Sky-pointing Tracheal Flutter

This is a slightly edited version of what also appears on my website with a photo of a snowy egret sky-pointing display at http://www.raysender.com/skypointing.html

Recently, I recalled that the courtship displays of various long-billed bird species (the booby, albatross and snowy egret amongst them) involve a gesture that ornithologists call ‘sky-pointing’ –- the head thrown back and the beak pointing skywards. Birds also tilt their heads back to slide water down their throats –- perhaps there is a relationship between the two gestures (“You’re my cool drink of water, honey-pie!”)?

I tried the sky-pointing gesture lying on my back. A pillow placed under my chest tilted my head back nicely, and that allowed me to place the sound further down into my chest. Smiling widely, with head thrown back (breathe in from the corners of the mouth as well as the nose)

INHALE:
Snoring a loud SNORE on the inhale through mouth and nose, deeply into the chest, rattling the septum and resonating into the chest: KAWWWWWWWWW

EXHALE:
Gargling a loud GARGLE on the exhale, sounding a French 'r' in the back of the throat and the chest: KUNHHHHHHHHHHH

After ten rounds, making sure that I resonate the trachea all the way into the lungs, I can feel my fingers and toes begin to tingle. Why? I think it's because the trachea snuggles up against the aorta, the main artery of the body, as it enters the heart. The tracheal resonance vibrates the aorta and the heart, which pass the vibration out through all the veins and arteries of the body.

For more information on tracheal resonance, do a search on the phrase on line. It will lead you to vocal coaches' websites talking about how "tracheal resonance" is what gives Pavarotti his marvelous voice. "Beautiful chest tones," I believe is the usual expression one hears. But for me, it's just a beautiful feeling.