Fluttering

Fluttering is an effective way (albeit silly) to dump some tension from your face. Face muscles are very small, very complicated and, therefore, a bit difficult to unknot.

Considering all the personal and professional challenges that get dumped on you during the day, it is no wonder that you squint, grimace, clench your jaws, wrinkle your forehead, tense your tongue and jut your head forward! Small face muscles eat up an enormous amount of energy. A tense face messes with your breathing and that messes with your speaking and that messes with your accomplishments.

We will stray briefly from the preferred nose-breathing. Keep any mouth-breathing brief and stop for water if you begin to feel dry.

Keep your mouth closed with lips and jaw muscles completely relaxed. Your lips will be parted slightly only by the escaping exhalation.

1. Breathe in through your nose. Softly blow out each exhalation through your relaxed lips until they flutter. Wet your lips when necessary. Horses and babies make this same sound.
2. Inhale slowly through your nose and breathe out through your “flutter.” Gently squeeze out as much air as possible. The gentle vibration will gradually melt away tension from your face and jaws.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Upgrade Your Phone Tone

Tone trumps content. The way you sound hits a listener’s brain first and only then do they process with what you say. Perhaps our primitive ancestors didn’t have the luxury of the lengthy chat but had only a split-second to evaluate the mood and intent of a potential adversary. Since the era of the caveman, communication has evolved into a powerful and beautiful tool but the old split-second analysis is still with us and perhaps for good reason.

Obviously, if you work the phones professionally, it is absolutely essential that your phone presence be outstanding. You may be the only direct contact a client will ever have with your company. How you sound affects how much the client/customer trusts you, likes you and is willing to listen to you.

Even when you speak to your mom, your neighbor or your banker, tone matters! Everyone has to get past your sound before they will open up to your brilliant content. Remember that speech is only as good as the breathing that supports it.

1. NEVER rush to answer the phone and always take your time with your greeting.
2. BEFORE you respond, EXHALE as much air as is comfortable.
3. Take in a SLOW deep breath and answer.
4. Keep your chin tilted slightly upward.
5. Use an old radio announcer’s trick and smile a little while you are talking.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

LINK: True Voice

True Voice

We work up so much tension in our tiny visual and speech muscles that eventually the feeling of tension becomes the norm. Haven’t you caught sight of your face in the mirror and been surprised at the grimace? This frequent frown can come from something as simple as harsh light or high-decibel noise or your need for new glasses or a hearing aid. Or the frown may be an involuntary physical expression of intense concentration or concern.

Tension in these small and complicated muscles interferes with your breathing and, therefore, the quality of your voice.

1. Say your first name aloud several times and memorize the sound.
2. Then, relax your tongue as if it were asleep on the floor of your mouth.
3. Let go of any abdominal tension and loosen the “drawstring” muscles that circle your mouth.
4. For several breaths just concentrate on the slow steady “tide” of your breathing.
5. Inhale slowly and deeply and then as you exhale, say your name aloud again. Note the change in the quality of your voice.

Be well. Breathe (and speak) beautifully.

Soft Palate Stretch

1. The Soft Palate Stretch builds on our Practice Yawn. Make a typical yawn (vertical oval). Remember that even thinking about a yawn may be enough to trigger the actual yawn. Once you have your oval in place, open it further into a circle.
   
   
2. While you are experiencing the widest part of the yawn, simply lift your upper jaw a bit further and flatten down the back of your tongue. These are small and subtle movements and should not be forced or prolonged. Once or twice is enough.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

The Angry Voice

There is an ancient saying, “Anger blows out the lamp of the mind.”

Anger that is out of control damages your reputation, accomplishes nothing, stresses your cardiovascular system and can even put your life at risk. Then there is honorable anger that focuses energy and helps to fuel a noble cause and often shines a light on a situation that needs to be exposed. Hopefully you avoid the road rage, the temper tantrums and the bar fights but know when to use honorable anger with discretion.

When you are dealing with your honorable anger (as opposed to pitching a fit), it is important to keep control of your sound. If you are angry over an issue or condition and you hope to quickly gain respect or at least understanding for your point of view, then the quality of your voice is important.

The next time you hear someone so outraged that they are completely out of control, notice how their voice becomes high and jagged, their breathing shallow and erratic, their speech and logic stupid and their veins popped. Could someone in this stupid-rage red-faced mode change your mind about anything?

Remember that YOUR VOICE IS COMPLETELY DEPENDENT UPON YOUR BREATHING and you have wonderful control of your breathing. Take a second to relax your jaw and tongue, breathe out stale air, relax your tummy and get air deep into your lungs and then let the justifiable anger rip.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Improve Your Sound

A beautiful voice is completely dependent upon beautiful breathing. A beautiful voice is a true reflection of the mind, body and spirit of the speaker. While we are stuck with the vocal chords we inherited, they are almost always good enough.

Improve your breathing and you will improve your sound. That’s a fact. It is a good bet that the sound you typically produce is higher, thinner and less resonant than your true and natural tone. You and everyone around you have come to accept this as your normal voice. It isn’t.

How you sound strongly influences the way people respond to you and remember you. This is more than just an aesthetics exercise. To find your true pitch say “uh huh” a few times as if you are agreeing with someone. That sound is close to your true pitch.

A relaxed face (remember your sinus cavities resonate your sound), relaxed tongue and jaws, “tall” spine and a slow deep breath are the strings on which this instrument, your voice, is played. Each rich full exhalation is incredibly important as it flows through your vocal chords. If you doubt this, try speaking while you’re are breathing in!

Take your time when you have something important to say. Actually if it isn’t important then why are you saying it? When you rush, you don’t have time to take a full breath and you will sound like a badly tuned cheap violin when you are actually a well-tuned priceless cello.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.