Count your inhales with your hands across the belly. Then, exhale for a longer duration than you inhale. Practice drawing in breath for four counts and then extending for six or eight counts. Take another deep breath and practice exhaling twice as long as you inhale. Inhale for four counts and exhale for eight. Soften your belly so your abdomen rises outward with each inhalation. Avoid shallow breathing. Breathe deeply into your stomach and use this technique throughout the day.
Adjust your posture to support deeper breathing. Notice whether you are arching your low back or hunching over in the shoulders. Lengthen the spine so the tailbone and the crown move away from one another. Bring the hips and the shoulders in line so your chest can expand evenly in all directions. Proper postural alignment will help support and sustain your voice while singing.
Recline on the floor and feel your abdomen with your hands as you breathe in and out. Sing with your back supported by the floor and notice how your ribs and stomach expand. Supporting the spine against a hard surface changes the way you support your voice. These postural adjustments can be repeated in a seated or standing position. Sing a lengthy melody in different positions to witness the change in the quality of your voice.
Recline over a rolled blanket or exercise mat. Place the mat under your bottom two ribs. Breathe and notice the support under your rib cage. Also feel the diaphragm reach deeper into the abdomen in this position. Lifting the bottom ribs in this restorative back bend helps your singing improve over time. A slight lift in the ribs brings more space for your diaphragm to expand into the abdomen.
Use sound while practicing your deep breathing. Make sounds like hmmmm, bzzzzz or ayeee. Sustain the sound as long as possible and vary the quality of your voice as you practice. Deep breathing helps control the amount of air available for singing. Use your voice while breathing out with different sounds. Learn which sounds require more air to sustain.