Many musicians who come to see me in my Feldenkrais practice report that they feel limited in their breath capacity. Observing how they breathe at rest and playing or singing, I often notice that they exclude part of their body while breathing. One common way is to hold the chest still while breathing. Many musicians have been taught that diaphragmatic breathing is the best way to breathe. Even though this is partly true, holding the chest still limits lung capacity.
In her book, “The Anatomy of Breathing,” (available from Amazon) author Blandine Calais-Germain discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this type of breathing. She also goes on to describe different types of diaphragmatic breathing. I highly recommend this book for all music teachers and those who are interested in knowing more about how breathing really works.
When my clients discover that they have untapped potential by utilizing the elasticity of the chest, they find that breathing is easier and fuller. There are also other reasons why the elasticity in the chest can be limited. Another reason can be related to posture. Being slumped forward or overly upright can also limit the ability to expand and contract the thorax. Movements that make posture easier will also have an effect on lung capacity. Stress and various emotional states will also influence lung capacity but may be more difficult to influence over the short term. If you would like to experience this for yourself, you can listen to the DMS podcasts at:
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If you have any specific breathing questions or comments, send me e-mail and I’ll try to respond in a future blog. Until then, breathe well!
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