One of the things I frequently encounter as I teach the Alexander Technique to wind

instrumentalists and singers is how widely misunderstood breathing is. It’s not

uncommon for me to give a lesson to someone who sings or plays professionally who is

still unclear as to what actually happens in the breathing process.

I’m talking here mostly about basic anatomical and physiological misconceptions.

Some of these misconceptions are a result of ignorance (never really taking the time to

study and understand the science of respiration). Others are inaccuracies (and more

than a few myths!) that have been handed down to them by previous teachers (who

themselves never took the time to understand the science). Among the most

common of these misconceptions in my teaching experience:

Your lungs are located in the middle part of your torso, toward the front, near

your belly. In truth, your lungs are located more towards the back of your torso,

and higher up (the top of your lungs is actually slightly higher up than your collar

bones.

Your diaphragm moves forward and back (the way your belly moves in and out).

In truth, your diaphragm moves on the vertical plane (up and down). Your belly

moving forward and back is simply displacement of the abdominal content as you

breathe.

You need to support the airstream on the exhalation by pushing from the

diaphragm. In truth, your diaphragm is actually releasing on the exhalation, so

you can’t be pushing from it. The tension necessary to support the breath comes

from several different muscle groups in the torso (including back muscles!)

Your upper ribcage and chest should be still when you breath; all the movement

should be down in your abdominal area. In truth, your entire rib cage needs to

move as you breath. It is the expansion of the rib cage (in conjunction with the

movement of the diaphragm) that increases the internal dimensions of the thorax,

which causes the inhalation.

You need to completely empty your lungs (again, by “pushing” from the

diaphragm) before you inhale again. In truth, you don’t ever want to try to

completely empty your lungs. Trying to do so just interferes with the coordination

of your breathing. A minimum atmospheric pressure between your lungs and your

external environment must be maintained at all times.

Your lungs expand because you fill them with air. In truth, it’s the opposite: You

fill yourself with air as a result of your lungs expanding ( a vacuum, like a bellows).

You need to strengthen your muscles to meet the breathing needs of playing a

wind instrument (or singing). In truth, you need to improve the coordination of

your breathing.

And there are more. The problems arise when you believe these misconceived ideas to

be true, and attempt to breath in accordance to them: excessive neck and jaw tension;

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stiff shoulders and arms; noisy and distracting (in recording or live performance)

inhalation; mal-coordinated (and thus more limited) inhalation; excessive use and

tension of the abdominal muscles, etc.

If you play a wind instrument or sing, it is absolutely imperative that you have an

accurate understanding of breathing. If you teach wind instrumentalists and/or

singers, it is your duty and responsibility to make sure your students are not

misapprehending the breathing process.

Recently I purchased an excellent tool to help my students to better understand

breathing, and I would like to tell you a little bit about it and recommend it to you.

It’s called Jessica Wolf’s Art of Breathing: Rib Animation DVD. It’s a brief, yet clear

and thorough visual representation of how breathing actually works.

Jessica Wolf is considered one of today’s leading experts on breathing. She is a certified

Alexander Technique teacher, and has also studied extensively under the revolutionary

breathing coordination pioneer, Carl Stough. She also teaches her Art of Breathing

certification courses as post-graduate training for Alexander Technique teachers. I have

immense respect for her knowledge and skill.

Through beautiful animation and easy to understand words, she starts by showing how

the ribs and spine function together (how they move) in the breathing process. Next

comes the diaphragm: where it’s located, it’s various structures, how it moves, etc.

Then comes the abdominal organs in relation to this movement, and finally all the

other muscles that are involved in respiration (introduced one at a time).

Besides its clarity and simplicity, one of the other great features of this presentation is

that each new anatomical element (e.g, bones of the spine, ribs, pelvis) that is

introduced is easily understood in relation to the previous elements (e.g., the

diaphragm) . So easy to comprehend. Nothing is left for vague interpretation or

misunderstanding.

I’ve been using this DVD in my Alexander Technique classes at the American Musical

and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles, with excellent results. In a very short period of

time, my students are able to de-mystify many of the misconceptions that are holding

them back from better breathing.

The word I would most use to describe this brief, but thorough presentation is

efficiency. There is nothing but the essential information (that need to be known and

understood!) Watch it several times. Memorize it. If you teach, you’ll find that you’ll be

able to convey breathing principles so much more effectively to your students.

Here’s a link (Amazon.com) to make a purchase:

If you really want to deepen your understanding of breathing, I also recommend

Jessica Wolf’s Art of Breathing: Collected Articles. Here’s the link:

If you play a wind instrument or sing, a little bit of (accurate) information about your

most vital physical function can go a long way to improving how you perform (and

teach!) Best wishes.

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