6

Taking the Stage: Striking the Right Note Under Pressure

All the world’s a stage . . .

And every stage is different. Each of us experiences our own stages: public or private, large or small, and we perceive them all subjectively. On some we act quite naturally, whereas others present us with major challenges and opportunities for growth.

Say you’re as prepared as can be for a presentation, professional report, or oral exam, but the mere thought of taking the stage makes you panic. This chapter will help you practice ways to handle stage fright, keep your focus, stay grounded in yourself, and use your voice to find your balance in almost any situation. The same tools can be applied to various situations: important conversations in your personal life, phone calls in your professional life, or the toast you hope to give at your daughter’s wedding.

Tuning in

If you’re tense before a special event, do your best to accept the feelings of unease. To some extent, stage fright can be a positive thing because it provides energy and focuses on a specific situation. As long as you don’t let it get the upper hand or start spiraling out, you can use it to your advantage. So try not to push it away, and instead aim to wield it constructively. The following pages will provide a few tips for how to keep your excitement in check. Try them all out and see which are most suitable for you.

Let go of tension

Mental tension settles in the body. Stand up straight, with your feet hip-width apart and your knees soft, not locked. Start with a good long stretch. If you can yawn, that’s even better. Next, pat your whole body with your palms: arms, legs, torso, back, buttocks. This releases the tension, wakes you up, and keeps you present. Don’t forget your face: gently stroke your chin, cheeks, and forehead, moving from the center outward, and let your breath flow as best you can.

Stay open

Having a physically flexible body helps us achieve free-flowing breath, and both work together to keep us mentally present. Stand up straight, feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Spend at least a minute flexing your ankles and knees, allowing these small movements to work their way through your entire body, while keeping your feet planted on the floor. Then, as you flex again, shift your weight from one foot to the other. The reed in the breeze exercise is also ideal for maintaining flexibility and staying mentally centered.

Settle in, stay present

Once again, assume the upright and flexible standing position described above. Start swinging your arms back and forth, so they mirror each other. Keep your knees soft, and feel how your legs, torso, and upper body are swept along by the motion. Swinging your “wings” like this can help you feel at one with your whole body, providing further inspiration for your upcoming performance. Try repeating the humming, ebb and flow, and airplane takeoff exercises to keep up the momentum, as they’re also ideal in such situations.

Amid all the action

In the middle of all life’s various acts, it’s good to have a few anchors so you can stay connected to yourself and avoid losing yourself. The best and most obvious is the breath. If you’ve practiced mindful breathing in everyday life, connecting with your breath over and over, you can summon this skill in mere seconds, just before taking the stage, or whenever the situation calls for it.

Find your footing

If you’ll be giving your presentation, talk, or public address standing up, make sure you have a solid stance. You’re already familiar with it from several of the previous exercises: stand up straight, legs about hip-width apart, feet well connected to the floor, knees and entire body loose and flexible. Any time you feel tension anywhere in the body, try to consciously let go of it. Even walking a few steps while speaking may help it melt away and keep up the momentum of your talk. A solid physical stance puts you in the best position—both literally and figuratively—to convincingly make your point.

When feeling scattered, pay attention to your breath.

—Buddha

Even when sitting, you can stay well connected, firmly rooted, and “take a stand” on solid ground. In this case, you’re “standing” on your sitz bones (see chapter 2). Set your feet hip-width apart and firmly planted on the floor. With small, subtle, and almost invisible movements you can keep yourself flexible in long sessions where you’re forced to remain seated. Again, practicing these tiny stress-dissolving motions in everyday life will help you more quickly call them to mind in difficult situations.

Voice, affect, and effect—well said

If you’re in harmony with yourself and with what you’re saying, then the following tips will provide greater details on how to strike the right note with your audience.

Find your base

Good grounding or contact with the floor provides an important basis—dare I say stage?—for your voice. When we’re excited, sometimes our voice can go a bit too high or sound a little squeaky. Set your feet solidly on the floor and release all tension from your body. Then your whole body will once again resonate, and your voice will return to its authentic tone and genuine, natural pitch.

Open your mouth

Don’t forget—and I mean this literally—to open your mouth while speaking, so that the sound of your voice can emerge unhindered and clearly comprehensible. This doesn’t mean you need to assume an exaggerated grimace. By simply opening your mouth, your lower jaw will also automatically relax.

Flex your voice

If you aim to give a vivid presentation, focus on developing a flexible voice. This involves dynamics like volume (quiet to loud), melody (low to high), speed (slow to fast), and how you place accents, emphases, and pauses. Lively speech is good for your voice as well as for general communication: It enlivens both us and our listeners. Furthermore, when our voice and body stay flexible, they don’t tire as fast as they do when speaking in monotone, which more quickly leads to muscle fatigue (not to mention boredom).