Random Quirks #1 - Humming (not the bird!!!)

Part of a series on random quirks that I picked up

Ahoy, friends! Welcome to a new series on Random Quirks, in which I will inform you about some random stuff I picked up over the years.

Today’s topic is one I learned a few years back, about Humming. My yoga teacher said that if you hum for half an hour in the morning, before, during, and after your bath, you will not only practice your songwriting, but also improve your vocal abilities, reduce stress, and make you generally more happy and cheerful during the day.

You may be wondering how I got all this evidence. After that one yoga class, trust me when I say I didn’t believe it. I tried humming for fun, and I didn’t feel anything different. Although I did win a humming competition at our school a few weeks after I started humming in the morning, I didn’t actually see any change.

However, after a few months, I started really enjoying my projects in school. I felt like I participated more and was more open to everyone, especially the final project of the term. That project was probably one of the best I did! No team disputes and our teamwork was so good the entire class got in on it.

So here’s the science:

• Humming stimulates your relaxation response and signals to your parasympathetic nervous system that you are safe. Humming or singing to yourself (even quietly) creates vibrations that massage the section of the vagus nerve near your vocal cords

  

• Research has shown humming to be much more than a self-soothing sound: it affects us on a physical level, reducing stress, inducing calmness, and enhancing sleep as well as lowering heart rate and blood pressure and producing powerful neurochemicals such as oxytocin, the “love” hormone.

So, all in all, you should definitely start humming your way through the day! Comment below if it helped you. Sayonara, from KidLokSe!