***A New Voice for 2010 Could Be Your Best New Year's Resolution

With the start of the New Year and the resolutions we vow to keep, there is one change that can improve your life – both professionally and personally – simply by discovering your ‘real’ voice. Easy to accomplish and guaranteed to get better with age, your ‘real’ voice is deeper in pitch, warmer in quality and will sound more mature than your habitual voice.

You have a better voice inside but you were probably unaware of that fact. Because most people are powering their sound by means of the voice box, throat, mouth and nose, those same people don’t realize that those four resonating cavities cannot do justice to their sound. In truth we have 5 resonators. The one that is missing in this picture is the largest of your resonators, your chest cavity.

Lazy or shallow breathing is the reason that your voice is being ‘shortchanged’ because it does not allow for a richer, resonant sound nor for the power that is possible when your chest cavity become your primary sounding board. In addition, your chest cavity is the greatest amplifier of those five resonators; thus, you will be able to increase your volume without shouting. In all the years of raising my two sons, I never yelled at them – I projected. What this means is that when I increase my volume, it doesn’t hurt my throat or my listeners’ ears!

One of the many benefits of good voice training is that you will find your voice improving as you get older. If you are over 40, you have probably discovered that nothing on your body is getting better with age; however, the voice that has had training will continue to improve because undue pressure has been taken off the vocal folds (cords) and throat. Of course, your voice box and larynx are still working. They just aren’t working nearly as hard. That is indeed a blessing because vocal abuse is much less likely to occur.

If you are presently suffering with chronic hoarseness, persistent sore throats, or even loss of voice by the end of the day and you are not sick, then vocal abuse is probably the culprit. Finding your ‘real’ voice will eliminate that problem.

Another benefit of voice training is that you will reduce the amount of stress in your life because you will be breathing with the support of your diaphragm. In doing so, you will be eliminating more of the toxins in your body which shallow or lazy breathing is unable to do. In fact, shallow breathing actually increases these toxins which, in turn, increase your stress.

Learn to breathe properly and you will discover the best means of controlling nervousness in public speaking that exists! Of all of the advice given by professional speakers, it is amazing to me how few understand this last concept. Breathlessness on the podium is a great detriment. Learn to breathe with support and that problem is resolved as well!

Why not make 2010 the year you discover your ‘real’ voice as well as a host of other benefits that have nothing to do with your voice or presentation skills?