How to lubricate the vocal folds correctly
The vocal folds are, of course, not located in the esophagus, so drinking water might hydrate the body, hence distributed to the various organs, but simply drinking won’t lubricate them as well. In order to lubricate the vocal folds, one needs to perform steaming.
Steaming is an easy practice to carry out. Boil a kettle of water, pour some in a bowl and, after placing a towel over your head and covering the outer edges of the bowl to prevent steam dissipation, simply breathe through the mouth for five or ten minutes.
Afterwards, restraint and discipline is required. Shut up. Seriously, for thirty minutes, don’t speak, and definitely do not whisper. You’ll also need to stay inside for that thirty minutes. If it’s cold outside, wait an hour. Breathing cold air will undo all the steaming. And, before singing, warm up properly. If you spend all that time with your face in a bowl of steaming water, you don’t want to jeopardize all the benefits!
Some people recommend adding eucalyptus oil to the bowl. I suggest that if you do this at all, you only add a drop, because the fumes of the stuff can do more harm than good. If you’ve ever had a sniff of the pure oil, you’ll know what I mean. It’s rough stuff.
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