The Inspiration of Breath
Jean’s 4-part online video course is now available for purchase!
The Inspiration of Breath was one of the most successful online courses ever offered at the New York Open Center, and I am thrilled to be able to offer a video of the complete course it in its totality. The course is in four parts covering all aspects of breathing and its connection to voice (please see below for a detailed description and video excerpts from the course). It includes almost two hours of video presentation and exercises, supportive written materials and graphics and a half-hour virtual lesson with me to help you in any way I can. If you have any questions, please write to me here. The cost for the course is now only $80.00 and can be ordered through PayPal by clicking the button below. Please Note: Once Jean receives notification from PayPal that you have purchased the course, she will contact you with the course link and other material.
Class One: The Miracle of Breathing
Our first class introduces us to our body's ability to "breathe itself." We will study in detail how our muscles of postural support and respiration work in harmony to help us breathe and how our ribcage can either aid us or hinder us in breathing. As we study the role of the diaphragm in breathing, we will explore the groundbreaking work of the breathing pioneer Carl Stough . We will conclude our first class with an understanding of what it means to develop strength in this most essential breathing muscle, the diaphragm.
Class Two: The Inspiration of Breath
Breathing lives in an area between consciousness and unconsciousness. While breathing can’t be controlled per se, it can be observed. Correct breathing can never be forced, but we can learn how to work with breathing in a way that stimulates all the right muscles to work. In this week’s class you will learn how to witness your body’s innate ability to breathe itself. You will be given exercises to help align, open and free your body, a first step in coordinating and strengthening your breathing. Guided meditations will help you experience a state of “flow”— a very relaxed and creative state of mind that regulates and deepens your breathing and prepares you for the strengthening work that follows.
Class Three: The Power of Exhalation
During this week's class you will learn how to develop strength in your diaphragm and to use the power of your breath as the source of, and support for, your voice. We will review the anatomy and physiology of breathing as we work with exercises to help enliven the diaphragm, ribs and abdominal muscles. In addition you will be guided in stimulating your imagination in order to connect to that area between consciousness and unconsciousness where breath lives —a deeper, more creative part of ourselves.
Class Four: The Impulse for Sound
Our final class will explore the direct link between breathing, voice and artistry. We start our class with an explication and experience of impulse— a vital energy that is present in everything alive and is the source of your true voice. You will be given a repertoire of exercises to uncover and stimulate impulse in yourself and to encourage its development. We will review the work of the past four sections and integrate all that we have learned with the recitation of spoken text and poetry.