The Blog / Archive

You know that I like to think about effective communication as starting from the mental (intention) and moving to the physical (alignment). But it’s also true that changing your body can affect how you feel! (We’re complicated creatures.) When you’re nervous, what do you do? Many people focus on why they’re nervous, maybe going over the anxiety in their minds. Instead, try focusing on how it feels in your body. Nervousness can make us “implode” physically: the chest caves in, shoulders slump forward, chin down, arms across the middle, brow furrowed. We’re trying to protect ourselves from whatever’s bothering us. … Read more

There’s an important tenet in theatre that I want to share with you.  It’s this: if a prop gets dropped, or if something falls off someone’s costume, pick it up. Young actors often miss this. They’re thinking, “That wasn’t supposed to happen, so I should ignore it.”  But the audience can’t ignore it. They will be distracted by the dropped glove, the page that fell out of the book, the unzipped zipper, until it’s dealt with.  A more experienced performer makes a decision and takes action. Even though he wasn’t explicitly told in rehearsal, “Hey, if your scene partner’s shawl … Read more

One meaning of to incorporate is to make physical, to embody. When we learn something in our brain, we have to figure out a way to bring it into our understanding, our embodied knowledge. For example, you can watch YouTube videos for days about the perfect golf swing, but until you start to incorporate the information, you aren’t any closer to playing better golf. Being a clearer communicator means:1) developing self-awareness of your communication patterns and how they affect your ability to communicate, 2) embodying or incorporating that knowledge in your body and voice, and 3) practicing this awareness and alignment … Read more

Your body knows a lot. It knows when you’re feeling out of your depth, when you’re under-prepared, when you’re worried, when you’re excited. Sometimes it knows before you do.   Have you ever felt a tight throat, a racing heart, and not been quite sure why? Then you open your calendar and realize your day is packed, or you forgot to arrange the carpool, or, oh yeah, the boss wants you to sit down with her this afternoon.  Your physical self is working overtime to keep you up to date, giving you the chemicals you need to function.   What … Read more

Why intention matters (part 512)—   Because we can see it on your face, read it in your body, and hear it in your voice. You tell us what is really going on with you, and boy is it fascinating!   I was coaching a woman recently, let’s call her Laura,  who had been asked to give a presentation about a new project that she wants to get off the ground. She’s really passionate about it, and the idea seemed like a no-brainer to me, from a business standpoint. I asked her to run through her presentation so I could … Read more

People give a ton of bad public speaking advice.    Here is some of it:   Practice in a mirror Clasp your hands behind your back When you walk around it keeps the audience interested Look over their heads if you’re too nervous to make eye contact Be confident/Don’t be nervous   The advice-givers mean well, but all of these tips backfire. Here’s what I would say instead:   “ Practice in a mirror”:  Video yourself practicing. Looking in the mirror is distracting and doesn’t allow you the objective distance to assess your performance. “Clasp your hands behind your back”: Keep your hands loosely … Read more