This complete breath is a total workout for your lungs and the muscles used in breathing. It maximises the oxygen you breathe in and the carbon dioxide you breathe out – so your cells will function better and you’ll feel better.

Once you’re familiar with it you’ll also be able to do the complete breath while sitting, standing or (without using your arms) walking. It’s a great energiser whenever you need a boost or when you’re exercising. 

Practise this exercise regularly and you’ll find you can sing (or speak) for longer on one breath because your lungs and breathing muscles have increased their capacity and strength. This is going to be very helpful when singing long phrases! 

Use the complete in breath when you prepare to start singing. It will give you plenty of air without introducing any feeling of tension into your upper body. And a gentle inward pull of your abdominal muscles at the end of the out-breath when you’re singing will optimise the oxygen on the next in-breath.

In the exercise you’re going to imagine you have a container inside you that occupies the space from your navel to your throat, and that you fill it with energy (air) as you breathe in and empty it as you breathe out.

Exercise 31: The complete breath

• Lie comfortably on your back with your knees bent and some firm support under your head if necessary, just as you did for the diaphragmatic breath in Unit 2.
• Place your arms at your sides, palms resting on the floor. Keep your arms straight throughout.
• As you start to breathe in, start to raise your arms upwards.
• As you continue to inhale and raise your arms imagine the energy (air) filling first your abdomen, then your rib-cage and finally the top of your chest.
• By the end of the in-breath your arms should be resting on the floor on either side of your head.
• As you breathe out, imagine the energy (air) emptying from the top of the chest, rib-cage and finally your abdomen. Lower your arms back to the floor at the same time.
• Continue breathing in and out in a smooth comfortable rhythm, your arms following the flow of the breath.
• Counting as you do so (1 as you breathe in, 2 as you breathe out, then starting again when you reach 10) will help you to relax by stopping your mind getting distracted and wandering off.

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As a variation you can count the length of the in- and out-breath: 1, 2, etc. as you breathe in and 1, 2, etc. as you breathe out. Use whatever numbers are comfortable for you, but work towards making the out-breath twice as long as the in-breath.

If you’re doing this while walking, count 1 as you take one step, 2 on the next, and so on. You’ll find it both relaxing and energising and it will increase the benefits of your walk.

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