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When I first started running distance, I’d often get the classic side cramps that many new runners experience. But I also felt a deeper, more specific discomfort around the scar tissue in my chest—a tightness that seemed to radiate around my entire torso.
Instinctively, I began to imagine breathing into a backpack, expanding the space behind my heart and between my shoulder blades. My running completely changed. I felt lighter, my breath came easier, and my whole body moved with more freedom.
Years later, I learned about the posterior mediastinum and realized that what I had intuitively worked on was anatomically sound. This experience shaped how I approach breath training for singers and voice professionals today.
What is the Posterior Mediastinum?
The posterior mediastinum is the space behind your heart, nestled between the lungs and in front of the thoracic spine. It houses critical structures like the esophagus, descending aorta, thoracic duct, and major nerves like the vagus nerve and sympathetic chain.
But this space isn’t just about its contents. It plays a vital role in pressure distribution, spinal flexibility, and breath mechanics—all crucial for efficient vocal performance.
Why This Space Matters for Breath and Voice:
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Posterior Expansion and Pressure Management:
When most people think about breath, they focus on the front of the chest. But true breath efficiency requires multi-directional expansion—front, sides, and back. Expanding into the posterior mediastinum reduces strain on the ribs, spine, and vocal folds by balancing internal pressures. -
Freeing the Diaphragm:
The diaphragm is a multidirectional muscle, not just a piston moving up and down. It needs space to expand outward, including backward, to create optimal pressure for breath support and vocal freedom. -
Spinal Mobility and Thoracic Flexibility:
The spine, particularly the thoracic region, must remain mobile to allow for full ribcage expansion and efficient lung function. If the posterior mediastinum is tight, it can restrict this mobility, leading to adaptive tension patterns. -
Fascial Connections and Fluid Dynamics:
The posterior mediastinum is also rich in fascia and contains the thoracic duct, a major lymphatic vessel that influences fluid balance and immune function. Restrictions here can impact whole-body movement, breath efficiency, and recovery.
Why Singers Should Care:
Efficient breath is not just about diaphragm strength or lung capacity. It’s about finding space—space for the lungs to expand, for the diaphragm to descend, and for pressure to distribute evenly throughout the torso.
When you train your breath to include this often-overlooked space, you:
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Reduce strain on the vocal folds by distributing pressure more evenly.
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Improve endurance and breath control, whether you’re singing a long phrase or projecting in a challenging acoustic.
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Create a sense of physical and vocal freedom that allows for more dynamic expression.
Try This – The Backpack Breath:
Inhale slowly and quietly through your nose, imagining the air expanding into a backpack behind your heart and between your shoulder blades. Allow this gentle, three-dimensional expansion without forcing a big stretch. Notice how it shifts your posture, creates space, and frees your breath.
Takeaway:
Understanding and expanding the posterior mediastinum can transform your breath and vocal performance. It’s not just about moving air—it’s about finding freedom, efficiency, and ease in every breath.
Stay expansive,
Christine
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