Introduction to Lesson 2: The Power of Your Breath

Introduction to Lesson 2: The Power of Your Breath

"We find ourselves in challenging and important arenas and so we need our natural and present breath system more and more."
— Patsy Rodenburg  


When working with our clients, we often hear them say something like: "I know how to breathe, why is this important?"

Well in short, many of us are not breathing fully or correctly.

To achieve a sense of calmness, composure and natural gravitas when we communicate, we need to understand the role which breath plays. 

In this lesson, we will come to understand why breath is important and how it gives us vocal gravitas. 

We'll learn what we need to be thinking about and doing to make that happen.


Remember this.

Everything that happens to you shows up in your breath.

Your fears, shocks, reliefs, stresses and joys.

The pattern and flow of your breathing is a clear indicator of where you are in your power and confidence.

The most confident person in the room is never the loudest person.

The most confident person in the room is the one whose breath is deep, controlled, rhythmic.

Okay, let's jump into the rest of this lesson.

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#1: The Hidden Enemies of Vocal Gravitas

  • Introduction to Lesson 1: The Hidden Enemies of Vocal Gravitas
  • 1.2: Establishing your foundations
  • 1.3: The 8 Steps to Perfect Posture
  • 1.4: Final comments on posture
  • 1.5: Saying goodbye to tension and strain
  • 1.6: Your 3-minute tension release workout
  • 1.7: Lesson Wrap and Reflection
  • 1.8: Recap: The Hidden Enemies of Vocal Gravitas1

#2: The Power of Your Breath

  • Introduction to Lesson 2: The Power of Your Breath
  • 2.2: Becoming aware of your breath
  • 2.3: Self-Awareness and Your Breath
  • 2.4: Building our Breathing Awareness Further
  • 2.5: Connecting your breath to sounds and words
  • 2.6: The role breath plays in "fight or flight"
  • 2.7: Lesson wrap, reflection and exercises
  • 2.8: Recap: The Power of Your Breath
  • 2.9: Helpful resources

#3: Volume and Power: Does My Voice Sound Big In This?

  • Introduction to Lesson 3: Volume and Power
  • 3.2: The "Candle in the Wind" exercise
  • 3.3: The "science bit"
  • 3.4: How to project your voice
  • 3.5: Breath support to create more volume and power
  • 3.6: A trip down memory lane
  • 3.7: Lesson wrap and reflection
  • 3.8: Recap: Volume and Power

#4: How to Make Every Word Sing

  • Introduction to Lesson 4: How to Make Every Word Sing
  • 4.2: Speaking from a place of intention and readiness1
  • 4.3: The power of emotional connection in your words
  • 4.4: All words are not created equally
  • 4.5: How to naturally introduce vocal contrast
  • 4.6: Understanding the role of the "power word"
  • 4.7: Understanding the role of pitch
  • 4.8: Lesson Wrap and Reflection
  • 4.9: Recap: How to Make Every Word Sing
  • 4.10: Helpful resources

#5: The Art of Silence

  • Introduction to Lesson 5: The Art of Silence
  • 5.2: The honesty in a pause
  • 5.3: Taking your pause, taking your breath
  • 5.4: A common misconception about pausing
  • 5.5: Exercise: Exploring the use of Pause
  • 5.6: Lesson wrap and reflections
  • 5.7: Recap: The Art of Silence

#6: Overcome Nerves and Harnessing Your Voice

  • Introduction to Lesson 6: Overcoming Nerves and Harnessing Your Voice
  • 6.2: Reframing your relationship with nerves
  • 6.3: Nerves are key to a great performance
  • 6.4: How to rehearse for success
  • 6.5: The 10-minute preparation for success [Part 1: Body]
  • 6.6: The 10-minute preparation for success [Part 2: Voice]
  • 6.7: Overcoming the "brain freeze" moment2
  • 6.8: Lesson wrap and reflections
  • 6.9: Recap: Overcoming Nerves

#7: Speaking with Clarity: The Beauty in Precision

  • Introduction to Lesson 7: Speaking with Clarity
  • 7.2: The science of speaking clearly
  • 7.3: Hard-Working Articulator: The Tongue
  • 7.4: Hard-Working Articulator: The Lips
  • 7.5: Hard-working articulator: The jaw
  • 7.6: Five-minute Clarity and Precision Workout [Exercise]
  • 7.7: Lesson Wrap and Reflection
  • 7.8: Recap: Speaking with Clarity
  • 7.9: Helpful resources

#8: The Hidden Mystery of Emotion v Power In Our Words

  • Introduction to Lesson 8: The Hidden Mystery in Our Words
  • 8.2: The hidden secrets of vowels
  • 8.3: Vowels and emotional release
  • 8.4: Consonants time
  • 8.5: Lesson Wrap and Reflection
  • 8.6: Recap: The Hidden Mystery of Emotion v Power In Our Words
  • 8.7: Helpful resources

#9: How to Own Your Room

  • Introduction to Lesson 9: How to Own Your Room
  • 9.2: The 3-step technique to owning your room
  • 9.3: Thinking Top, and Thinking Bottom [Exercise]
  • 9.4: Lesson Wrap and Reflection
  • 9.5: Recap: How to Own Your Room

#10: Vocal Gravitas in a Virtual World

  • Introduction to Lesson 10: Vocal Gravitas in a Virtual World
  • 10.2: Your new 5-minute ritual
  • 10.3: Programme Wrap!

Resources

  • Confident Speak 360° Presence Booklet.pdf
  • Great Video Examples of Spoken Word