Written by Ellie Smith, Yoga Instructor
Ellie Smith is an experienced yoga and breathwork teacher, with a background in academia, teaching communication and cultural studies. She is the founder of Ellie Smith Yoga Ltd, a platform for new and returning professionals to learn how to apply practices from yoga to improve their public speaking presence.
Fear of public speaking grips most of us. It sends a clear signal to our body to run like the wind away from the “threat”, the innocent and unsuspecting audience. One common physiological response to the terrifying ordeal of public speaking is the dreaded shaky voice, portraying us as an unsure, unreliable narrator.
Hearing our own voice betray us like that leaves us vulnerable, our minds grappling with the potential for forgetting lines, faltering, and being harshly judged despite our expertise. This only amplifies our nerves. Our physiological makeup does us no favors:
Rapid, shallow breaths fail to support the vocal folds properly, leading to a shaky or quivering voice.
In its preparation to flee, the body decides that saliva is unnecessary for immediate survival. Dry mouth and throat clearing ensue.
Tight muscles in our larynx result in an uncharacteristically quiet or high voice, something I call the Stage Squeak.
However, understanding these processes allows us to confront them directly. Keeping three simple yet unconventional practices from a surprising source in your back pocket will help alleviate your symptoms and elevate your speaking game.
Key takeaways
Our physiological responses to fear are the primary culprit behind a shaky voice in public speaking.
Understanding them is the first step toward managing and reducing speech anxiety effectively.
Mastering control over your shaky voice can transform you into a more confident and composed speaker.
Preparation strategies
Likely, you'll have already completed the following preparation strategies before going on stage:
Thorough research on your topic, the power source for any presentation.
Detailed and logical planning to ensure your audience grasps your message with clarity.
Practicing your speech more times than is humanly possible to increase the chances of a flawless, confident delivery.
Though these steps help mitigate physical symptoms like a shaky voice or dry mouth, they are only half the battle. A couple more steps are required to improve your chances of becoming a confident speaker whose message resonates well beyond the stage. That surprising source I mentioned?
Yoga. Bear with me.
1. One yoga pose for a steadier voice
This is one you can do anywhere, even on stage. You may have already heard of it, Mountain Pose, or in Sanskrit, Tadasana. It's the one where you stand tall, with all the strength and certainty of a mountain. A confident stance invites trust and respect from audience members.
Fun fact: This is a foundational pose that translates across to almost all other yoga poses. Working on this not only improves your public speaking presence but also enhances your yoga practice as a whole, making those fancier poses, like Warrior II and even Headstand, much more within reach.
The benefits of this pose include
Strengthening the legs, glutes, and core. Why is this necessary? It helps you stand with a posture that projects authority and control.
With the shoulders, back, and chest expanding slightly, it promotes deeper breathing. Deep breaths help steady your voice, as we will see in the next step.
Improved awareness and focus. Despite appearances, it is far more dynamic than just aimlessly standing there. You can make many small adjustments to your alignment that bring you into your body and the present moment, further ensuring you speak with clarity and authority.
How to do it
Stand with your feet together, arms relaxed by your sides.
Push down through your big toes and engage your quads, keeping a very small bend in your knees.
Draw your belly in and up slightly. Pull your ribs in a little.
Lift your chest gently upward just a bit, and as you breathe out, relax your shoulders away from your ears.
Lift the crown of your head toward the ceiling while also pushing down through your feet. Notice how this push-pull movement helps you stand a little straighter.
Breathe in and out through your nose. Feel free to close your eyes if that feels safe, and notice what happens to your balance.
Relax, take a rest, and try again.
Remember, shaky hands and a trembling voice often stem from the flight response triggered by stress. By focusing on the minute, controlled movements that Tadasana requires, you can channel nervous energy into a more confident presentation.
2. Breathing technique to calm your nerves
Focusing on deep breaths just before going on stage can significantly reduce the nervous energy contributing to your voice box's trembling. Through consistent practice of deep breathing exercises, many speakers have found their shaking voice transitions to one of strength and steadiness.
Ujjayi Pranayama is a practice from yoga that can be done anywhere, making it the perfect go-to when you're just about to go on stage and need a subtle yet effective way to calm yourself.
Fun fact: Ujjayi is roughly translated as “victory.” In English, this practice is often called “Victorious Breath,” but you might see it referred to more commonly as “Ocean Breath” due to the sound resembling waves flowing on and offshore.
This practice helps to
Regain control of your breath, reducing the risk of rapid, shallow breathing that contributes to a shaky voice.
Stimulate and warm up the vocal folds. The muscles in your larynx are responsible for restricting and relaxing as air passes through, creating your voice.
Take you out of a flight response and back into a state of rest and digest, which means normal saliva production and no dry mouth or throat clearing mid-speech.
How to do it
Either sit or stand up tall (Tadasana, Mountain Pose, is a great pose to try this technique).
Breathe in deeply through your nose.
Breathe out as if you're whispering to someone next to you, but with your lips closed.
Try to keep that slight restriction at the back of your throat as you breathe in again.
Repeat as many times as you need.
Making this practice a routine can quickly ensure your vocal cords are prepared for any stressful situation, from job interviews to a TED Talk.
3. One meditation to ease the shakes
One power source for mitigating a shaky voice isn't just found in vocal exercises or mastering tongue twisters. It also lies in staying present, shifting from a focus on potential embarrassment to simply being.
Right before a presentation, I pause, stand in Tadasana, take deep Ujjayi breaths, and then spend a few minutes practicing So-Hum meditation.
Fun fact: For those interested, So Hum means "I am" or "I am that." It serves as a great reminder to just be and avoid negatively judging yourself for a presentation that hasn’t even happened yet.
This meditation is excellent for
Focusing the mind on the here and now, rather than getting caught up in negative "what ifs."
Improving concentration, making you less likely to be distracted by the narrow stares of your audience members.
Increasing clarity. All the mental clutter will eventually take a back seat, allowing you to focus only on the task at hand.
How to do it
Spend a few minutes seated comfortably or in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).
Take a few deep breaths in and out through the nose. Feel free to try Ujjayi Breath here to settle in.
Release Ujjayi Breath and return to deep, slow, controlled breathing.
As you inhale deeply, silently say the word "so" to yourself.
As you exhale slowly, silently say the word "hum" to yourself.
Simple yet effective. And when paired with Tadasana and Ujjayi, you now have a powerful presentation pregame that you can do anywhere without drawing unwanted attention.
Beyond the stage: Building confidence in everyday life
This simple three-step ritual effectively replaced my negative thoughts with a positive outlook, which, in turn, significantly improved my performance and eased my speech anxiety.
But it doesn't have to be limited to large public speaking events. Try this before a job interview, a work presentation, or even daily interactions, like speaking on the phone or having a difficult conversation with a loved one, and see its impact. You might also try going live on your YouTube channel or another social media platform after applying this yoga-inspired routine.
The three simple steps outlined here set the foundation for becoming a compelling speaker with a clear voice and a confident presence, regardless of the size of your audience. Your once-quivering voice will hold authority, your shaky hands will steady, and your nerves will transform into excitement.
If the idea of applying principles and techniques from yoga intrigues you but you have no idea where to start, my free Home Yoga Guide is the thing for you. Sign up for a few extra freebies that will help set you up the right way for a sustainable, beginner-friendly home yoga practice. I'll see you over there!
Read more from Ellie Smith
Ellie Smith, Yoga Instructor
Ellie Smith is yoga and breathwork teacher based in rural Japan. Her background is in tertiary education with a focus on communication and cultural studies. She now blends these two professions in her business, teaching clients how to get started with yoga, how to stick with it, and how to apply its principles and techniques off the mat to reduce public speaking anxiety and improve their public speaking presence.
