Body Awareness

In undergrad, I took a body awareness course. Before taking the course, I thought it seemed a bit too out in left field for me. I was a very straight-laced, serious, student. I thought studying “serious” topics was a better use of my time. At the time, I was a musical theatre minor, and this was a requirement for the minor. So, I took it. This course was more serious than I originally thought. It was also my first adventure into whole-person wellness. Today, I want to go over some of the basic principles I still remember about that course, and how they apply to all people – singers, professional voice users, athletes, parents – truly anyone!

The course I took was broken into 3 parts: Anatomy, Alexander Technique (but with some further focus on grounding at the same time), and Yoga. I’m going to review each of these topics, and add an additional section of my own.

Anatomy

The first part of the course required us to purchase an Anatomy coloring book. We colored the major bone and muscle systems to give us a better understanding of our bodies. As a performer – especially singers and dancers – your body is your instrument. The Anatomy Coloring Book gave us the ability to reflect on each bone and muscle. We learned the names of these structures, where they were located, and the coloring part added an extra component to give our brains a pin to hang future knowledge on. I will also say it provided me a good foundation for the anatomy coursework I would later need to complete to get into grad school for speech pathology.

Alexander Technique

The next third of the body awareness course reviewed Alexander Technique. The Alexander Technique was developed in the 1880s by Frederick Matthias Alexander. He was a Shakespearian Orator who kept losing his voice. He came to realize this was related to tension in the way he was holding himself on stage. The essential aspect of Alexander Technique is to keep the spine naturally elongated, and avoid extraneous muscle tension during completion of every day activities. 

I am not trained in this technique. So, I can’t teach it here; however, my instructor was always pointing to the need to balance the upward movement of the spine this technique teaches with additional focus on grounding yourself through the trunk and legs. I learned a lot about my own body movements in this course. If you’re interested in learning more about the Alexander Technique, I’d urge you to check out this website. Alternatively, you could seek out a certified Alexander Technique clinician.

Yoga

The final third of my undergrad body awareness course introduced a yoga routine that I still know to this day. Since discovering I am hyper-mobile (a post for another day), I now know I need to be cautious when doing Yoga. This is because I could hyper-extend my joints without meaning to. I am far from the best yoga student, but I did find that this portion of the course made me quiet my mind and focus on what my body could do. 

This course also provided me with a great foundation for focus on the breath. Diaphragmatic breathing made more sense. I also gained a better kinesthetic sense than I had prior to taking this course. I’m still learning a lot about kinesthetic sense. I frequently think my body looks one way in space, but when I look in the mirror it’s completely different! The yoga practice our course instructor gifted us with is one I think I’ll remember forever. I continue to use it because it quiets the mind. Hopefully, it will also teach me more about my body in the years to come. 

If you’re interested in pursuing yoga, I’d encourage you to take a class. Find a beginner class in your area where you feel comfortable. You could even find a course online these days. Yoga has many benefits – especially for professional voice users. It’s definitely worth a try!

Listen To Your Body

Finally, I think the best lesson learned from my body awareness course was to listen to my body. When something hurts, ask why. It’s not normal to be in pain. Seek proper medical attention if pain continues – and be your best advocate. You know your body better than anyone else. You have the power within you to seek out the true answer. Recognize that getting second and third opinions is worth it. 

Part of listening to your body is also listening to your voice. This is especially true for professional voice users! If something doesn’t seem/feel/sound quite right, talk to your voice teacher. Alternatively, you could seek out a medical opinion from a fellowship-trained laryngologist and other members of your voice care team. Use the Bastian Swelling Test each day to help guide your decisions about your voice use. The concepts above can really teach you what normal is for your body. By learning to be aware of your body’s “normal,” you’re giving yourself strength, tools, and knowledge. You learn the best way to care for your body, mind, and voice.