I'm trying to get back into deep abdominal breathing. That's of course when you take a deep breath and hold it with the muscle in your gut, then slowly let it out. And then do it all over again. It's something I first learned in an acting class I took in college, which didn't wind up turning me into an actor. It's a rather energizing way to breathe, and when you start on it you might actually feel a bit of a high. I fell out of the habit before. Now I'm trying to do it so regularly that it becomes unconscious.
This time of year sniffles and other respiratory mischief become more common, so it's harder to do any kind of breathing without thinking about it. But I'm not giving up.
2 comments:
While I hadn't been aware one learned yoga breathing techniques at acting school knowing how to do so in order to control breath and relax into a role doesn't really come as a surprise. Since we have a general tendency to take shallow breaths and rarely use our diaphragms, it's no surprise we rarely get enough oxygen.
The pranayama breathing technique I've been practicing for the last ten or twelve years has been very helpful. There are any number of websites directed to instructing people about various methods with some more helpful than others if you haven't practiced much.
It's a very good thing to do whether you tend to have respiratory problems or not.
The main goal, as I remember it, was to be able to speak dialogue/monologues and carry through in good voice, but that can also help you get into a character. It's true that we tend to take shallow breaths, and it makes me wonder why. Maybe people dismiss the idea of breathing as something that you have to think about (which technically you don't but...)
Pramayama sounds interesting. Another topic for future research.
Have had a little hay fever, not too bad all things considered.
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