Body Talk: Relaxation & Voice Exercises
This week I experimented with two breathing exercises. Box breathing, and Cathey Armillas’ technique for reducing the audible sounds of breath between thoughts. Both approaches focus on methods of taking in breath, holding breath, and visualizing a length of time. For both experiments, I sought out real moments prior to presentations, in contexts where I knew I would be required to talk for at least fifteen minutes.
In box breathing, I found that it calmed any physical symptoms of anxiety, but also quietened a racing mind. My heart rate slowed, but it also brought a clarity and focus to my thinking by adjusting the oxygen flow to my brain. Similarly with reducing audible breaths, I attempted this prior to a meeting at the end of the day, where I knew my voice and mind would already be tired. But in drawing awareness to visualizing the outgoing of my breaths, I was able to reduce it in myself but also spot it in others during the meeting, especially when the meeting was recorded. To further help going forward, I’m paying closer attention to the time of day I present, and where I have control over this, scheduling presentations in the morning.
