THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON SINGING

Abstract

There are many intimate connections between yoga and singing. Yoga, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques are
beneficial in order to deal with problems such as anxiety, stress, depression and body pains related to tension. Yoga helps to
soothe nervous system, release physical tension and to connect body, mind and soul together. Singing is a process in which one
needs to relax and find a path to the heart and mind, just like yoga. The health of the body and mind is related to the health of
the voice. Also, the singing process may cause anxiety due to the pressure of a successful production on the stage. Yoga
practices enhance the voice users/musicians/singers/patients to relax and focus on the self, to release the unnecessary tension
in the body, to be self-confident and to achieve success consciously. This paper searches the fundamentals of yoga, its history,
philosophy and main types, as well as the studies relating to singing and yoga. The results show that there are several works
looking for the effects of yoga and meditative practices on performance skills. They all show that yoga has positive effects on
the general well-being, psychological and physiological health, and the mood of the musicians/singers/patients/voice users.
Yoga practice helps social interaction and builds positive relationships for the advantage of ensembles, disregarding
competition that many singers face. Further studies may search the effect of yoga on patients with nodules, polyps and other
vocal cord problems, as well as investigating the effects of different types of yoga on a long-term basis.