Why Humming?
At the beginning of our lessons and while blowing bubbles, we hum! At first, this came intuitively. As I dug into more research, I uncovered many hidden benefits of humming! Not only does this help little ones to find and assert their voice, building confidence and say, I am here and ready to go, a multitude of other benefits abound….
Humming while exhaling not only helps prep the student for blowing bubbles, but it also helps increase nitric oxide production in the body, which in turn, helps with neural plasticity (building and repair of the nervous system). It activated the vagus nerve, stimulating our parasympathetic nervous system- our rest and digest state. If we can generate a state of calmness, we listen better, learn better, and do better.
Nitric oxide is a vasodilator, meaning it helps blood flow more easily through the body it makes breathing easier by relaxing the muscles in the lungs and widening the airway. Humming dilates blood vessels, helping to oxygenate and relax the body. “If there’s better blood flow, you have reduced blood pressure, and because of that, it also relaxes the nervous system. When you relax the nervous system, your agitated mind is also calmed down,” said Faisal Tabusalla, a functional breathing instructor and movement coach also based in the Philippines.
All this vibration likely stimulates our vagus nerve (we actually have two), part of our parasympathetic nervous system. This is the nervous system that calms and restores body functions such as our heart rate, digestion and respiration. The vagus nerve, governs the body's parasympathetic “rest and digest” state, lowering anxiety and releasing potent relaxing hormones. People often hum as a way to relax.
From a magical standpoint, we are vibration. Water is vibration. Water is responsive. We are made of water. Communicating with ourselves and to the water elicits cohesion and alignment. Overall, this creates a more joyful experience in the water for the student!