I recently read the following on a yoga teacher's Instagram account:

When I try to do the poses they don't work out so well. But when I step back, assume the form, and listen, my body somehow knows what to do.

Then my voice-teacher mind heard:

When I try to sing it doesn't work out so well. But when I hold back my breath, assume the form of the vowel I am going to sing, and listen, my voice somehow knows what to do.

Holding back the breath? It has less to do with the amount of air in the lungs than it does the feeling of lift (extension) from pelvis to crown of head.

This same action happens when practicing yoga, and is illustrated in the pose on this page. To assume this form, the student first elongates the spine by "lifting the heart" before bending forward, or placing the foot behind the back. In fact, this lifting and elongating makes bending possible. You can't have one without the other.

So, just as when the yogi lifts his heart in order to bend forward, or the archer draws back the bow before releasing the arrow, so the singer can sing when held by the tone.

Photo Credit: Pinterest