension to diabetes and certain cancers. Saying goodbye to snacks and three squares a day never sounded sweeter.
For more information on what a healthy diet consists of... you can visit... http://www.mypyramid.gov/
Six-Meal Diversity Deal
By RealAge
Are you still stuck in the three-meals-a-day mindset? You’re not alone. Many people get hung up on the misconception that eating anything beyond their allotted three meals per day constitutes a failure of dietary willpower. But while it's true that eating empty-calorie snack foods between meals is no recipe for health, limiting yourself to the traditional breakfast-lunch-dinner feeding format may not be doing you any favors, either.
So try this: Forget between-meal snacking. Forget three squares a day. Your new recipe for healthy eating: Six is better than three.
It sounds like a contradiction, but with a focus on diversity and proper portion size, eating six mini meals instead of three large meals each day will add variety to your diet and can help you feel fuller and be healthier overall.
Ditch the Word "Snack"
Your first step in eating six diverse meals is to kick the word "snack" out of your vocabulary. It often conjures up images of low-nutrition or high-fat items such as chips, pretzels, or ice cream. These types of snacks won't help you lose weight or make your diet any more diverse.
Your second step is to focus on size. Doubling your number of meals shouldn't double the food you eat each day. Instead, your three big meals become six mini meals. You should continue to take in roughly the same number of calories each day, assuming you are not currently overeating.
Finally, make each mini meal an opportunity to vary and balance your diet to include the proper amount of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats as well as important vitamins and minerals.
More Is Less
The health bonuses of eating more meals are varied. Studies show that people who eat more meals tend to eat a greater variety of foods and are more likely to meet their daily nutritional needs.
Eating frequently may also help control your appetite, which in turn could help you control your weight. And by breaking up your three big meals into six smaller meals spaced evenly throughout the day, you may also lower your blood cholesterol and your risk of heart disease.
Don't Space Out
With three squares a day, meals tend to be too far apart, which allows blood sugar levels to drop down low. When this happens, the urge to reach for unhealthful snacks in order to satisfy cravings can get you into trouble.
Grabbing a quick high-carbohydrate snack may bring your blood sugar level up quickly, but most likely too quickly, after which it could simply crash once again, leaving you searching for your next food fix.
Eating many small meals throughout the day -- as long as the meals are balanced -- can help stabilize your blood sugar, so you don't get energy highs and lows.
The key to the mini-meal approach is to pack your meals with enough nutritional punch and fiber to sustain yourself without adding a lot of unnecessary saturated fat and calories.
Choose Foods Your Body Can Use
To keep your blood glucose levels steady throughout the day, focus on foods that will increase blood sugar levels slowly and stably. Try to include a fiber-rich item, a protein-rich item, or a bit of healthy unsaturated fat in every mini meal in order to sustain your energy over a longer period of time. These kinds of food items digest more slowly and raise blood sugar levels more steadily.
Also, keep your focus on diversity with each mini meal. While you balance your intake of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats throughout the day, your goal should be to enjoy a number of different items from each food group.
If your morning meal contained protein-rich dairy, get your protein from another source in the afternoon. Try lean meats such as canned tuna, or vegetable sources such as soymilk, almonds, or red beans. If the fiber-rich carbohydrate in your midday meal was whole-wheat bread, get your next fiber fix from a piece of fruit. Fruits high in fiber include figs, dates, raspberries, raisins, and kiwifruit.
Dynamic Dietary Duos
Your mini meals will be more diverse if you try to include items from at least two food groups in every meal. Serving at least one fruit or a vegetable in each mini meal not only ensures variety but also helps you meet your RealAge Optimum of four fruit and five vegetable servings a day. Avoid mini meals that contain only a single kind of food.
Pairing certain foods can help maximize the benefits of the six-meal lifestyle. Here are a few examples of great pairings:
* Couple your vegetables with a bit of healthy fat to help your body better absorb the vitamins and minerals. For example, a drizzle of olive oil on a salad of mixed greens and sliced tomatoes makes it easier for your body to absorb the lutein in the greens and the lycopene in the tomatoes.
* Pair complex carbohydrates with a protein or healthful fat. The addition of a protein or healthy fat slows down the rate of digestion even more than a complex carbohydrate alone. Try whole-grain bagels with natural peanut butter, or dip your whole-grain crackers into spicy hummus. Or add walnuts to a fruit salad, which will help your body use any carotenoids in the fruit.
Healthy Eating Redefined
Eating smaller, more frequent meals is a great way to increase your opportunities to meet nutritional gaps in your daily diet. Mini meals that incorporate whole-grain foods, colorful vegetables and fruit, lean fish or poultry, low-fat dairy, and unsaturated fats not only will help to stabilize your blood sugar levels but also could help reduce your risk of several diseases, from heart disease and hypertension to diabetes and certain cancers. Saying goodbye to snacks and three squares a day never sounded sweeter.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
My Practice Schedule….
I read something this morning that made me think this might be a good time to talk to you about practicing…. Again…... I was reading my friend and colleague, Judy Rodman’s, newsletter… She is a wonderful singer and teacher; you should check her out … she’s got lots of great products and advice and is an awesome lady… Anyway, I was reading her blog about singing with power and thought yes I agree whole-heartedly that many students do try to over sing and use too much power too soon. They start pushing for louder and louder sounds and it winds up damaging the voice instead of strengthening it. It also occurred to me that many of you have commented on my posts about my practice schedule… and since I have a strong voice and have power behind me if I choose to use it, I thought I’d go into a little more detail about how I practice and why. (Don’t confuse power and breath support and control. Power comes in part from good support and control, but is not the only thing. I am always supported when I sing… I just use more power now and then to accentuate passages in the song)
As many of you know I have taken a few months off recently to care for my father so I have had to work on my voice to get it back in shape for the work I have coming up. Remember the vocal cords are muscle tissue and need to be exercised just like every other muscle in your body. I thought I’d go thru my practice routine with you and clue you in to how I go about opening up that power without damaging my voice.
First I’ll tell you that I get in an hour at the minimum every practice session. Yep… let me say that again… I practice at least one hour 5 to 6 days a week.
If time permits, I have worked my stamina up to 90 minutes without strain and am working up to two hours with ease… here’s the clincher… even though my voice is … let’s just say… “seasoned”… I have been working about 4 to 6 weeks to get it to that place where I can comfortably sing what I’m working on full out and not get tired. That may be a long time for some and a short time for others but you must know your voice and you must prepare. I ask a lot of my voice and do not want to risk vocal strain or damage by pushing too hard too soon. So I schedule in the appropriate amount of time in this case about 4 to 6 WEEKS of practice so I can get things back in working order without strain or damage…
There is still one big “money note” in one of the songs that I have only recently been singing in full mix voice. I keep things light and in the right placement, with the right amount of breath support, till I am confident that the placement and muscle memory is secure, then and only then do I open up and start putting some power behind it!
Here’s my full routine… this is usually over an hour. I will leave some things out and do 30 minutes of warming up and vocalizing and 30 minutes of singing if I only have an hour.
I START BY SHUTTING OFF MY CELL PHONE!
I do some breathing exercises
I humm on long low to medium notes (always in a comfortable area, not too high or too low)
I go thru my warm up exercises anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes
I go thru my vocalise exercises (Lutgen, Seiber, Solfege, Vacci, and some Aria’s are the things I practice with)
Then I sing the songs I am working on.
The things I hope you take from this blog are the frequency of my practice - 5 to 6 days a week, the length of time not only the hour per day but the number of weeks it takes even me to tune up the voice appropriately and the fact that I do a LOT of technique work every week. Practicing doesn’t just mean turning on your favorite song and singing along.
Remember, this outline is in no way intended to be a specific guide for you. You should get with a teacher and learn exactly what is appropriate for your voice and then follow what they say…. This is only intended to show you that professionals like myself take practicing very seriously and it is a part of my every day routine. My voice is my life, my passion and I want to take care of it and still be singing when I’m 80… Being a singer is a gift.. Take care of it!
As many of you know I have taken a few months off recently to care for my father so I have had to work on my voice to get it back in shape for the work I have coming up. Remember the vocal cords are muscle tissue and need to be exercised just like every other muscle in your body. I thought I’d go thru my practice routine with you and clue you in to how I go about opening up that power without damaging my voice.
First I’ll tell you that I get in an hour at the minimum every practice session. Yep… let me say that again… I practice at least one hour 5 to 6 days a week.
If time permits, I have worked my stamina up to 90 minutes without strain and am working up to two hours with ease… here’s the clincher… even though my voice is … let’s just say… “seasoned”… I have been working about 4 to 6 weeks to get it to that place where I can comfortably sing what I’m working on full out and not get tired. That may be a long time for some and a short time for others but you must know your voice and you must prepare. I ask a lot of my voice and do not want to risk vocal strain or damage by pushing too hard too soon. So I schedule in the appropriate amount of time in this case about 4 to 6 WEEKS of practice so I can get things back in working order without strain or damage…
There is still one big “money note” in one of the songs that I have only recently been singing in full mix voice. I keep things light and in the right placement, with the right amount of breath support, till I am confident that the placement and muscle memory is secure, then and only then do I open up and start putting some power behind it!
Here’s my full routine… this is usually over an hour. I will leave some things out and do 30 minutes of warming up and vocalizing and 30 minutes of singing if I only have an hour.
I START BY SHUTTING OFF MY CELL PHONE!
I do some breathing exercises
I humm on long low to medium notes (always in a comfortable area, not too high or too low)
I go thru my warm up exercises anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes
I go thru my vocalise exercises (Lutgen, Seiber, Solfege, Vacci, and some Aria’s are the things I practice with)
Then I sing the songs I am working on.
The things I hope you take from this blog are the frequency of my practice - 5 to 6 days a week, the length of time not only the hour per day but the number of weeks it takes even me to tune up the voice appropriately and the fact that I do a LOT of technique work every week. Practicing doesn’t just mean turning on your favorite song and singing along.
Remember, this outline is in no way intended to be a specific guide for you. You should get with a teacher and learn exactly what is appropriate for your voice and then follow what they say…. This is only intended to show you that professionals like myself take practicing very seriously and it is a part of my every day routine. My voice is my life, my passion and I want to take care of it and still be singing when I’m 80… Being a singer is a gift.. Take care of it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)