In Bocca al Lupo: Overcoming the Daunting Fear of Public Speaking
Sep 11, 2024The other day, in a mastermind course I was teaching, one of the members was a professional opera singer. I shared with the class that in theatre, a performer backstage says to fellow actors before walking out, "Break a leg."
But I said to the group, as the opera singer could attest, in opera, before an artist walks out on stage, a fellow cast member says to them, "In bocca al lupo," which means "walking into the mouth of the wolf."
An opera singer walking out doesn't know if they are going to be able to hit the high note or not. But the emotional feeling in opera is exactly that—it feels like walking into the mouth of the wolf.
For an artist, particularly an opera singer, to stand center stage and perform, to embody Mastery in a very complex and profound way, and to live in the moment, is an extraordinary challenge.
However, in our daily lives, many of us can also feel like we are walking into the mouth of the wolf—whether it's walking into a meeting, going on a job interview, a first date, or any moment where we might feel intimidated, awkward, anxious, or where it's all on the line. We might feel judged, perhaps we lack self-confidence... it might feel like we are walking into the mouth of the wolf.
However, in Vocal Awareness, employing any of the 7 Rituals that immediately embed one in Communication Mastery, in Conscious Awareness, that terror of walking into the mouth of the wolf immediately evaporates.
When one puts themselves in stature, or embodies the First Ritual of Vocal Awareness to say "Thank you to Source," or employs a very specific breathing technique called the Conscious Loving Breath, terror, anxiety, and fear literally instantly vanish, and one walks forth with greater ability to Claim Who They Are.
In Vocal Awareness, I teach that the two greatest fears we all confront every day are fear of abandonment and ownership of our power. I would like to share how you can beat these two fears.
Breaking down the First Ritual of Vocal Awareness: Thank you to Source
What Thanking Source means depends on our belief system. At this time, the only understanding necessary is that Thanking Source represents the profound moment when we both surrender and connect to the infinite, to something outside of our mere physical reality.
Whether we are conscious of it or not, Source is the foundational principle integrating mind/body/spirit.
When we acknowledge Source, the first thing our bodies do is inhale.
In our minds, as we consciously repeat Ritual 1: “Thank You to My Source,” a transformative change actually occurs. We no longer fear that which we had previously feared the most—Claiming Our Power and Embodying Our Greatness. In this empowered state, all things are possible.
Breaking down the Third Ritual of Vocal Awareness: Allow a Silent, Conscious, Loving Breath and enjoy it while you do so
Breath is fuel. If we do not breathe effectively, we cannot speak effectively. When practicing Ritual 3 in an exercise context, your inhalation takes five to six seconds. It is never rushed or forced and is always silent. Initially, it doesn’t matter whether you breathe through your nose or your mouth. This specific note is another subtle distinction in Vocal Awareness.
When we allow a Slow, Silent, Conscious, Loving Breath we deliberately shift our unconscious habits away from paying little or no attention to what we are doing to always being Consciously Aware.
Remember, the goal is always embodiment—whether in performance, on the telephone, over coffee, with our families, during a presentation—in every aspect of life.