Speaking is a verb. So many of us never think about it. It’s just something we do. Nothing special about it. Speaking isn’t like running or jumping. Speaking doesn’t require physical exertion. Therein lies the myth.
We do not think of speaking as a verb in terms of our own activity level. Because we are used to how we speak, we rarely put any effort into it. Even some of my clients who have been trainers and presenters for years don’t think of speaking as an action.
I will tell you it is. Speaking, especially professional speaking, as in teaching, training, ministering, coaching, presenting, podcasting or tarot reading is most certainly, a verb. It is an action, a physical activity that requires preparation and body awareness.
Don’t blame yourself if you’ve never thought of speaking in terms of physical exertion. I am willing to bet no one ever mentioned it. Those oral reports we gave in school were often graded on content and they were short in length by professional speaking standards. So they are not the best measure of success. Then add in that most teachers don’t have professional voice training, how could they possibly the students?
This blog is about breathing; the heart of speaking, singing or tarot reading. I use the phrase “on the air” a lot in voice coaching. My teachers did as well, not because we were training for broadcasting but because the voice floats “on the air” of the speaker’s or singer’s breath.
What does this mean for you, dear reader? It means that “Air Management” is crucial.
It means that the correct amount of pressure is used to create sound, not too much and not too little, and the voice is supported at all times. Most often what happens is we start out ok, sometimes even too loud or breathy in an effort to appear enthusiastic or reach the back of the room. (see my last blog for tips on this.) As our talking goes on we get dry, we get tired, and we start breathing deeper, we start audibly inhaling to get more air which in turn leads to more dryness and more tiredness. The more tired we get the harder we try, speaking louder, sometimes blowing too much air through the cords causing them to rub against each other leading to hoarseness. This situation would be an example of not being “on the air”.
A quick note for my yoga practicing friends, please be careful when using audible breathing techniques such as “ujaya”. This is breathing with the intention of being an audible breath focused in the throat and can be drying and irritating to the vocal cords after long practice. Please give your voice a rest and schedule speaking engagements or readings at least 30-45 minutes after you have stopped audibly breathing.
Another visualization for monitoring your volume control is to imagine the voice springing off the center of your tongue and popping right into the face of your listener. The way I describe it is to ask the client to imagine they have a hard candy sitting on the middle of their tongue. This helps to refocus the tone forward so that it moves more freely out of the mouth. Imagining your own voice hitting someone else in the nose is a very good visual that brings instant awareness to those who speak forcefully all the time.
My tarot note for this blog is the Princess of Swords. This is the from the Zillich Tarot, a Thoth inspired deck with beautiful watercolor artwork by Christine Zillich. I received my copy as a gift at The Tarot School’s Readers’ Studio 2018 in NYC. The Princess of Swords is depicted taking decisive action. Her sword cuts through ambiguity. She is strong and active in using her element, which is air. In this same way we much be active with our body when using our voices which are fed by the breath.
There are no coincidences. I sat down to write about breath and active full body speaking and how to take care with your voice which I decided on three days ago, the consulted the tarot before I began typing and the card I drew was the Princess of Air who wields her sword with surety.
May you expand your practice using the tips here and provide clarity to your audience or seeker though a voice that actively speaks “on the air”.
Please reach out to me through my Let’s Get Started page if you have any questions or concerns. Please share with your tribe! Thank you!
To further explore some of these concepts on your own my, “The Magic of Melody”, is a great free self study course.
