Standing and sitting positions to support the voice
- Feet
- Knees
- Hips
- Grounding
Stance - Structural “Support”
The placement and coordination of your feet, knees and hips provided the structural support for your new voice and breathing techniques.
The positions for your feet, knees and hips in this lesson will unwind unhealthy tension in the lower body, and strengthen the core muscles that support your vocal body.
This new position may not feel comfortable at first, but it is the optimum position to unlock small movements in the bucket of your pelvis, legs, and torso that provide even more structural strength for your voice.
Change & Time
This stance re-aligns your orientation to the ground and changes your balance. An aligned stance creates a fundamental shift in how you move through and present yourself in the world.
It may not feel comfortable or natural at first, but it will become habitual with consistent repetition over time. Please don’t expect great change and correct stance to consistently occur in one day, or even one week.
Soon, however, you WILL notice a change in your balance and posture. These techniques will become more natural and comfortable and begin to move themselves into place even when you’re not paying attention. You will find yourself moving with more grace and flow while projecting a sense of confidence.
Feet
Your feet are flat, parallel, pointing forwards, about hip width apart. Toes are still, not wiggling. Feel the full pads of your feet where they meet the Earth.
Look down at your feet and notice your normal standing position. Then, slowly bring your feet to a parallel position.
*Notice how comfortable or uncomfortable you feel in the rest of your lower body.
Knees
Your knees face forward and are slightly bent. There should be an imaginary line from your knees to your ankles
Just under your knee cap there is a little knob. Locate the second toe in from your big toe and draw an imaginary line from the second toe up to your this knob on your knee.
Hips
Hips face forward and over your knees. And there is a horizontal line from hip bone to hip bone.
Align Feet, Knees and Hips
Line from the feet to the ankles to the hips
Imagine a vertical line from your hips to your feet.
Hips over your knees.
Knees over your ankles.
Sitting Posture - (Lower body)
Your lower body provides structural support for your upper body even when you're sitting.
You must have an aligned sitting position so that your breathing functions in the lower and upper body will have a full range of movement. If you are slumped over, you simply cannot draw and control a full breath.
- Find a chair that allows you to place your feet flat on the floor.
- As in the standing position, your feet are hip width apart. The second toe is in a straight line to the knob under your knees.
- Come forward on your chair until the line between your bottom and your legs meets the end of the chair.
- There should be a horizontal line from your knees to your hips.
Grounding
Sometimes, you may experience moments of light-headedness and dis-orientation when you increase your breathing capacity or voice volume.
This is completely normal and is a GOOD sign that your vocal and breathing body are beginning to work together.
You are re-balancing and adjusting to increased breath pressure.
When this occurs, your first thought should be to find your feet and “Ground”.
When you ‘ground’ your feet, you simply place them in their parallel, shoulder/hip width position.
Focus upon the point where the soles of your feet meet the earth.
This will quickly stabilize the light-headed sensation.