Breathing exercises
It is beneficial to precede the actual warm-up exercises with a few, specific breathing exercises. They are performed in the basic position. Four basic rules should be observed in this context:
• Inhalation should never be audible or visible (do not raise the shoulders or rib cage during inhalation).
• Do not let the chest collapse during exhalation.
• Stand up straight, but generally keep the body relaxed.
• Do not fill the lungs "to the brim" with air, because it is not the volume of air that is decisive, but rather how you use it.
The following exercises generally have two different objectives:
○ To promote calm and uniform air flow (Exercises 1 -7).
○ To activate the breathing muscles and the diaphragm (Exercises 8- 14).
Breathing exercises
Exercise 1
Breathe primarily through the nose, without raising the chest or shoulders. Exhale on a soft s or f. Wait until you feel the urge to inhale, and then feel how the body breathes in on its own.
Exercise 2
Take three discontinuous breaths, as if you were smelling a flower. Simultaneously expand the pharynx. Then exhale three times. This effectively expands the nostrils, the back of the pharynx, the chest and the lower back, as they try to pass on the aroma to the body.
Exercise 3
Exhale by blowing out gently and uniformly. Imagine that you are:
• Blowing on a pinwheel
• Cooling hot soup
• Defrosting a frozen window pane
The breathing organs expand and the lung empties. Thoughts of these images are controlled by the central nervous system. Concentrating on them leads to increased muscular activity. In the region of the breathing muscles, this means more intense use of the inhalation cycle.
Exercise 4
Exhale - pause - feel the urge to inhale - let the air slowly flow in again - exhale calmly and uniformly with a soft, silent s; do not sputter. Repeat the exercises with a voiced v or s, sh. Make sure that the throat is completely open and relaxed.
Exercise 5
Intense breathing: hold one nostril closed, inhale slowly and deeply through the other one and
then exhale completely through the mouth. Alternate between the left and right nostril. During
the exercise, feel the intake motion of the diaphragm, which is stronger now because it has to
work harder to take in the same amount of air under these conditions.
Exercise 6
Exhale- pause - throat expanded - imitate an open "fish mouth" - wait until you feel the urge to inhale - let the air flow in and simultaneously be aware of your back muscles.
Exercise 7
Stand up straight. "As you exhale, slowly bend your body forward until your hands almost touch the tips of your toes. Maintain this position until you stop exhaling, Then inhale and slowly Straighten your upper body again. The region around the kidneys and below the last pair of ribs on the back will expand.
Exercises for activating the diaphragm
Exercise 8
Surprise breath, i.e. take one fast breath with the mouth open and a "surprised'" facial expression. Simultaneously expand the mouth and pharynx region.
Exercise 9
Exhale with short, hard breaths. Imagine that:
• You have discovered some dust and want to blow it away with short, hard puffs.
• You are holding a withered dandelion in your hand and want to blow away the stubborn seeds with as few puffs as possible.
Exercise 10
Inhale slowly, as if through a straw, and then exhale slowly through the straw.
Exhale several times, like through the valve of a bicycle tire.
Exercise 11
The chorus singers imagine that they want to get a large, restless group of people to be quiet using the sound "pssst". However, since no one hears the warning pssst at first, the singers have to repeat it at different levels of intensity.
Exercise 12
Imitate an old steam train with the sound tsh tsh tsh.. Start up slowly - accelerate - decelerate. When you repeat the exercise, imagine how the puffs from the steam train become shorter as it gains speed and the volume decreases (decrescendo) as it moves farther away.
Exercise 13
Imitate a panting dog, Keep your chest still and let your "flanks" do the work. This exercise should not be performed too frequently, as it can easily cause dizziness.
Exercise 14
This exercise not only creates a positive, relaxed atmosphere but also loosens up tense muscles and activates the diaphragm. Have the chorus imitate various natural sounds, such as:
• A gentle evening breeze with a soft f (piano)
• A severe storm with sh (forte or fortissimo)
• An approaching and retreating swarm of bees with a soft z (mezzoforte - crescendo -decrescendo)
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