Control Your Breathing

Let me start by saying, it has been a while since I have been able to post and it feels good to be back on here clearing my musical mind a little bit! Now, I named this post "control you breathing" because I wanted to share something that my daughter and I discussed in our first music lesson the other day.

My daughter has been feeling somewhat disconnected, from friends, from her siblings, and from her mother and I. This is partly because of our hectic and busy schedule and partly because of her very refined interests and hobbies. While 2 of my children are working diligently to perfect their craft athletically, my oldest is not so inclined. Part of this is because she has not found her athletic calling yet and the other part is her interest in performing arts like music and theatre.

If you are wondering why the back story, I let you in on this part of my life to express how music can make people connect. Plus it provides a little back story on this next part. So, what does any of this have to do with controlling your breathing. Part of our lesson was discussing how artist can sing extremely long notes with riff's tattered all through them. I explained to her that part of this is where you breathe from and how you control your breathing so you do not have to take a breath in the middle of these notes. I explained to her that you have to breathe from your diaphragm, inhale deep, and control the amount of air you let out as you sing.

But I also thought about life, stress, and how we manage both. The same advice could be given for dealing with stress and life in general. When things get tough and you feel like you're at the end of your rope and just cannot take anymore, what should you do? I suggest putting on your favorite song or playlist, sitting back and getting comfortable, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and exhale slowly. Remember to let all the negativity go as you exhale and allow yourself to be at peace, even if it is just for a short period of time.

Be at peace,

The Musician