Raising soft palate and Eustachian tubes

Hi! I'm a beginner singer trying to get used to raising my soft palate, but many times when I get my mouth/throat into the yawn position - my ears click or pop and stay in a muted mode where I hear bassier and more resonant tones (if that makes sense) until I release the position. A bit of googling called this issue "voluntary tubal opening". Am I approaching the technique wrong? Thanks in advance!

Spencer

Hi, Spencer! It sounds like you're getting into a yawn position rather than a pre-yawn position. Try inhaling while making a "K" sound, and see if you can feel the soft palate gently lifting. We don't want to sing in a yawn position!