***Improve Your Voice; Improve Your Life

By Nancy Daniels, The Official Guide to Public Speaking
The official guide to Public Speaking

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Imagine the CEO of a company sounding like Fran Drescher in her role as “The Nanny” or the bimbo voice Melanie Griffith. Hard to imagine, isn’t it? In fact, when Melanie Griffith played in the movie “Working Girl” in which she takes over for her boss, she enrolls in voice training in order to sound more mature.

One of the best means of improving your life is to discover your ‘real’ or true voice because the one you are presently using is probably not it. (Isn’t it a shame that Griffith didn’t keep that more mature sound in her real life?)

Powered by means of your chest cavity, your true voice is deeper in pitch and resonant. It actually vibrates in your chest when you speak and has a warmth that is physically impossible to achieve unless your chest in involved in the production of voiced sound.

The reason it can change your life is because you will have to change your breathing habits. Instead of shallow or upper chest breathing, you will need to use your diaphragm to support your air and your voice. Not only will you sound more mature, but you will also discover a host of benefits that have nothing to do with your voice. You will find that you:

1. sleep better and possibly longer;
2. can alleviate much of the stress in your life;
3. lower your blood pressure;
4. control your nervousness in public speaking;
5. add 4 plus years to your life expectancy (now that’s something!);
6. sound more confident;
7. look more confident;
8. feel more confident;
9. enjoy hearing yourself on your voicemail!

In truth, that list could go on and on. One of my clients, a professional golfer, is winning more tournaments because she now breathes with support when she addresses the ball. Another man can run further when jogging; and, a criminal lawyer is able rid herself of tension headaches just by breathing properly.

While it is physically impossible to discover your ‘real’ voice unless you change the way you breathe, the other benefits are the result of your body being able to eliminate more of the toxins in your blood with a diaphragmatic breath. Unfortunately, shallow breathing actually increases those toxins which increase your stress.

Every other mammal on earth breathes with the support of the diaphragm and you were born breathing that way as well. Sometime during your childhood development, however, you reverted to using only your upper chest.

Changing your voice really can change your life. All it requires is a willingness to break some old habits and instill some new ones!