How To Tell You Are a Singer in Yoga Class (a fish out of water?)

Alternatively titled: The Art of Yoga Breathing.


Remember the list? #16 - Take a Yoga Class. Technically, I suppose I could scratch that one off after today. I have indeed taken A Yoga Class.

There I am, taking my first ever Yoga Class surrounded by compared-to-me-yoga-experts and I realize that thing "they" have always said about Yoga is indeed true. You've likely heard it too. It's all in the breath. Breathe in, arms together, hold it, breathe out, arms down. Breathe in, knees to your chest, hold it, breathe out, knees down.

I know breath is important. I have a theatre background for goodness sake. I have been trained to breathe with my diaphragm, keep my shoulders relaxed, fill my lungs completely, exhale completely, support the sound with breath. In Yoga speak, that all checks out.

Except somehow, my timing was off. My lungs were full, I'd held the breath for an acceptable length of time and was ready for the slow exhale just as the rest of the compared-to-me-yoga-experts were getting to the "hold it" part.

What is it? I'm sprawled out, working to find that spot of perfection in each pose between stretch and relax, pain and peace. I'm feeling pretty good about that progress. But. My. Breath. Is. Flat. Off.

Then it hits me. All my breathing training has prepared for Yoga EXCEPT (this is a big one here) except for the INHALE part. When you are a singer producing big sound, carried by big breath, supported by a relaxed but aligned core body, you rarely have the luxury of taking y.o.u.r. s.w.e.e.t. t.i.m.e. to suck in the air you need. See, song composers don't usually write in a pause for taking a "fill the lung capacity" breath. Singers have to be able to pull in a lung capacity breath - QUICK.

There I was, lungs filled on singers time, not Yoga time and it was throwing me OFF. Once that was discovered. I took a moment to realign my entire universe and began to practice the power of the slow inhale, which is still a little awkward for me to be honest. When I try to breath deeply, slowly, my body tenses up. Which is of course, hilarious. Ask me to draw a deep "fill the lungs" breath quick while staying relaxed, no problem. After I got over my little chuckle at myself while surrounded by serious slow breathers, I was able to find my chi. It was pretty. A place I will visit more often.

As for the rest of the Yoga experience? Fabulous! Sweat, stretch, renew, rejuvenate. Who could ask for more? I could feel energy in these ole bones and fibers in new and exciting ways. Levels of relaxation the likes of which I'd all but forgotten about. Yoga, where have you been all my life? Next class, Thursday - I can hardly wait!