Week 1 – Chair Pose
LESSON SUMMARY:
This video guides viewers through the Chair Pose to achieve a straight spine and level head, using a wall for alignment. The exercise emphasizes the effort required for good posture and its positive impact on relaxation and focus.
DAILY ACTIVITIES
Lesson Focus: Tall spine, level head, and posture awareness using wall-based alignment and breathwork.
Day 1: Watch & Align
Activity:
Watch the “Chair Pose” video and explore what tall posture really feels like using the wall for support.
What You’ll Do:
- Watch the “Chair Pose” video.
- Stand a foot away from the wall, lean back, and follow the guided posture setup.
- Take 3 deep breaths and notice your body’s position.
Goal: Feel the difference between your natural stance and true posture alignment using the wall.
Day 2: Chair Pose Check-In
Activity:
Try the Chair Pose again—this time on your own. Focus on memory, muscle engagement, and breath.
What You’ll Do:
- Without the video, repeat the Chair Pose.
- Take 3–5 deep breaths and try to stay focused on body awareness.
- Ask yourself: Which muscles are working? What feels relaxed? What needs more attention?
Goal: Begin developing muscle memory and body awareness during posture work.
Day 3: Posture + Breath Challenge
Activity:
Use your posture to improve your breath control with longer, smoother breaths.
What You’ll Do:
- Get into Chair Pose.
- Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 2, exhale for 6 counts. Repeat 3 times.
- Notice how your breath moves more easily with your spine aligned.
Goal: Connect posture to better breath control — a key element for strong singing.
Day 4: Mirror Check & Real-World Practice
Activity:
Today, test your posture in everyday life and reflect on it.
What You’ll Do:
- Stand in front of a mirror and practice your tall stance.
- Check: Are your shoulders relaxed? Is your head level?
- Try holding this posture while brushing your teeth, waiting in line, or making a phone call.
Goal: Begin integrating posture awareness into real-world situations.
Day 5: Slide Up + Sing
Activity:
Let’s test your singing posture! Start in Chair Pose and then transition into a standing singing posture.
What You’ll Do:
- Do the Chair Pose as usual.
- Slowly slide up the wall to standing tall.
- Try humming a scale (1-3-5-3-1) in this new position and notice the sound and control.
Goal: Transfer your posture work into your singing voice with steady tone and breath.
Day 6: My Singing Space
Activity:
Create a singing space in your room with posture-friendly reminders.
What You’ll Do:
- Place a sticky note near your practice area that says “Tall Spine, Relaxed Neck.”
- Practice Chair Pose and then sing a short phrase from a favorite song.
- Compare your sound with and without posture awareness.
Goal: Make posture a habit in your singing routine.
Day 7: Posture Recap & Voice Reflection
Activity:
Reflect on how your voice and posture have changed over the week.
What You’ll Do:
- Do the full Chair Pose + Slide Up sequence.
- Sing your short phrase again with posture awareness.
- Write down or say out loud: “What did I notice about my breath, tone, or confidence?”
Goal: Solidify the connection between posture and vocal strength.
In this video, you’ll learn about the Chair Pose and how it helps you maintain a tall spine and a level head. A straight spine can be tricky to achieve since we often arch or hunch our backs without realizing it.
To help you understand what a straight spine feels like, you’ll use a wall as a guide. By leaning against the wall, you’ll get a clear sense of how to align your spine from your hips to your shoulders.
What You’ll Do
- Position Your Feet: Stand about a foot away from the wall.
- Lean Back: Rest your weight against the wall to align your spine.
- Breathe: Take three deep breaths to feel how your body adjusts in this posture.
What You’ll Learn
- Effort in Good Posture: Maintaining good posture requires some effort from your muscles, and it might take time to get used to it.
- Slide and Stand Tall: After leaning on the wall, you’ll slide up to stand tall, keeping your upper body posture intact.
- Feel the Changes: Notice how this posture impacts your neck, making it relaxed and level.
By practicing this pose, you’ll discover how good posture can positively affect other parts of your body.
Instructor: Meghan
Meghan McCall is an experienced singer-actor, who has been described by The Washington Post as having “bell-like clarity and fine control” and “a radiant full-bodied voice.”
She has performed all over the world, including performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and more. In addition, her film roles have been featured on major networks such as NBC, Discovery Channel, and Lifetime.
Throughout her performing career, Meghan has helped many clients find their voice – whether for public speaking, singing on stage, or just for recreation.