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15. Humming

Humming is a fun and easy technique that provides incredible health benefits! Use intentionally humming as a practice or hum during the day to your favorite songs to gain the benefits. 

Research has demonstrated that humming can increase the production of nitric oxide (NO). 

Nitric oxide is a powerful antimicrobial and antiviral agent that serves to sanitize the air you breathe. This can impact the type of microbiome colonies in your oral cavity and gut which is extremely important for your health. NO is also a vasodilator which has implications for improving gas exchange in your lungs as well as influencing circulation and blood pressure.

Equipment needed: 

  • Chair with a book/block under your feet so that your knees are at or above your hips.

Instructions:

  1. Ideally sit so that your knees are at or above your hips or use a restorative posture. 
  2. Round out your low back so that you roll back onto your sit bones. You will be slouching a little.  Do not arch your back or stick your chest out. 
  3. Reach your arms out in front of you by resting them on your legs.
  4. Inhale gently and slowly through your nose only.
  5. During your exhale hum trying to prolong the time of your exhale as you get every last drop of air out of your lungs. You should sense vibration in your face. You will also sense your abdominals and front lower ribs folding into your belly. 
  6. Pause until you sense a mild amount of air hunger. This is the cue for you to take your next inhale. If you feel air hunger after you finish your exhale then there is no need to pause.
  7. Inhale as fully as you can without your neck engaging and reach forward with your arms. You should sense your mid back expanding. 
  8. Exhale via humming. 
  9. Practice different pitches from low to high including scales where you are starting low moving up to high and then back down to low. Notice which ranges you have difficulty with and focus more time in those ranges.
  10. Complete 5 breath cycles, rest and repeat 2x.

Perform 2-3x/day, for the next 3-5 days. *Unless otherwise directed.

 

 

Goals: Be able to feel the following with your neck relaxed:

  1. Vibration in your face while humming
  2. No more than a mild amount of air hunger during the pause before you inhale
  3. Extend the duration of your humming exhale to at least 10 seconds
  4. Be able to hum from low to high and high to low pitches with smooth transition between them

 

 

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