What if you could push a button and your vocal difficulties would disappear?
Combining yoga and singing is a magic formula. Release your singing voice, especially if you're a beginner and/or have vocal issues
Have a chokey feeling while singing? Yoga is the remedy
Back when I was teaching in Berlin, I had a student who was a very difficult case. When she came to me she barely produced any sound at all. Her voice sounded strangled - because her throat and neck were so stiff. Her singing was off pitch.
I kept telling her: you have to do yoga. We did a few yoga exercises in the lessons. These were helpful, but it all amounted to rather slow progess.
Then one day she came back from a three week vacation in Portugal. And I couldn't believe my ears. Her voice was much more fluent and resonant, and she was easy to work with. Her voice was adjusting much more easily.
I asked: What did you do? She said: I took your advice and went to do yoga on my vacation. I asked her: how often? She said: every day. She had found some type of a yoga retreat there.
At the end of that lesson she sang a song beautifully, and in tune. It was hard to believe it was the same person standing in front of me.
This is just one of the many stories of how yoga has helped my students to overcome a vocal issue, or several at once.
Time and again, I've found that the most critical condition for singing nicely (even more critical than closing your vocal cords and good air management) is minimal muscle tension in your instrument, aka your body.
See, if you have muscle tension, that tension is putting pressure on your airway and/or breaking it. Yep, that's a mild form of choking your airpipe.
So singing with muscle tension is like choking yourself while at the same time expecting good singing to come out. Not very likely.
You may not feel it as muscle tension by the way. But muscle tension can have the following symptoms :
- A 'small', weak voice
- A hoarse voice
- A voice that tires easily
- Difficulty in reaching high notes
- Singing out of tune
To be fair, these issues can (also) have other causes besides muscle tension. But removing muscle tension is your best bet and the first bet you should take.
Now, every voice teacher will at least remark about muscle tension. Some will try to get you to release it in the lesson, some will send you to go do something about it. It's not disputed that muscle tension in your upper body is bad.
But not all voice teachers will make it clear enough. Sometimes I think even I should be more firm. You and your teacher are facing an uphill battle as long as those muscle issues and posture issues play a part.
I am going to tell you fair and square: you won't even get close to your full potential as a singer if you don't do a form of bodywork like yoga.
"Linor is extremely effective in helping undo tension in the body so the natural voice can flow unobstructed. I feel much greater ease."
Deborah (70, not her real name), USA
SingWell with Yoga
My online course SingWell with Yoga is a series of video lessons. With the help of a yoga teacher, I explain and demonstrate 7 yoga poses that release your voice. You'll feel how each pose will overcome different challenges of your voice, for example air management (support) and high notes. You'll notice the effect right away. And practicing yoga regularly while singing will free your voice for good.
$109 $79 (and VAT where applicable)
Here’s what you’ll get when you sign up
After signing up, you'll get instant access to the course. You can start watching the video lessons, start doing the poses. Some benefits will be immediate. You can ask me questions in the comments below each lesson.
Stand better, move better, sing better
A better posture is more than just that. It’s a dynamic thing. You’ll move better, you'll sing better.
Easier high notes
By removing muscle tension in critical parts, high notes won't feel so high anymore and will come out easier.
Better air management (support)
Yoga is about air management, singing is about air management... You do the math.
More comfortable in your own skin
This is a general advantage of yoga, but since this course includes yoga, I should mention it!
The chapters of SingWell with Yoga
Each chapter consists of multiple video lessons.
1
Chapter 1: What, how, why?
You'll understand on which levels yoga helps your singing and why exactly it is so great. Then, I explain how to sing in any yoga pose you like. It starts small, by replacing exhales with sounds.
2
Chapter 2: The seven poses
In seven lessons, one for each yoga pose, I'll give you insight in how exactly each pose benefits certain qualities of your singing. Yoga teacher Dereck does the poses and talks us through them. Then, he lets me do the poses while pointing out what to pay attention to. For comparison, I sing a fragment of a song twice: both standing up and while doing each pose.
3
Chapter 3: Tutorials on long s
You don't start singing immediately. That's why I show you for each pose how to start simple. I demonstrate where the inhales are and where the sounds come - as an example I do the long s.
4
Chapter 4: Now what?
It's one thing to sing better while doing yoga. But how to transfer this ability to your normal singing? In this chapter, I'll teach you how to make that transition step by step. You'll own the benefits!
BONUS: Dereck's separate yoga lessons
As an appendix, I've included all seven of Dereck's yoga lessons without me explaining things or singing. These separate lessons will come in handy as you will start practicing yoga on a regular basis. You can use these lessons as a playback/instruction/reminder and do the poses alongside to them.
About the course teacher, Linor
I had my fair share of bumps on the way of becoming a professional singer and vocal coach. Stage fright was one of them, posture issues were another.
When I was a young student, I told myself to first learn singing and worry later about posture and stuff like yoga.
What a mistake! Had I started practicing yoga earlier, it would have saved me years of struggle. I always make sure that my students don't fall in this trap.
Course takers about SingWell with Yoga
Anouk Eigenraam
Journalist
'A completely different sound'
'Linor was the first vocal coach I had who started correcting my posture before we got started.
I am reminded of a good masseur I once had, who did not immediately start kneading my back, but first asked me to stand up, and concluded that one leg was half a centimeter shorter. Likewise, Linor corrected my neck and head, which led to a completely different sound.
Already in a few lessons I have progressed tremendously. I reach my notes effortlessly for the first time, without having to force it. I am starting to discover my voice.'
B. Roger
Engineer and Singing student
'Most singing courses take posture for granted'
My main issue when speaking and singing is my posture and Linor's course addresses just that.
I think SingWell with Yoga is a great course as most voice programmes don't address the posture enough (or take it for granted).
The videos are well explained, especially the reasoning behind the exercises and what to look for.
Nadia Tomova
Data analyst
'Linor is an incredible professional'
'I love Linor and her method of teaching! She is an incredible professional - if anybody will get the best singing out of you, it will be her.
She’s equally awesome on a personal level too!! The kindest, most patient and sweet person you will ever meet... but make no mistake - you will not be able to cut any corners in your lessons because she doesn’t compromise on quality and can literary hear every breath you take while you sing.'
A multiplier of the effect of singing lessons
If you take singing lessons, or will take them in the future, you will practice things like relaxing your throat muscles and breath support. The risk is though, that without the foundation of yoga, you spend let's say $500 worth of singing lessons without these exercises taking root. Without a proper foundation, technical improvement will be hit and miss. So you can view SingWell with Yoga as a multiplier of the effect of (past) voice lessons.
$109 $79 (and VAT where applicable)
100% Satisfaction Guarantee for 6 months
You are fully protected by my 100% Satisfaction-Guarantee. If you don't feel happy after buying and trying out this course, don't hesitate to let me know and I'll send you a prompt refund.
Linor Oren, SingWell
Go for it - for a cost of 1 lesson
I have made this online course as a low threshold way for all kinds of singers to get the benefits of yoga. I hope you take this step and join the club.
If you have any questions about the course, don't hesitate to click on the green envelope on this page and I'll answer them gladly.
Linor