Yoga for the Voice - an introduction!

Yoga for the Voice - an introduction! Suzy S. Here is a very interesting article written by our singing teacher gfire, hailing from Austin, Texas, about how practicing yoga techniques can improve overall singing capability: When I first began my professional singing career, still in my teens, I was extremely dissatisfied with the explanations I had been given for how and why the singing voice works. I just couldnt make my voice do the things I wanted it to. Admittedly, I had pretty high expectations. Fortunately, I went to my public library and happened on a copy of Science and Singing by the late, great Ernest George White of London, England. After decades of scientific research, White discovered how the voice and vocal tone actually originate in the four sets of sinus cavities in the head, not in the throat/vocal cords, as was previously believed. White taught people to speak who had had their vocal cords surgically removed just by training them in controlling the air in their sinus cavities. He explains in his book that the air vibrating in an enclosed space (the head) acts as a musical instrument, similar to a flute or a recorder or even air moving through a keyhole and producing sound. He felt that the vocal cords, or vocal folds as he preferred to call them, merely aided in regulating the flow of breath from the lungs up to the head, where the sound was actually produced. Unfortunately for me, White had already passed away in 1940, so I began my own attempts at playing with the air in my sinus cavities. After many months of study, pretty much by trial and error, I found that I was actually a first soprano, not a second soprano, as I had thought. I found that it took much less air and a lot of control to maintain my high notes, but that I now HAD control. And I really began to develop my own unique singing voice, after years of trying to sound like everyone else that I admired. Wow even my high expectations had been reached. When I moved to Austin a few years later, I began teaching singing (and piano) as my day job. I taught all kinds of people how to sing and speak, from age 8 to age 72. Many of my students found great success with playing with the air in their sinuses remarking that, although they hadnt had success with traditional exercises, they could now make their voices sound clearer and they could control the voice. There is a lot of joy in learning that what was once a mystery can be placed under control in a fun and musical way. But what actually ended up putting the true icing on the cake for what I now call Yoga For the Voice technique was my study of kundalini yoga, and subsequent training as a kundalini yoga instructor. I found that by incorporating yogic breathing and exercises, and sometimes even chanting yoga mantras, my students and I were able to make even more progress in controlling our vocal instruments. Not to mention the improvements in health, speaking voice, keeping the sinuses free and clear, and gains in personal confidence. Some of the benefits we discovered: * You learn exactly what your vocal range is and why your vocal range is determined by the shape, number and quality of the sinus cavities in your head. * You discover how to create the very best tone your voice is capable of making when you can keep as many muscles as possible out of the way of creating a pure tone in the head, you have the basis of beautiful, unencumbered musical sound * You feel the difference in your own body singing feels healthy, beautiful and under your control. If it feels right, it actually is right. The reverse is true as well if it feels wrong, then there is some work to be done, usually in releasing some tension and muscular effort that is getting in the way of the tone. * A side benefit includes keeping the sinuses free and clear it actually helps your overall health in addition to your vocal health. Ernest G. Whites sinus exercises have been used solely for the purpose of keeping the head cavities clear, and can be helpful for people with allergies and other problems which create mucus in the sinuses. * Whites exercises can be used to improve your speaking voice and your vocal projection they are excellent for actors, teachers and public speakers as well as for singers. In general, if one is just using the exercises for speaking purposes, the vocal range is more limited and focused on the actual speaking voice than in singing training. * For children, I tend to break it down to very basic, easy-to-understand exercises. I think the sinus concepts are too difficult for most children to grasp, so I try to give them exercises they can easily understand and have fun with. In the beginning stages of vocal training, a typical Yoga For the Voice lesson will consist of three parts. First I teach the student two different kundalini breathing techniques that have proven useful to the singing student. We next begin the sinus exercises from Ernest George Whites teachings, starting to find what I like to term the musical architecture inside the voice students head, i.e. her/his particular set of sinus cavities. The last part consists of integrating what we have learned into full body exercises, which enable the student to start to experience her/his full vocal instrument, from the solar plexus to the top of the head. I sometimes use traditional vocal exercises for this step or, depending on the student, chanting exercises. If you are interested in exploring Yoga For the Voice further, my voice lessons are available privately at my music studio in Austin, Texas. In addition, I offer lessons over the phone and over the Internet as well (using Skype), making myself available to you wherever you are in the world. ABOUT gfire gfire is a professional singer-songwriter, DJ, voice and piano teacher and Kundalini yoga instructor based in Austin, Texas. She has taught literally hundreds of students how to use their voices more effectively. For more information, please visit http://gfiremusic.com.

4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee - Introvert Whisperer

Introvert Whisperer / 4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee - Introvert Whisperer 4 Ways to Reward and Recognize an Introverted Employee Kayla Matthews November 15, 2019 Career Development, Networking No responses Go to top No workplace functions without a system of recognition. People want to work hard at their jobs and stand out from the rest of the office to earn that end of the year bonus or raise, but they need encouragement more than once a year. The only way employees will keep up their productivity and maintain a high-quality workload is by frequent encouragement and recognition. At the end of every project or major effort, employees should know that their hard work is seen and valued. The issue is that not everyone wants the same kind of recognition. If you have a number of people in your office who hate being the center of attention, there are other ways you can recognize their hard work. Check out these four easy ways to reward and recognize an introverted employee, so everyone can feel appreciated at your workplace. 1. Do Something Private Introverts dont like being in the spotlight, especially around an office full of people where they only have one or two close friends. Instead of sending out an office email congratulating them or throwing a party in their honor, do something private for your star introverts. Depending on their personality, that could look like a couple of different things. You might write a personal note to them and leave it on their desk before they arrive in the morning. Maybe theyd appreciate a verbal confirmation of their work or a small gift, like a fruit basket. Think about what your introverted employee enjoys and tailor your private recognition around that. 2. Buy Them Lunch It gets old to bring your lunch everyday or order from the same lunch spots. Thats why its extra nice to treat an introvert employee to a free lunch. Order in for them or give them a gift card to a nice restaurant in town. Studies have shown that providing employees with free food increases workplace morale and energy, because everyone loves a delicious bite of something tasty and free. 3.  Celebrate with People They Know You may want to do something big for your introverted employees because they did something big for the company. If thats the case, consider gathering their closest friends, family, or teammates to help them feel comfortable. For instance, you can  host an employee picnic  so everyone gets to have fun without there being a focus on the one individual. You can send out an email letting everyone know why the picnic is happening, but let the introvert mingle as they want and not be forced into the spotlight. This is a great spring or fall idea, especially if your business is located near a public park. 4. Allow Work From Home Days Heading to the office every morning can be a challenge, but its especially hard for introverts. They need longer periods of time to rest after social events and their energy drains quickly during the workweek. Thats why you should consider rewarding your introvert by allowing them to work from home occasionally. Studies have shown that allowing employees to work from home just once a month boosted their workplace happiness  by 24%, which can only be higher for introverted employees. If the work they do doesnt have to happen in the office, letting them work from home could be the reward that means the most to them. Ask Their Friends Sometimes its hard to make close friends with your employees when youre the boss. You may not know the introverted employee well enough to make a personal preference call for them. Dont be afraid to ask their friends for their opinions and keep the reward a secret until its presented. Theyll want to help recognize their friend as well, especially when they see management going to great lengths to keep in mind the introverted persons level of comfort. Go to top Bottom-line â€" I want to help you accelerate your career â€" to achieve what you want by connecting you with your Free Instant Access to my 4 Building Blocks to Relationships eBookâ€" the backbone to your Networking success and fantastic work relationships.   Grab yours by visiting here right now! Brought to you by Dorothy Tannahill-Moran â€" dedicated to unleashing your professional potential. Introvert Whisperer