Question: Should one breathe differently for 'Life' than they do when they perform as a singer or voice actor?
Basically: NO. Most people walk and talk and sleep with exquisite breathing technique. Rarely do you see someone lifting their chest or shoulders to inhale as if desperately gasping for air in the process of ordering a latte. In life, we're not conscious of our breathing, and thus do it perfectly. As singers and actors we feel that, or have learned that we must be conscious of how and when we breathe. And because of that extra attention on it, we tend to get in our own way. As you have been reading this, you have breathed maybe 6-10 times without thinking about it. Now....keep observing how you are breathing but don't force it, just WAIT and observe. (breathe 3 times before moving on)
Now we are bridging the gap between unconscious and conscious breathing. It is true, sometimes as singers and actors we do have to plan when, and how much air we are to inhale. But what if each time we breathe, even if planned, we are accessing our 'unconscious' breathing technique as 'conscious' performers. Well, that's exactly what we are doing when we're doing it right.
Now, let me get physical and show you how. We already did part 1 - observing your own breathing process without 'sucking' air in. While observing, you will notice that in the abdomen, there is a sense of release, which seems to be connected to the impulse to breathe. This is the diaphragm responding to a relaxed abdomen. This is crucial - you have to let the belly go in order for the diaphragm (it's higher up, but connected) to work efficiently.
Exercise: Lean over in your chair and put your forearms on your thighs - basically a modified squat. (This can be done without a chair as well). You can clasp your hands together in front. This puts the focus even lower in the abdomen, which is especially good for singing. Keep observing. Then start to speak our sing short phrases, utilizing this technique for your inhales. Now we're not getting into breath SUPPORT in this article. Breath support is essentially -- how can we manage our air flow, air pressure, and actually the diaphragm itself during the exhale! Let me know if you need more help with that!! You know where to reach me.
David
http://www.voicelosangeles.com