Voice and Speech Review

ISSN: 2326-8263 (Print) 2326-8271 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rvsr20

Vocal yoga: the joy of breathing, singing, and

sounding

Linda Nicholls-Gidley

To cite this article: Linda Nicholls-Gidley (2017) Vocal yoga: the joy of breathing, singing, and
sounding, Voice and Speech Review, 11:3, 367-369, DOI: 10.1080/23268263.2017.1389815

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2017.1389815

Published online: 11 Oct 2017.

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Voice and Speech Review, 2017
VOL. 11, NO. 3, 367–370

BOOK REVIEWS

Vocal yoga: the joy of breathing, singing, and sounding, by Heather Lyle, Lithia
Springs, GA, New Leaf Distributing Co., 2010, 262pp., U.S. $18.95 (paperback), ISBN
9780982615096

Physical ways into voice are well established in voice pedagogy. Many voice instructors use
elements of Eastern traditions in our work. I have known the benefit of Tai Chi, Yoga, and
other forms of physical expression as a way into my own voice practice, and I have anecdotal
evidence that suggests my students gain a great deal from understanding the voice as part of an
embodied physical expression and as a part of the body, breath, and voice all working together.
So, I approached Heather Lyle’s text Vocal Yoga: The Joy of Breathing, Singing, and Sounding with
a great deal of interest and excitement at the possibility of finding new and interesting ways to
enliven my own teaching and vocal practice.
Lyle explains her title Vocal Yoga in her preface: “The literal translation of yoga is union;
therefore, vocal yoga means vocal union. The state of vocal union is a state that we all universally
desire” (xv). The concept is clear, Vocal Yoga is the Voice and Body coming together. Lyle then
goes on to outline the way the book has come together, beginning as a leaflet of vocal exercises
and gradually growing into its current form by way of supplemental exercises. She also speaks
of her studies in historical vocal pedagogy and the usefulness of understanding anatomically
how the body works in order to understand its use. Lyle returns to these three areas throughout
Vocal Yoga, each area having its own particular style and attitude.
The introduction speaks wonderfully of the voice as the self and of Pythagoras’ idea of uni-
versal harmony. “Sound is not restrained by tubes,” says Lyle, “it can vibrate into the core of
our cells and float through our cell walls free of restriction” (1). Though short, the preface and
introduction only number 2 pages in total, and in these first passages, the reader gains a glimpse
of the author as teacher. Throughout, Lyle shares her holistic approach with us more as com-
panions on the journey toward vocal union rather than as instructor to student.
“Part One—Preparing the Body” begins in the style of the preface and introduction, comfort-
able and personable in its manner. Lyle discusses “body bracing/armoring” and offers an exercise
to explore the instinct to brace in the face of a difficult or stressful situation. The exercise is clear
in its intent and easily leads the reader to understand how one might minimize the impact of
bracing on the body and the breath.
The following chapters start to shift in style away from the easy guidance of experienced
teacher toward a more perfunctory instructional voice. Readers are introduced to body warm-up
and alignment exercises, and the author encourages us to check in with our body. The exer-
cises are described clearly, though some are described with more detail than others, and the
accompanying photographs provide some assistance with physicality. Unfortunately, none of the
photographs are labeled or include symbols/diagrams that might assist the novice in ascertaining
whether they are achieving the desired outcome. Here, however, the book starts to gain a sense
of the original leaflet of vocal exercises. These exercises read as though they have been written
in a kind of shorthand, perhaps for students who have attended classes with the author. Few
of the exercises are linked to the next with comments, assertions, or guidance for the novice.
It is indeed as though Lyle has taken her leaflet of exercises and cut and pasted them into the
pages of Vocal Yoga. Despite this, the exercises are succinct and demonstrate a clear progression
through the body to alignment.
368  BOOK REVIEWS

During “Chapter Four—Breathing,” I began to wonder if I had mistakenly picked up another

voice text. The style became much more academic and much less personable. Describing the
anatomy of breathing is not an easy task; however, the marked shift in language/word choice
and the assumed prior knowledge in the first part of this chapter seemed at odds to the previ-
ous chapters, where the physical and spiritual journey were key. There is no doubt that Lyle is a
knowledgeable expert, but the reader suddenly feels distanced from the material. In this chapter,
we are given anatomical drawings of the breathing musculature which appear as though they are
sourced directly from Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body. These pictures are less helpful than
the photographic illustrations used for the exercises, as the labeling of the muscle groups is, for
the most part, too faint and too small to read. Subsequent chapters also include these drawings
to similar effect. Larger, more streamlined, clearly labeled illustrations would assist the learner
to understand the anatomical phrasing used throughout the book.
It is also in Chapter Four that we are introduced to Lyle’s particular area of study, historical
voice pedagogy, with regular quotes from master teachers and singers. The background infor-
mation is informative and interesting; yet, it is presented in an academic way and again leaves
the reader feeling distanced from the text. In direct opposition to this Lyle goes on to introduce
us to Pranayama breathing techniques, and we return to the easy, practical, and accessible voice
leading us through the exercises.
Lyle’s skill and deep connection to the work really shines through in these practical sections
such as Singing Vinyasa Series (100–104). Each posture is described in conjunction with the
breath and the sound—the vocal yoga (union) of Lyle’s title coming to the fore. The same can
be said of Yoga Toning (167–171). In this chapter Lyle brings together the spiritual practice of
Yoga and the visceral feeling process used in training singers and actors to increase awareness
of their vibrations. “In addition to being great for your soul,” says Lyle, “chanting also has the
benefit of increasing one’s awareness of subtle sensations that, when felt, contribute to beautiful
tone” (168). I enjoyed these exercises and welcomed the growing awareness of my vibrations
as I progressed through the chakras. I found it harder to connect with the mantras (172–176),
which came with literal translations of the Sanskrit but no pronunciation guide. Throughout
Vocal Yoga, Lyle introduces us to her ideas of good and bad voice use, and while I see that this
can be a useful short-hand to stop the reader from utilizing inefficient vocal practice, I often felt
that the statements came across as pejorative or derogatory. The negative connotations contained
in statements such as: “the four worst habits of breathing” (72) and “the actor needs to be aware
of all the resonant possibilities of the voice from very nasal and ugly, to very beautiful” (159)
made me feel uncomfortable.
Ultimately, Vocal Yoga covers considerably more than yoga poses and vocal training. It con-
tains a history of singing pedagogy that also includes reference to speech training. It is an
anatomical guide to the muscles of voice and speech and provides exercises for performance
anxiety and a pathway to spiritual enlightenment. The novice voice or singing student will have
little trouble doing the physical exercises; these are gentle stretches and can be easily modified
if necessary. Readers may need to keep a dictionary handy for the more scientific explanations
of the vocal musculature, and prior knowledge of the Yogic chants seems necessary to receive
the full benefit of exploring resonance while chanting (173). Perhaps Lyle tries to cover too
many facets of the work in one book. The sheer historical scope of voice and singing pedagogy
covered in the text could make for an additional book in its own right. Nevertheless, I believe
that this book’s strength lies in the sections where we can perceive Lyle’s teaching voice loud
and clear; “Creating energy for the voice requires some sort of catalyst; we can’t always jump up
and down … Passion creates energy to excite the voice, which will also transfer to the audience”
(116). “The more you connect with your voice … the more your confidence, peace and sense
of personal power increases” (176). These kinds of personal moments in the book resonate the
most with me, and I am sure will resonate with others.
 VOICE AND SPEECH REVIEW  369

Notes on contributor

Linda Nicholls-Gidley is a voice, accents, and dialect coach-based in Sydney Australia.

She has worked across theatre, film, and television, in ADR and Voice Over. Theatre
credits include the international touring production of Dreamworks’ How to Train
Your Dragon – Arena Spectacular and the Australian National tours of The Bodyguard
the Musical, We Will Rock You, Legends, The Rocky Horror Show, Dirty Dancing,
Annie the Musical, and Opera Australia’s The Merry Widow. She regularly coaches
accents and dialects in the Sydney independent theatre scene, and is associate lecturer
in Voice at Australia’s prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art.

Linda Nicholls-Gidley
National Institute of Dramatic Art, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
vocovox@bigpond.com
© 2017 Linda Nicholls-Gidley
https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2017.1389815

Accents & dialects for stage and screen, 1st edition, by Paul Meier, Lawrence,
KS, Paul Meier Dialect Services, LC, 2016, 370 pp., U.S. $99.95 (eBook), ISBN: 978-1-
938029-54-7

Paul Meier’s book, Accents & Dialects for Stage and Screen, offers a straightforward approach
in the dissemination of dialect and accent education for actors in the classroom as well as
for the acting professional. The digital form offers easy accessibility to multiple mediums of
accent and dialect resources, even more than its printed edition. The new digital book allows
quick download and access from a multitude of devices with the touch of a finger, replacing
the heavy and cumbersome book and CDs. The new eBook version of Accents & Dialects for
Stage and Screen is available for purchase and download in iTunes and is compatible with Mac
products including: iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Unfortunately, this eBook isn’t compatible
with Windows computing systems.
Meier’s book has been a mainstay in the vocal dialect training of actors for the stage and
screen. In its printed form, his book is accompanied by CDs featuring auditory samples as well
as guided exercises in breaking down each accent and dialect by signature sounds, syllabic stress,
intonation, identifying lexical sets, and explaining pronunciations as well as rhythm patterns.
Students are given ample opportunities to practice and master the work Meier presents through
sentences for practice, coordination exercises, and monologues. Students are also directed to
IDEA: International Dialects of English Archive (widely cited in the book). IDEA, founded by
Meier, offers a variety of dialect samples from native speakers, giving actors an opportunity to
create individual, authentic accents and dialects. The connection to IDEA also gives learners
a deeper understanding of how signature sounds will differ from person to person, instilling
that one voice sample isn’t necessarily the only voice. Between the samples from IDEA as well
as samples from the digital book, learners have a plethora of examples, inspiring the idea that
proficiency in any of the dialects covered is achievable. The eBook edition of Accents & Dialects
for Stage and Screen improves upon itself with series of colorful photographs of each culture and
geographical area as well as a thorough explanation of how the social culture of an area effects the
dialects of its people. For example, in the chapter on the South Boston Dialect, Meier addresses