“Relax the ___”

📝 … is not helping tension in singers.

In voice training, “relax” or “less effort” is often offered as the solution to tension.

But effort itself isn’t the problem.
Disorganization is.

The nervous system depends on clear information from the body to coordinate movement. Muscles provide that information through change—contracting, releasing, lengthening, and returning.

They are not meant to be “off.”

When singers are asked to relax without a clear alternative, many land in an in-between state:

• not fully engaged

• not fully released

• waiting for something to feel different

From a neurological perspective, this is a dead zone.

The brain relies on clean feedback to assess alignment, safety, and efficiency. When part of the muscular chain disengages without support elsewhere, the system compensates—often through the neck, jaw, breath, or voice.

What We’re Seeing in the Data

In my research using XP elasta sensors in collaboration with University of California San Diego, we’ve been able to observe how singers distribute load across the body during vocal tasks.

What consistently shows up isn’t excessive force, but uneven contribution.

When one area drops out of the chain, another area quietly takes over. Over time, that redistribution leads to fatigue, tension, and the sensation of “pushing”—even when the singer is actively trying to do less.

The nervous system isn’t asking for relaxation.
It’s asking for clear, coordinated participation.

Why the In-Between Creates Fatigue

Muscles function in cycles.
Clear contraction is followed by clear release.

When that cycle is interrupted—when effort is reduced without being redistributed—the signal to the brain becomes noisy. The system doesn’t know what’s working, so it recruits extra help.

That’s where singers often feel:

• global tightness instead of specific support

• breath pressure instead of buoyancy

• vocal fatigue without obvious strain

The voice isn’t failing.
It’s compensating.

A More Useful Question for Singers

Instead of asking:
“How do I use less effort?”

Try giving the singer a new input with functional applied neurology. Try a cranial nerve assessment to help protective, stuck singing. Or, maybe it’s a strength drill to map the biggest muscle in the back: latissimus dorsi.

When contraction and release are well organized, singing often feels easier—not because effort disappeared, but because it’s evenly distributed.

Ease Is an Outcome, Not a Command

Over relaxation without organization can negatively impact support.
Effort without balance can create strain.

But when the nervous system receives clear information, it can coordinate both.

Ease isn’t the absence of work.
It’s work that makes sense to the brain.

~Kim M.

Small Steps Create Big Shifts

Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.

The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.

You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.

Turn Intention Into Action

Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.

The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.

You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.

Make Room for Growth

Confidence doesn’t always arrive with a bold entrance. Sometimes, it builds quietly, step by step, as we show up for ourselves day after day. It grows when we choose to try, even when we’re unsure of the outcome. Every time you take action despite self-doubt, you reinforce the belief that you’re capable. Confidence isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about trusting that you can figure it out along the way.

The key to making things happen isn’t waiting for the perfect moment; it’s starting with what you have, where you are. Big goals can feel overwhelming when viewed all at once, but momentum builds through small, consistent action. Whether you’re working toward a personal milestone or a professional dream, progress comes from showing up — not perfectly, but persistently. Action creates clarity, and over time, those steps forward add up to something real.

You don’t need to be fearless to reach your goals, you just need to be willing. Willing to try, willing to learn, and willing to believe that you’re capable of more than you know. The road may not always be smooth, but growth rarely is. What matters most is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in the version of yourself you’re becoming.