Cord compression with relaxed singing

Hi, I've just gone through the cord compression lesson with Camille. I'm working on singing with no tension, as that is one of my biggest problems. I also tend to sing in a breathy tone, so the cord compression lesson really helped. However, I've been practising singing in a relaxed manner and having adequate cord compression at the same time, and I experience a sore feeling in my throat when I try to focus on cord compression. I also feel that my voice is strained when I try to sing with more cord compression. Yet when I try to relax, the breathiness comes back. What am I doing wrong?

That's tricky, Xiaoyin! I'd say: see if you can split the difference between your "breathier" but relaxed sound, and your "strong" but strained sound. Find a middle ground where there is some compression (vocal effort), but not quite as much. Lip trills are another good way to train good compression without straining.