The energy of speech comes from our muscles via the air of our breath. The action of the breath is controlled by three muscle regions, producing three types of breath that create different types of vocal sound.
1. The Abdomen Breath
When you contract your abdomen air is forced up and out of the lungs. When the abdominal muscles relax the lungs stretch downwards. This breath produces a long vertical column of air that vibrates with the deep tones of speech.
2. The Chest Breath
Contraction and relaxation of the muscles of the rib cage cause the lungs to compress and expand widthways. This breath produces expansive, fiery tones.
3. The Top Breath
The very top of the lungs, the neck and the head cavities, form the top breath. The way sound resonates in these spaces produces the articulation and fine shaping of sound.
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Exercise 1. Say ‘abdomen’. Feel the sound vibrate deep in the trunk of your body. 
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Exercise 2. Say ‘chest’ and feel the sound thrust forward with the action of the rib cage muscles. 
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Exercise 3. Say ‘articulate’ and feel the body of resonant air in the mouth, head cavities and neck being shaped and formed. 
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Exercise 4. Say ‘done’. The articulation of the ‘d’ leads to the chest expression of the ‘o". This resonance continues but is changed to ‘n’ by articulation. 
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Exercise 1. Say ‘abdomen’. Feel the sound vibrate deep in the trunk of your body. * |
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Exercise 2. Say ‘chest’ and feel the sound thrust forward with the action of the rib cage muscles. * |
Exercise 3. Say ‘articulate’ and feel the body of resonant air in the mouth, head cavities and neck being shaped and formed. * |
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Exercise 4. Say ‘done’. The articulation of the ‘d’ leads to the chest expression of the ‘o’. This resonance continues but is changed to ‘n’ by articulation. * |
Hearing with your body.
Acoustic hearing.
From sound to speech.
Active reading.
From sound to symbol.