The Sport of Speaking

by Rande Davis Gedaliah and Robert Gedaliah

“If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly.”
- Andrew Weil, M.D.

Speaking is like a sport.  And, as in any sport, you have to get into shape, stay in shape, practice, and fine tune your skills. Just as in sports, when each game is brand new, so, too, in speaking you have to connect with each new audience.

We are all athletes-in-training.  We can learn much from professional athletes.  The sports metaphor can be used to teach you many practical tips for re-energizing your body, hitting your points home, and scoring with your message.  For teams to be successful, there has to be synergy between the team and the coach.  Speaking is a team sport.  As a speaker, you have to create a comfort level for your audience to feel safe, to take risks, and to have a shared experience.

As in sports, your body and voice are your most important equipment.  All athletes warm up before playing their sport.  Try the following exercises to keep you focused and in shape.

The Ulnar Acupressure point is located in the middle of the palm of your hand.  Interlock your hands. Take the thumb of your right hand and place it in the center of the palm of your left hand. Press in. Exhale. Pause. Release and allow the breathe to flow in.

When you press in, you are stimulating the pericardium sac. This is the involuntary muscle that surrounds the heart. This acupressure point is also called the "circulation and sex meridian."

By the way, the symbolic reason for wearing a wedding band on the ring finger of your left hand, is that this finger is the closest extremity to the heart.  The ulnar point starts at the ring finger, travels up the arm, and goes directly to your heart.

Use this exercise as a reminder to breathe, like tying a string on your finger.  Conscious deep breathing will help you with breath control.

Now that you are breathing consciously, try the following vocal warm-ups to improve your articulation and further enhance your breath control.  While saying these tongue twisters, pay particular attention to projecting your voice and overly articulating the endings of words.  Be a "good sport" and make a game of this exercise:

"Lemon liniment"
"Cross crossings cautiously"
"Rubber baby buggy bumpers"

Remember Demosthenes?  He was the Greek orator who as legend states, put smooth pebbles in his mouth and spoke into the wind, to improve his vocal range and articulation.

Instead of putting stones in your mouth, try this exercise with a pencil.  Take a pencil and hold it horizontally, with your thumbs and fore-fingers at each end.  Place it in the back of your mouth, like a horse's bit.  Slowly, with volume and awareness, repeat the above tongue twisters.

Remove the pencil and repeat the tongue twisters again.  Does your mouth feel more limber?  Like exercising with ankle weights, when you remove them you feel as if you can fly.  This warm-up exercise will increase your breathing awareness, work the muscles around your mouth, and help you to improve articulation and vocal projection.

Most studies say that it takes about 21 days to develop a habit. Practice, drill, and rehearse.  Focus on doing these exercises so that you may go into the zone instantly.

As the great football coach, Vince Lombardi said, "Practice does not make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect."  As in any sport, keep your eye on the ball, breathe, bend your knees, and follow through.  Have fun with "The Sport of Speaking"®.

Rande Davis Gedaliah and Robert Gedaliah are authors, speakers, coachers and workshop leaders. Since 1983,
their company, “Speaking for Results”®, has been helping people communicate more clearly and sharpen their
influencing skills.

www.SpeakingForResults.com