Public Speaking and Self Expression
Barring congenital or surgical alterations of the physical parts needed for speech, if you can breathe optimally you can speak. You just need something to say. And if you have nothing to say then you can say comfortably that you have nothing to say. But if you can speak, especially in public, you do not necessarily know how to breathe.
TECHNIQUE?
If you can sing you can speak; that is if you learned to sing from
breathing, instead of mouthing the words or "techniques". Focusing
on the words and specific body gestures "techniques" gets us
locked into patterns that take us away from our natural optimal breathing
and the expression of who we are as individuals. Toastmasters comes to
mind here. Toastmasterstm is a wonderful way of entry level
public speaking and helps instill safety, organization, feedback and understanding of what is needed for functional
communication based on organization, time sensitivity balanced with clarity
of content. This is extremely valuable to the inexperienced public
speaker but there comes a time when the structure becomes limiting and the
bird must fly from the nest. Just become more aware of potentially canned
robotic body language. The foundation of this new freedom is the freedom of
the breath and breathing. National Speakers Association
would be a logical nest step. Optimal
Breathing private sessions as well.
Opera singers learn techniques but the really great ones seem to express themselves more as individuals and the nuance of their natural personal signature comes through in their voice, facial expressions, body language and the parts they play. Placido Domingo is for me a good example of that. I love it when I watch him he sing and seems to be enjoying himself so. By the way, Pavarotti I am told, worked on his breathing for the first six months of his career, BEFORE he sang.
ACTORS AND ACTRESSES
Actors and actresses are similar. To be able to access the depths of their
personal emotional selves to express the
thoughts and feelings they are required to play on camera or stage
requires opening up the length, breadth and flexibility of their
breathing. I call some of my my favorites "breathers". Brando, Pacino, Bogart, Robin Williams, Richard Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy,
Elizabeth Taylor, Jane Fonda in that Hooker she played in Walk on
the Wild Side, and Paul Newman are but a few. I believe that
one reason they are so revered in our culture is that they
"breathe" more. Breath really IS life.
CREATIVITY
Whether you agreed with what they said or not, John F. Kennedy, Jesse
Jackson, Martin Luther King, Billy Graham are examples of speakers that also
capture(d) and communicate(d) the depth and intensity of passion and
conviction. To inspire is also to inspirate; to breathe in. When we
become inspired we feel lighter and stronger; more connected to a higher
power.
Remember "thinking on your
feet". Our breath is the foundation of our creativity. We can
have all the answers in our head but if our breathing is frozen we can not
access those answers.
Remember a nickname for God? The "creator". Even if we
had never heard the word God when we breathe more we get a sense that there
is something beyond us or more than us. I believe this is generic to all
human beings. I say this because every major spiritual practice or
religion has in it some form of singing, chanting, or vocal expression that
releases negativity and uplifts one's sense of being bringing the breather
closer to their experience and expression of God. And when we speak
spiritual words and verbally share spiritual concepts we become more
connected with them.
There are many, many, many words but only a few feelings and emotions. What we say interests people but HOW we say it, the breath behind it, is what really inspires them. Words are there to be given shape and deepest meaning from the breath. We are spiritual beings manifesting our spiritual essence in human form through the breath.
THINKING
Your thoughts are important but they should not dictate your ability to
express them. Children for instance, who wish to become leaders and
roll models (let THEM decide that) should be developed with a strong
internal sense of themselves. Guide them into singing as early as
possible. Happy songs. Stand up and cheer songs like God Bless
America; Star Spangled Banner; Doe, RE, Me...,Doe a deer, a female Deer, RE
a Drop of Golden Sun etc; Amazing Grace (change Wretch to Soul or
boy/girl/gal/man/woman) and so on. Let it come out loud and
clear. Personal style will develop from that. If you force them
into style initially you will stifle their personal expansion and sense of
themselves. Michael Jackson may have had this happen to him but he seems to
be developing himself the way HE wants to be. God bless him in his
transformation.
WHO WE ARE
Adults that never learned to public speak or sing are no different in their
lacking of personal sound and expression. Sadly, if they have grown up
holding the tensions and fears of abuse and suppression then they may need
more time then the children to redevelop their natural ability of self
expression.
Most of us have had our breath conditioned out of us. I call this "socialized". When my breath returned after 25 years of searching for it, I knew I could be comfortable in front of thousands of people but I just needed something that I thought was valuable enough to say to them. A reason to take up their time.
When giving a speech or speaking with passion and conviction there is no substitute for knowing your subject.
You MUST know what you exactly want to say or be willing to let it flow from you spontaneously by being familiar with the subject and not be distracted with details. A good example of that would be Ella Fitzgerald. She could sing and when she forgot the words, just make them up and create sounds to match the music. We call it scatting. In public speaking we call that "thinking on your feet".
FERVOR VERSUS CLARITY
Unfortunately many SEEM to know their subject and deliver it
passionately and we get lost in the feeling instead of the content. What I
call "Multi level marketing madness" and fundamentalist religions
come to mind. A sense of peace stemming from the Breathing
Exercise #1 or Watching Breath can
give us this place of making important decisions without being manipulated
by excessive energy. A sense of calm before we take
action.
POSTURE AND BODY LANGUAGE
For this to occur and to enjoy the process as it occurs, you must be
internally coordinated, balanced, loose, open and tied together. Your voice
quality and resonance is a primary indicator of who you are as a person.
Your connection with yourself. Your voice, posture
and body language are critical. They show that you accept yourself in
a calm and clear way or reflect where you do not. It feels good to vibrate
when you speak. This good feeling keeps you connected with yourself and that
projects on to those you speak with and
to.
The foundation of all of this is your breathing. If you can really breathe well you can really speak or sing well.
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