February 1, 2010 – 5:10 pm
Take a break for just a moment. Hold still. Put all your “shoulds” on a shelf where you can’t hear them. Just for a moment. Now, breathe deeply and sigh out. Close your eyes, open your mouth, and whisper “Ah” for a long drawn-out exhalation. Listen to your breath. Allow the air to fill your lungs and then again, whisper this long exhaled “Ah”. Repeat three times. Widen your throat, relax your jaw, and open your mouth as if you are a big cat awakening from a long nap.
Congratulations. You have just begun a way to be with your authentic voice. Speaking from an authentic place means trusting that all you need is already there. This simple exercise begins to take you to that place. Your breath acts as a lubricant to relieve throat and mouth constrictions that are often in the way of your “real” voice. Listening to your breath attunes your ears to your authentic sound. Even more so, this conscious act of listening and breathing allows your body to be receptive to your own voice.
There is a simple and powerful mantra you can add to this practice. It’s the “So Ham” Sanskrit mantra. It means “I am That.” Just whisper it for now and listen to the sound. As you inhale, whisper “So.” As you exhale, whisper “Ham.”
Tune into your breath as you whisper the sounds. Feel the fullness in your mouth and throat and the joy of filling and releasing each breath. Enjoy yourself and know you’re just done something intoxicating for your heart, mind and spirit.
Using mantras and chanting, as well as traditional voice exercises are valuable ways to find and explore your authentic voice. If you want to create your own personal, voice meditation practice, let me know.
November 24, 2009 – 6:00 am
“Being natural occurs when we let go of our assumptions of how it should be, how it could be, and how it ought to be, and just allow it to be like it is, as a prelude to interacting with others.”
Angeles Arrien, from “Reflections”
These words came back to me the other day when working with a client who kept trying to make his voice sound “the way broadcasters sound” His Herculean efforts to come across as confident, authoritative and powerful, unfortunately, made him sound phony, unbelievable and a little silly.
Speaking from an authentic place means letting go of your assumptions about how you “should” sound, or “how it ought to be”. Discovering your “real” voice means trusting that all you need is already there. You don’t have to manipulate the sound with chin thrusts or a constant smile to project the value of your message.
Imagine the extraordinary gifts your voice has to offer. In its authentic zone, your voice is comfortable to listen to, its quality full and resonant, plus it sounds free and without constriction. Most of all, people will like hearing your voice. When you are in that authentic place, you may come to love your voice.
Listen to yourself. What do you like? What would you like to change? Let me know so you can love your voice.
October 16, 2009 – 12:09 pm
Stop right now. Call yourself on your phone. Listen to your voice message. Really listen. Before you say, “Is that really what I sound like?”, pretend it isn’t your voice. How would you describe the person you hear? What do they look like? Would you like to hear more? Do you want to spend time with that person?
Every day we listen to people’s voices and make judgments based on how they sound. We can’t help it. We use words like soothing, parental, girlish or just plain irritating.
Yesterday I spoke on the phone with a young man whose voice was profoundly monotone. I couldn’t hear the joy or excitement in what he was telling me. I wonder what he hears when he calls himself.
Rebecca (not her real name) was a budding television news reporter when I first met her. On the air, her voice was strident, nasal, and rushed. When her reports came on, I automatically turned down the volume because of her “fingernails on a blackboard” voice. When Rebecca entered my studio for the first time she said, “Hello,” with a milk chocolate voice: smooth, rich, and strong. Clearly, something was happening between her “on-air” voice and her “in-person” voice (her authentic voice). Rebecca and I worked intensely for the next 3 months to claim her authentic voice and hear it in her broadcasts. Within a year she moved from general assignment reporter to nightly news co-anchor.
Your auditory image affects your personal and professional life, so call yourself. Leave a message to that voice you hear and claim what you love about it and what you want to change. Then call me. Anything is possible.
