Some of you, like me, might be remembering the positive effects on our health and wellbeing which we experienced during Lockdown, when we consciously spent more time outside in nature.

Over the last three years or so, I have become more interested in nature than ever, spending time sowing seeds, noticing insect behaviour and allowing the grass to grow. These things have made me feel more relaxed. Vocal health is very much aligned to our general health and a relaxed mind and body helps the muscles around the larynx to release tension. This is good for the quality of sound of your voice and general vocal health.

One of the practise exercises we did when I was training at Royal Central, London, was to imagine a wonderful fragrance, hold that in my hands and then deeply inhale it. The purpose of the exercise was to encourage the diaphragm muscles and the intercostal muscles of the ribs to relax and enable a really deep breath of air into the lungs.

What was the fragrance I imagined and inhaled? It could have been the smell of newly ground coffee, or a freshly mown hay meadow, or a sizzling cooked breakfast just being served, or even freshly baked bread. But my most favourite fragrance is breathed in from a full, warm, summer’s day rose.

In our own gardens, public gardens and parks, roses are flowering prolifically at this time. They are flowering in garden centres and nurseries, too, where there’s a chance to discover many varieties and find the very one that gives up its unique scent to you. When you find the most beautiful smelling rose, do take a moment to breathe in that perfume from the petals and allow your lungs to just drink in the super-charged aroma. Breathe it in to the bottom of your lungs and be aware of how very much air your lungs can contain.

This exercise takes us away from everyday worries and concerns for a while. It allows us to be at one with the moment we are experiencing and to focus completely on a single sense. The act of deep breathing is very freeing, it allows an oxygen-loaded stream of air to enter our lungs, providing oxygen to the blood stream, feeding our body and nourishing our brain.

Even for those who do not have access to outside space of their own, a walk in the local park can be extremely beneficial to a general sense of well-being. Creating a collection of indoor plants can also be instrumental in providing an oxygen-rich environment and bring the pleasure of watching the growth of herbs, flowers or seedlings into your office or living space.

Connection with nature, noticing small things and giving oneself permission to switch off for a few moments and engage with some of the small marvels of the great outdoors, can act as a real boost that can only help your voice.

Those deep, lung-filling breaths can be used to ground ourselves, to settle our nerves, before giving an important talk or speech, linking to the memory of the most delicious smell, deeply inhaled.

Voice and accent coaching isn’t always just about pronunciation, pausing, intonation and power. Voice coaching can and should include relaxation techniques to help you and your voice work in harmony.

For more information, about any aspect of voice coaching, please get in touch to have a free chat.