Yoga for Breath Support for Speech 71to the linguistic demands of an utterance, such as syllable stress
(Seikel et al. 2000).
Development of speech breathing in children
Similar to the development of other motor skills, the development
of speech breathing progresses through periods of emergence and
refinement (Boliek et al. 2009). The emergence period, which
occurs from birth to three years of age, involves gradual changes
in speech breathing that relate to anatomical, neurological, and
biomechanical growth. For example, an increase in the size of the
lungs results in increased air volumes used during speech breathing.
However, like all aspects of early development, this emergence
period is characterized by variability, such as the duration of the
exhalation phase of breathing. During the refinement period of
speech breathing, the respiratory system continues to grow as
the length and complexity of spoken utterances increases. Breath
support for speech continues to develop into adolescence (Hixon
and Hoit 2005) allowing for increased vocal intensity, improved
speech intelligibility, and the production of a greater number of
words per minute (Wills, Seberg, and Economides 2014).
Benefits of yoga breathwork for speech production
As discussed in Chapter 1, conscious breathing is one of
the three main practices in yoga. Yoga enables children to
increase their awareness or become mindful of the breath. Long,
deep inhalations and exhalations increase oxygen supply and
eliminate toxins, which the body needs to do to function properly.
The consistent practice of yoga poses strengthens and elongates
muscles, especially those located in the trunk (specifically, the
neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis) in order to maintain proper
alignment for efficient breathing. As all movements develop in a