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May 17, 2019July 5, 2019 Sarah Whitten

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vocalyogi

Movement Truth: if you are waiting to feel motivat

Movement Truth: if you are waiting to feel motivated to move before you do it, you’ll never actually move!
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Motivation comes after!
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So, whether movement you’re contemplating doing, but are waiting to feel motivated to do it, stop waiting and just go for the walk, get on your mat, lift the weights.
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You’ll find that after you’re done, that’s when you’ll feel motivated!
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Seems backwards, but it’s true!
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#vocalyogi #voiceteachersofinstagram #singersofinstagram #movementforsingers #move #lovetteinstrumentyoulivein #singersynergy

It's Tuesday and I'm thinking... - We cannot creat

It's Tuesday and I'm thinking...
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We cannot create lasting change to our breathing patterns just by breathing. We must move.
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I see a lot of singers, highly trained singers, who have breathing patterns that aren't serving their instrument. They tank on air, they lack movement laterally in the ribs, they bear down when singing high, they lack movement in the upper ribcage, or their ribcage is swung forward, or stuck in an inhale position. They feel like their voice isn't as easy to produce as they'd like. They feel like they are running out of air on long phrases. They feel like a fraud because though they are getting hired, they say they are faking their way through.
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I could ask the person to sit and spend time breathing, but what's behind the breathing pattern? There is often some physical limitation (or two or three) in the body that is contributing. When we improve the body's ability to move - in the spine, in the ribcage, in the pelvis, in the shoulders, we see breathing patterns start to shift. And we see potential begin to be realized.
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A great place to start looking at this is in the Singer Synergy Movement Class Series. We begin the next 8 week session this Thursday, December 1st at 11am Easter. Classes are taught live and replays are always available.
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Registration info is in linktree in my bio.
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#vocalyogi #breathingforsingers #singer #vocalpedagogy #voiceped #voiceteachersofinstagram #singersofinstagram #breathe

Getting in the spirit at @masshort Festival of Tre

Getting in the spirit at @masshort Festival of Trees!
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Thankful for my family today and every day.
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#metrowestma #natick #momlife #socceemom #dancemom #masshort #elmbank

Boosted. Grateful. But also, feeling the effects.

Boosted. Grateful. But also, feeling the effects. Will be on the couch until further notice.
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How do you do with boosters? These side effects don’t tend to last long for me, so after a semi-rough night I’m hoping to feel ok by mid-day.
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#vocalyogi #momlife #middleage #metrowestma #natick

The next round of the Singer Synergy Movement Clas

The next round of the Singer Synergy Movement Class Series runs from Dec 1 - January 26th (no class Dec 29th)

What is this class? This is an 8 week series where we'll move through 4 levels of challenge to address common issues in the shoulders and hips, look at how breathing supports movement and create connection and strength in the deepest layer of the core.

Each class has 2 segments. One standing focused and the other on the mat, where we do more core-based work.

We meet live on Zoom at 11am-12pm Easter. Plus, each class is recorded and uploaded to a password protected page on my website where participants have access to all recordings through Feb 2nd.

Join me for this class series that has been called "epic and life changing". Past participants have reported huge changes in body awareness, the ability to get up and down off the floor with ease, finding connection to the deep core for the first time in 20 years after having a c-section, and finding greater ease in the voice as well as stability in vibrato once the pelvic is on board and functioning well .

The class is $160 for 8 weeks. Registration link is in linktree in my bio.
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#vocalyogi #movementforsingers #singer #singersofinstagram #voiceteacher #voiceteachersofinstagram #vocalpedagogy #voiceped #voice

It’s been a MONDAY ya’ll and I’m out of anyt

It’s been a MONDAY ya’ll and I’m out of anything wise or sage to offer.
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So, instead, I give you 1998ish me in my costume for the musical revue I was in while in grad school at The Ohio State.
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I was sewn into that dress and probably has a whole can of aquanet to get my fine straight hair to be that high and retain any curl.
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I’d also just had croup and finished a short course of oral steroids to get my voice back. Felt like an energizer bunny for a few days. 😬
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It was a moment. Thought you all should see it too.
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#vocalyogi #singerlife #musicaltheater #voiceteacher #voiceteachersofinstagram #singersofinstagram

It’s episode 2 of Sh*t Voice Teachers Say: Sing

It’s episode 2 of Sh*t Voice Teachers Say: Sing from your hoo-ha.
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It’s a hard part of the body to talk about and we aren’t going to get into that here, but boy have we voice teachers managed to be SUPER AWKWARD about it!
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The pelvic floor forms the base of your torso. It is an important element in managing pressure in the body. Breathing, singing, movement and pregnancy are all examples of pressure changing activities.
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We want a pelvic floor that is responsive and reflexive, not rigid, tight and held.
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It works closely with the deep canister of the torso - along with the psoai, transverse abdominus, multifidi, diaphragm, and all the muscles of your throat.
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This deep layer is also where we armor up under stress and trauma. It’s where we get disconnected due to modern life demands, cultural messaging and life experiences.
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So no, we don’t sing from our hoo-ha, but every body has a pelvic floor and it’s important for every singer regardless of the type of music you sing!
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#vocalyogi #shitvoiceteacherssay #movementforsingers #vocalpedagogy #voiceped #voice #singersofinstagram #voiceteachersofinstagram #singer

Hips!! - Raise your hand if you deal with hip pain

Hips!!
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Raise your hand if you deal with hip pain, s/I joint pain, low back pain, shoulder issues, neck problems and jaw stuff.
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When your leg bone moves better in the hip socket those issues often get better.
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Join me for a free 30 minute class this Friday 11/18, to explore your hips. We’ll meet live on zoom and there’s a 7 day replay so even if you can’t be there live, you can still watch.
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Registration link is in linktree in my bio!
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#vocalyogi #movementforsingers #voicepedagogy #voiceteacher #voiceteachersofinstagram #singer #singerlife #singersofinstagram #voice

Testimonial Tuesday! - Linda says, “I’ve been

Testimonial Tuesday!
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Linda says, “I’ve been able to take much of what I’ve learned to my teaching style. It’s revolutionary work! I encourage all singers to engage in this process.”
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This is feedback from the Singer Synergy Movement Class Series. We start another session on Dec 1. Stay tuned for registration info!
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#vocalyogi #singersynergy #coretrainingforsingers #movementforsingers #singerlife #voiceteacher #voiceteachersofinstagram #singersofinstagram

Start your week with a moment of mindfulness. - Wh

Start your week with a moment of mindfulness.
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Wherever you are sitting, pause and see if you can feel the air of the room on any exposed skin - face, hands, neck.
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Then scan your body to notice the places you can feel your clothes touch your skin - linger on the places you can really feel.
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Bring your attention to the tip of your nose and feel cool air enter as you breathe in - stay with noticing this sensation for multiple breaths.
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Drop your attention into your chest and see if you can feel your heart beating - notice how your heart beat changes with your inhale and exhale.
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Taking a few minutes to just feel your body this way allows you to have an experience of being in the present. When you linger, holding your attention on each connection point, they are allowed to sink into your being. This is how we begin to relearn to experience our bodies from the inside out and move towards embodiment.
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Bonus points: This is a really powerful way to begin a voice lesson or practice session!
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#vocalyogi #singer #singersynergy #lovetheinstrumentyoulivein #bodyawareness #embodiment #voiceteachersofinstagram #singersofinstagram #sing #voice #vocalpedagogy #voiceped

Friday play day! - #vocalyogi #movementforsingers

Friday play day!
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#vocalyogi #movementforsingers #singerlife #momlife #natickma #metrowestma

Join me for the last Community Class of 2023 - Nov

Join me for the last Community Class of 2023 - November 18th at 11am Eastern Time live on Zoom.
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These 30 minute movement exploration classes are free for anyone to join.
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There's always a replay if you can't be there live - you can watch for 7 days after the class.
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These classes live forever in the Aligned and Aware Library where members can access them at any time.
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Join me on the mat to find freedom and ease in your hips!
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Link to register is in linktree in my bio
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#movementforsingers #vocalyogi #voiceteachersofinstagram #singersofinstagram #voice #sing #singer #voiceteacher #vocalpedagogy #bodyawarenessofsingers

$h*t Voice Teachers Say…where we debunk commonly

$h*t Voice Teachers Say…where we debunk commonly held beliefs about the singing body
Episode 1
“Breathe like a baby.”
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Babies aren’t just mini adults.
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They belly breathe because it is the only option in their body. Their ribs are soft and their lungs are stiff.
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When they first roll over it’s a sign their diaphragm is developing. Postural and breathing muscles further develop as they crawl and walk.
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And that’s when their breathing begins to develop and change!
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Belly breathing is not the be all, end all for the voice! In fact I think we actually want to avoid belly breathing for a whole host of reasons!
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#vocalyogi #shitvoiceteacherssay #voiceteacher #voiceteachersofinstagram #singer #singersofinstagram #singerlife #breathingforsinging #breathe
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Testimonial Tuesday! What are people saying about

Testimonial Tuesday!
What are people saying about the Singer Synergy Movement Class Series?
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"This is an epic and awesome class. Your work is truly life changing."
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If you need a reminder, here it is:
**Movement doesn't have to be complicated to be powerful.
**Your body is much more capable than you think it is.
**In fact, your body possesses an infinite capacity to change.
**Living well in your instrument opens doors that you may have thought were closed forever.
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The next round of the 8 week Singer Synergy Movement Class Series begins on December 1st. Registration and more info in linktree in my bio.
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#vocalyogi #voiceteachersofinstagram #singer #singersofinstagram #voice #movementforsingers #embodiedsinging

Let's talk musculature in the core! This picture b

Let's talk musculature in the core! This picture brought to you courtesy of one of the many, many, many bra ads I get in my FB news feed, LOL.
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What do you see when you look at this abdomen?
I see the potential for one of the most common compensatory patterns we find in bodies - one that can be very impactful on the singing voice.
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Now, obvi this is a bra ad and not a person singing, but I have seen lots of singing bodies with this same issue so I'm using it as an example!
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When you look at the belly, there are two distinct indents running from lower ribs down, on either side of the belly button.
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This is often indicative of something called oblique dominance which typically is part of a larger body-wide pattern of tension and tightness.
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When I watch a body breathe, move and sing and it has oblique dominance I see:
1. a ribcage that is sometimes less mobile around the lower 3rd than we'd like and it is drawn down perhaps slightly faster and more powerfully than we'd like on an exhale or phonation.
2. an abdomen that might begin moving in and up on exhale or phonation, but ultimately looks like it goes in reverse as we get towards the end of the breath.
3. over engagement of the upper abdominals.
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When we think about sound and oblique dominance there can be a lack of ease in the voice and a sense of overworking. I also have people report that they feel as though they never have enough breath to get through a phrase even though their lung capacity is just fine.
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We can address it with some targeted training of the core musculature and we get long term, lasting results when we couple that with moving in ways that shifts our patterns of tension and tightness!
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We have an entire workshop on oblique dominance in the Aligned and Aware library and the Singer Synergy Movement Series is designed to address patterns like this in the singing body.
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#voiceteacher #vocalpedagogy #voiceped #voice #singer #singersofinstagram #thesingingbody #movementforsingers

A few recent pandemic projects. #walkinthewoodssha

A few recent pandemic projects. #walkinthewoodsshawl pattern by @malihadesigns and the #24hourcowl from @fiberandvine
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Time to find another project to start!
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#knitter #fiberarts #malabrigo #riosyarn #singerswhoknit #metrowestma #natick

I wrote a blog post about one of the lessons I lea

I wrote a blog post about one of the lessons I learned on the mat that I continue to work on off the mat!

Less isn't more, less is better:

“Just because you can go 100%, should you?”

“What if 80% gets you the same result, but you’ve preserved 20% of your energy?”

Those questions, asked of me in a yoga therapy session several years ago when I was working to rehab my torn labrum in my hip, stopped me in my tracks.

“What do you mean?” I wanted to holler back. “Of course I have to give 100%, how else does anything ever get done?”

Instead, I sat there silently, knowing there was so much freaking truth in those questions.

Damnit. I hate those moments. The cruel reminder of my default state of going all out and all in at all times. That state that never ends well for me.

When I’m about to take it to 11 (bonus points if you get the Spinal Tap reference!), in movement it shows up as bracing. It runs throughout my torso, head and neck. There’s the set, the grip and finally, the muscling through the motion.

I found myself in this state again because I was working on going from 6 points on the floor: toes, knees and hands, to 4 points on the floor: toes and hands.

To get my knees off the ground, I set my jaw, gripped my abs and tensed my shoulders.

To the outward eye, I looked like I was moving with ease. You couldn’t see the difference. In that state I could go in and out of the pose many times.

But, inside is another story. It’s so very subtle, yet the grip is like steel. I moved that way for years without catching it myself. The anticipatory engagement happens a split second before I lift, but it’s there. And it makes everything harder.

It took slowing waaaaayyyy down to find the pattern. Jaw. Belly. Shoulders. So much effort. So much work.

“What if? What if?” I asked myself.

“What if I just softened 20% before moving?”

Lightness. Ease. Fluidity. A lift with less effort and better outcome.

To read the full post click the linktree in my bio.
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#vocalyogi #voiceteacherlife #singersofinstagram #singers #sing #voice #vocalpedagogy #lessonsonthemat

Putting my movement skills to work today planting

Putting my movement skills to work today planting bulbs before it gets too cold.
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The ability to do a deep squat with heels down is not easy!
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It takes hip, knee and ankle mobility!
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What I love about gardening is it gets my body into a variety of positions that I don’t get anywhere else.
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Another huge benefit for me of planting bulbs is it gives me something to look forward to during the long, cold, dark winter.
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Knowing there will be bursts of color around our property starting in March is something I hold close from Dec-Feb!!
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Only 89 more bulbs to plant!
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#vocalyogi #movementforsingers #squat #gooutside #voiceteacherlife #singerlife #garden #flowers #bulbs #fallinnewengland

#Repost @physioosteogram with @use.repost
・・・
HEAD AND NECK X-RAY 💀
⠀ ⠀
Credit: EBM CONSULT

#singer #voice #singersofinstagram #voiceteachersofinstagram

Testimonial Tuesday. - Getting quiet and curious w

Testimonial Tuesday.
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Getting quiet and curious when we move creates such transformational potential in the body and voice.
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"This class series has awakened a deep awareness in me of my body. This micro-awareness has created a sense of calm and freedom when I sing." Linda C.
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The fall run of the Singer Synergy Movement Class Series has just 4 more sessions before we wrap up. Every two weeks we begin a new level of movement designed to build on what's come before and present adequate challenge to the body to develop awareness, connections and strength.
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#vocalyogi #singersynergy #movementforsingers #bodyawarenessforsingers #singersofinstagram #voiceteachersofinstagram #voice #singer #lovetheinstrumentyoulivein
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Class will run again in January 2023. Stay tuned for registration details!

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