Abdominal Breathing for Voice and LIFE!

Breath is the "fuel" that powers the voice, and moving the work of breathing away from the throat muscles and down low in the body, to the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, is one of the keys in treating functional dysphonia (voice problems that arise from how a person uses their voice, not from a problem with the tissues or mechanism of the vocal cords themselves). Breathing is one of the most basic things we do each day! But lots of physiological and emotional issues can get in the way of easy and efficient breathing.

Most people use the muscles high in the chest and throat to draw air into their lungs. So, lesson number one for every single one of my voice patients is: Abdominal Breathing (also called diaphragmatic breathing, but that sounds too fancy for this accessible, everyday practice). Every once in a while one of my patients has previously used this relatively simple breath work technique in training as a singer, in yoga classes, in meditation, or athletics, but 90% of individuals I work with have never heard of it. Some people catch on quickly, and others need to practice for days or weeks to feel comfortable changing the way they take each breath. But with time, almost every person I have worked with has been surprised at how they are able to shift their breathing style.

How to Practice Abdominal Breathing

• Sit in a chair with your shoulders and/or mid-back supported*
• Place a hand on your low belly, below your belly button
• Exhale first and use your low abdominal muscles to draw your belly** in toward your spine 
• Inhale and allow your belly to expand outward, away from your spine. Try to avoid using your chest and neck muscles to breathe. You don't need them at all for this job, so they can go "on vacation"!
• Continue like this for 5-10 breaths at a time, if you get dizzy take a break, this is common when getting started because you are getting a big dose of oxygen that your brain and body may not be used to!

* You can also practice laying flat on your back, but seated posture is most do-able at any point in your day (driving, sitting in a meeting, and when using your voice to communicate)

**your belly isn't involved at all, in actuality your diaphragm is doing the work to allow your lungs to fill with air and your 'guts' have to get out of the way which is what makes them seem to 'fill'

Abdominal breathing is a helpful exercise and technique for people with voice problems but it has lots of other benefits as well. Many are surprised to hear that it is actually the most natural way to get the oxygen we need for our bodies to function. I often ask people to imagine a baby laying in a crib and then to imagine an ancient individual nearing the end of life. The ancient person will take shallow breaths high in the chest, but the baby's belly expands with each inhale and contracts with each exhale. In a sense, bringing the breath deeper into the abdomen can bring more vitality and young energy into the body.

Abdomnial breathing is the most efficient technique for getting the oxygen we need. According to Dr. Alan Hymes in his book Science of Breath, when sitting or standing upright (as we are most of our waking moments) most of the lungs' blood supply is in the lower areas of the lungs due to gravity. Therefore air is not mixed as thoroughly with blood if breathing is focused high in the chest (pg 31). In this style of breathing, more work is required to get the same amount of oxygen, resulting in more frequent breaths. Breathing deeply makes use of our more blood rich, efficient lower lobes, and allows us to make use of long oxygen rich breaths.

Abdominal breathing can keep your core strong. Some people worry that they will look "fat" if they use their abdominal muscles to breathe. But the fact is that muscles that move are stronger than muscles that stay static. I've even heard some patients report that their abs feel sore initially after starting to use abdominal breathing because they are working muscles that are otherwise forgotten in regular life.

And my favorite of the benefits of abdominal breathing: It is very calming to the nervous system. Slow regulated breathing encourages your body to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and to suppress or deactivate the sympathetic nervous system (the system responsible for your fight or flight response). Let's face it, generally speaking we are not being chased by a saber tooth tiger, but in stressful situations our body is programmed to respond as if we need to fear for our lives (and attacks on the ego can certainly feel like death threats, but that's another blog post!) We can convince our body systems to calm down, relieving stress and anxiety, by regulating our breathing cycle. Calm nervous systems yield calm minds which are better for learning, loving, and living life!

Take some time to try this simple practice when you already feel calm and centered. That way it will be more available to you next time you feel that familiar rush of the sympathetic nervous system set in (heart rate increases, body heat rises, sweaty flush). And leave a comment on your experience below, let me know if you are interested in learning other breath work techniques.

Raw Pad Thai

I debated about which of my amazing raw dinner recipes to post, but this one got the most salivating "That looks amazing" comments from friends and facebookers, so I figured I'd share it! There are lots of variations of this recipe out there so I certainly can't take credit for inventing it. I used a combination of this recipe from shape.com, and a bunch of others that I skimmed on an intense google search on the topic. Note: peanut butter, thai curry paste, and tamari are not raw foods, so if you want to be "Pure Raw" you will want to sub these ingredients. It was close enough for me though!

"Noodles"

Thinly sliced red and green cabbage

2 small carrots, thinly sliced or shredded

1 bunch of baby bok choy, thinly sliced

Sauce

1 cup peanut butter (you could use almond if you are super committed to 100% raw, but I love that peanut flavor)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons fresh peeled and chopped ginger
1/4 cup maple syrup 
3 tablespoonds tamari 
3 small garlic cloves
1 tsp thai curry paste

Garnish (not optional!)

crushed cashews

a handful of cilantro leaves

Method

1. Slice all the "noodle" veggies and toss together in a large bowl

2. combine sauce ingredients in a blender and process till smooth

2. plate each serving of noodles and smother in sauce

3. top with garnish

4. Take your time enjoying this dish, there is a lot of chewing involved!

(I'm not Vegan) but I LOVED my 5-Day Raw Food Cleanse

Earlier this month, I went on a wonderful weekend vacation/retreat with my partner Dillan. We enjoyed every part of this much-needed trip to a wee town in Vermont (read more about our adventure on his blog here!), including three nights in a row of delicious cheese burgers made from locally sourced Angus beef sold at the snack bar of the Motel/Drive in Movie Theater where we stayed. Really unique and fun, but definitely in excess. When we returned home, we were both ready for some serious detoxing.

Detoxing and cleansing seem to be very "in" these days, especially in the spring when our minds traditionally turn to spring cleaning, shedding layers, and starting fresh. It makes a lot of sense energetically, spring being a time of rebirth and renewal.

There are many methods for cleansing: whole food cleanses, cleanses aided by teas and supplements, juice cleanses, sugar detoxing, raw food cleanses, fasts, and the famous Master Cleanse. Many people think that in order to cleanse the body they need to fast and feel hungry, but I would argue that that's actually counter productive. Not only is that method not sustainable and likely to end in cheating or binging, but it also sends a survival message to your body to hold on to anything it can. A cleanse which includes an abundance of clean nutritious food helps your body feel safe and full, and encourages a release of stored toxins and excess material.

In choosing a cleanse, it's crucial to identify your unique goals and intentions. For me: I wanted to experiment with veganism for a short time to see how my body responded, I wanted to reboot my digestion, and I wanted to feel energized and ready for a new season. After considering many options, I decided that a short (5 day) Raw Food Cleanse was a good match for me.

Yum! "Garden Juice" aka Un-Bloody Mary (carrots, tomatoes, red pepper,  celery, salt and pepper, Tabasco sauce)

I started my cleanse by planning 5 days worth of meals and heading to the grocery store to stock up on all the fresh organic produce I would need. It was fun to go through the checkout and buy a week's worth of high quality food for two people for just about $100. Skipping the meat, cheese, and prepared foods really changed the bottom line on my grocery bill!

Each day I spent about an hour in the morning assembling my food for the day. I started each day with a "wellness shot" (lemon, cayenne, ginger, and a drop of maple syrup, modeled after The Master Cleanse drink). I mixed up a few smoothies for breakfast and a mid morning snack. Our Vitamix got a LOT of play time that week. I packed a lunch (a salad or leftovers from the night before) and plenty of nuts seeds or whole fruit and veggies for between meals. When I got home each evening it was right to the cutting board again to prepare dinner. It was certainly time consuming! But i chose to make it a sacred practice, an investment in my heath, and an opportunity to practice gratitude. All that prep time made me really appreciate the convenience foods I do have in my life and the ease of the times I grab a meal out.

After 5 days of eating essentially 100% raw (with the exception of just few condiments) I felt AMAZING! I noticed a significant increase in my energy level. I was much less plagued by cravings. My gut was very happy with things moving very "smoothly" in that department. I also became acutely aware of how different foods affected me. I noticed an exciting natural "high" after a clean green smoothie, significant heat with my ginger cayenne drink, and a lively satisfaction after chewing a huge heap of raw veggies for dinner. I also felt so wonderfully focused and "in-charge" of what was going into my body, so empowering!

When I talked about my cleanse, many people where intrigued, and many said "that sounds so restrictive!" But it didn't feel that way at all to me, in fact I was more creative and adventurous with my food choices. I read new blogs and tried new food combinations. It was fun!

I've continued noticing positive effects long after the cleanse was completed, although I am happy to be back to snacking on cheese (my weakness!) and sustainably raised animal protein. Those foods, in moderation, work for my body. But I have continued to use more raw foods and recipes in my weekly routine.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience. My cleanse left me feeling energized balanced and empowered, but I couldn't have done it alone. I'm grateful for all the amazing blogs out there, and for my own health coach who helped guide my planning and decisions. Do you feel like you could use a little of that in your life? If you are curious about how to execute a cleanse in your (busy) life, contact me for a Health History and let's chat! A guided cleanse would include a co-created meal plan, recipes, and lots of support along the way. I'd love to learn more about how I can support YOU along this food adventure!

How to Tame a Headache

Headaches. It's a huge and complicated topic and I will just skim the surface in this post, and specifically discuss remedies for tension headaches.

First the disclaimer:

Headaches are not terribly uncommon even for healthy individuals, and most people have experienced them to some degree at some time in their lives. Headaches have a variety of causes, most of which are not serious and can be treated with lifestyle, hydration, and in some cases over the counter medications.

There are, however, some cases where a severe headache can be a warning sign for a very serious problem in the body/brain, such as stroke or brain hemorrhage, or brain tumor. If you feel concerned about the severity or frequency of a headache, or if it is accompanied by weakness or change in sensation in the body (especially on one side), or slurred speech, go to the emergency room immediately. A very severe headache accompanied by an aura could be a migraine and also may deserve medical attention. See the NIH page on headaches here.


A few days ago I woke up suddenly at exactly 5AM with a terrible headache. I could barely move! But fortunately (or unfortunately) I have been there before and I have collected some good strategies with managing this kind of pain. When I was a child I would get terrible headaches almost weekly. I was tested for everything under the sun, including Lyme Disease. Finally one pediatrician had me stand barefoot in his office and noticed that my ankles were misaligned (pronated) and sent me to a podiatrist. What a surprise! Everyone was looking inside me (blood work, allergies, etc) when the answer was in my physical body alignment. I began wearing inserts in my little sneakers and also began taking dance classes.

After years of classical dance training, and now yoga, my legs and ankles are strong and aligned... But I still do occasionally get headaches. Usually I can trace my headaches back to one or more of the following: dehydration, malnutrition/low blood sugar, fatigue, emotional stress, head/neck tension, and body misalignment (my neck is my trouble spot). This time it was a combo of dehydration and delayed effects of stress from my week.

Here is my Tame the Headache Standard Procedure.

1. Drink Water! This is number one, because it is just so common. Many times folks pop meds to relieve the pain but don't support their body's recovery from the pain. Chug a tall glass of water. Refill and sip over the next few hours. When the headache hits it's a valuable warning sign that something is amiss, so use it!

2. Stretch. Especially the head, neck, and chest. Let your head drop to each side, ear stretching toward shoulder. Hang forward in rag doll pose and shake your head yes/no. Grasp hands or a towel behind your back to stretch your chest. And don't forget to BREATHE!

3. BREATHE!! So often, when the headache comes on, I realize "My goodness, I have not been breathing all day." When emotional stress and busyness strike, I can often forget the breath. Deep belly breaths with eyes closed can sometimes do the trick.

4. Eat Something Nutritious. If it's been a while since you've had a meal, your body may be telling you it's time. Chose something hearty with healthy fats and dense nutrition, and low in sugar.

5. Take a Hot Bath. The hot water can be very relaxing to tense muscles which is a common cause for headache.

6. Sleep. When all else fails, I just put myself to bed. This is especially lovely with a warm herbal eye pillow.

Next time you have a headache try these instead of (or at least in addition to) popping OTC pain relievers. Let me know how it goes!

Setting Intentions

This Spring, I am approaching my five year anniversary as a Speech Language Pathologist. I am halfway through my yoga teacher training. And I continue to learn and refine my understanding of holistic health coaching as it applies to my clients and myself every day I live it. As I journey onward with all these different endeavors, in what appears at first glance to be very different directions, a question arises over and over again in my own mind. What does this all have in common. Where are the common threads? How are all of my seemingly varied paths connected? And when I stay quiet, when I allow the bigger picture to come into focus, I get many beautiful answers to that question. One of the precious common threads in these disciplines is the crucial and sacred act of setting intentions, goals, or resolutions.

Setting goals in my speech pathology practice teaches me that the more clear we are, the better. Speech Pathologists and other rehabilitation clinicians write "measurable and functional goals" for their patients in order to create guideposts for recovery. So lets break that down. Measurable, as in: the achievements should be quantitative. Instead of saying "the patient will improve his ability to speak." We say, he "will verbally express phrases in everyday life situations in 4 out of 5 opportunities." This way the patient and the clinician can really measure when these goals are met, and when it's time to raise the bar. And these goals should be functional, or useful in real life. So, instead of working with an individual to be able to "remember a list of 5 words" we might work to "remember new information from social conversations." So the gains show up in the person's ability to get through life, not just on test scores.

Working with intentions in my health coaching practice teaches me that the road may not be straight and narrow. When I speak with my clients, or when I call my own health coach, we begin the session by setting an intention. This doesn't mean that we can only talk about the one or two things that were set as intentions, but when the conversation takes its organic route we can look back and see how something seemingly tangential is actually really related to the whole picture. So if a client sets and intention to get more organized with meal planning, and the conversation leads to a discussion of feelings of disorganization at work or home, we can begin to see the patterns and thus the answers and action steps to feel better.

My yoga practice teaches me that the truest resolution comes from within. In the practice of Yoga Nidra (a deep sleep like meditation) we are asked to set a sankalpa, a resolution that we wish to actualize in our life. During a powerful guided meditation that I practice with my fellow teachers in training, we are first brought to a deeply relaxed state, and only then are we invited to set our intention. For me, the experience is more like discovering an intention that was there all along, less like "thinking" of something. When I quiet my mind and give voice to my deepest parts, I often find a simple but powerful message.

Spring, a season of rebirth and renewal, is the perfect time to plant a seed, create a goal, set an intention, or discover a sankalpa. And like a seed, an intention should be tended to gently and daily. What are your intentions for the coming months or year. How can you be clear, open to the twists and turns it may take to get there, and listen to your deepest voice to discover them?

PINK LUNCH! Roasted Beet and Fennel Soup (with a secret ingredient!)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beets, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 large fennel bulb, roughly chopped
• a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 cups vegetable vegetable bullion dissolved in water
• 1 orange to yield freshly squeezed orange juice

Method

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat beets and fennel with olive oil, thyme, a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add the roasted beets and fennel, and vegetable broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.Transfer mixture to blender or use and immersion blender to process until smooth. Stir in the orange juice and some of the pulp. Salt to taste.
Enjoy this lovely pink dish!

Try This: Step Up, Step Back

Fun 2006 dance movie, lots of sequels,
no relationship to communication,  but I couldn't resist!

I am fascinated by "group work." Amazing things come out of group projects, group discussion, group social gatherings, support groups, book groups, the list goes on. There is something really special that happens when we put our heads together. Hellen Keller said "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."

I am especially interested in the patterns of communication that happen in a group. No matter the topic or setting, there are two main types of group participants. There always seem to be participants who are the first to speak and to take up the most time and space with their opinions. And there are others who remain quiet, either speaking last, speaking briefly and quietly, or not at all. Then there are others who rest comfortably in the middle but usually tend to one side of this spectrum. The larger the group, the more unique individuals there are to navigate and the more polarized the extremes become. In life there are introverts and there are extroverts. There are linguistic thinkers and there are visuospatial or analytical thinkers. There are outgoing people and there are shy people. But when we are committed to a group's collective consciousness, every voice is important. 

I recently found myself getting acquainted with a new (and super amazing) group of individuals as I embarked on my latest journey: Yoga Teacher Training Program at Inner Strength Studios. I am thrilled that these people are on the path with me. They are loving seekers and I can already tell I will learn so much from this community. But we each come to the table with old habits and patterns, some that serve us, some that don't, and some that served us in one moment but are no longer aligned with our highest purpose. Like any group, we have some who are outspoken and some who are more hesitant to speak.

People who know me are often surprised to learn that I tend toward the quiet, speak last side of the participant spectrum! But this absolutely showed up in my first group discussion experiences with my new community. Sitting on my yoga mat in a big circle discussion, I was reminded of a valuable tool taught in many Unitarian Universalist communities. "Step Up, Step Back." This is a guideline for group discussions that encourages individuals to be aware of their own tendencies and consciously do the opposite. Those who find it easy to speak might wait to make space for those for whom it is more difficult. And us quieter folks might go out on a limb and speak up.

At first I was irritated by all the vocal, confident speakers not making space for people like me to use their voices. But then, lightbulb moment, I remembered the other half of the tool: "step up." It is MY responsibility to use my voice even though it sometimes feels scary or vulnerable. As the weekend went on I got more practice with stepping up, and I worked on trusting that my insights and ideas were valuable to the group. Speaking up, and stepping up became a little easier. Although I am fine to know that this is a growing edge for me and I am not done yet.

Every voice counts. Every person arrives with their own unique set of experiences, strengths, and thoughts. Every opinion can inform the collective consciousness. When we allow for all voices to be heard, whether that is by stepping back to make space for them, or by stepping up to offer our own, the group wins.

What type of group participant are you? Where can you "step up" or "step back" in your life for the greatest good of your community and of yourself?