YFTS Spotlight: Nora Tirrell
Our YFTS Spotlight Series features singers, artists, and musicians who have experienced the benefits of yoga in their lives and careers.
We’d love to hear from you! Don’t hesitate to email us if you’d like to participate in this series.
Hey Nora! Thanks for chatting with YFTS! Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do?
I’m a singer/songwriter from Marblehead, MA! I grew up in Marblehead where I got involved in tons of different musical activities as a kid - church choir, school choir, a cappella, voice lessons, etc. I took piano lessons until middle school and then continued playing on my own! I started to tap into songwriting my senior year of high school and was able to study it more when I got accepted to Berklee in 2013! I ended up majoring in music business and songwriting. Right now, I'm a full-time nanny to a family of 2 kids that I love so much, in addition to writing, gigging and recording music.
What inspired you to start practicing yoga?
One of my best friends from childhood, who I ended up living with right after college, did yoga from time to time, and one day she just invited me to come into her room with her and try it. After that, I discovered Yoga with Adriene on YouTube and started practicing almost daily. I didn't even realize all of the incredible benefits, not only physically but mentally as well, until I found myself in a position of transition when I was deciding to move to Nashville. Yoga helped me so much through all of the anxiety of moving away from home, moving in with my partner, and just making big decisions in general.
How has yoga affected you and your vocal journey?
Yoga has improved my breath support and just overall mental health so much more than I ever could have imagined. It's been such a great tool for me to use to not only exercise but get out of my own head and into my body. The daily practice for sure has made massive improvements in my mobility, my anxiety and just my overall health. In terms of vocal health, it has definitely made me so much more aware of my breath and how I use it and just how to breathe in a more relaxed way. I used to really stress about breathing the "correct" way when singing, but now it just feels effortless, as this is a big thing when doing yoga. I've seen my mental health shift so much - for example, when a stressful situation comes up, I feel like now I am able to take a step back and assess the situation instead of just reacting right away out of anxiety or fear. This has been huge for me, as I've struggled with anxiety since middle school and never felt like I had the proper tools to learn how to live more easily with my anxiety.
What are some stretches and poses that help you as a singer?
As a singer, I find that neck rolls really help me loosen up and not feel so tense in my neck and throat. Side body stretches help enormously with singing - it just really helps me feel more open in my body, and able to stand taller and more confidently. Most open arm stretches just really help me open up my body and give me more space to breathe and sing. I also find that with Yoga with Adriene, the YouTube channel I use mostly to do my daily practice, she emphasizes on taking up space while doing yoga and I find this is something that can so easily be applied to singing as well - just giving yourself physical, and also mental, space to take up and just fill.
What would you say to other singers and creatives who might be hesitant to try yoga?
To any creatives that may be hesitant about yoga, I would say that there's no reason not to try it. The benefits can take some time to see, you may not feel an immediate change, but over the last few years, I have noticed a massive improvement on my voice. Yoga has allowed me to move my body in a way that feels good and any tightness or anxiety that I might have felt with singing is practically eliminated by practicing yoga. My body has just become so much more connected in terms of my breath that singing starts to feel so much more effortless and less strained.
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