1. WHO ARE THE WORKSHOPS INTENDED FOR?
This course is for anyone wishing to learn how to breathe properly, and especially for speakers who would like to optimally use and care for their voice, so as to keep it functioning well.
2. WHAT DO THE WORKSHOPS OF CORRECT BREATH TECHNIQUE and THE RIGHT VOCAL CARE CONSIST OF?
The Correct Breath Technique, and the Right Vocal Care workshops are all about breathing and maintaining a healthy voice. The workshops are divided into theoretical and a practical parts. They cover topics such as: good posture, the anatomy of the respiratory tract and the voice, the correct technique of inhalation and active exhalation, vocal care, how to rehabilitate a tired or sick voice, how to prevent this from happening in the first place, the correct diet for maintaining a healthy voice, and the physical preparation to optimize diaphragmatic breathing and, consequently, engage the proper use of the voice.
Public speakers tend to primarily focus on the content of their lecture. This makes sense of course, however, just as clothes make the man, the outward image or delivery is important in public speaking. It consists of stage presence and the awareness of proper breathing and use of the voice. What posture to maintain so that the voice does not get tired, and which part of the body to be mindful of?
Where do we breathe into for greatest support of the voice, and how to activate the correct muscles to ‘breathe in properly, and breathe out actively’? How do sports help us to do this and which exercises increase lung capacity? How can we talk for hours without damaging our voice or straining it? Do food and drink play a role in this? Which foods to avoid before a major speaking session?
How important is sleep and rest?
3. WHAT TO DO WHEN WE CATCH A COLD?
We are about to give an important speech or presentation, and we suddenly feel under the weather. How to restore our voice and make it functional in a short time?
Just as in sports, injuries can also happen to our voice. How to heal the voice then, and what exercises can relax the voice regularly so that this happens as seldom as possible?
4. EMOTIONS, STRESS and OTHER FACTORS affecting the BREATH and VOICE
How do emotional or hormonal states affect the breath and voice? How can meditation develop the depth and capacity of the breath? These and many other answers vital to public speakers will be explored at the 2023 Workshop for Lawyers.
5. Why is proper breathing so important?
Breathing is the most fundamental human function. It makes life and all the secondary functions of our being possible.
A full, strong, and healthy breath(ing) supplies our body with vital nutrients such as oxygen, and eliminates gases that our bodies no longer need, i.e. CO2. In any case, healthy, strong breathing is crucial for well-being, mental strength, and relaxation of the body and mind.
6. What are the most frequent breathing mistakes?
Often when breathing, people don’t use or activate their diaphragm. This means using only the chest or lung area to inhale, leaving the lower abdomen inactivated. Another equally common mistake is incorrect posture that does not support the diaphragm while breathing. This often means hunched, stooped shoulders, hunched back, constricted chest, misaligned pelvis, locked knees, and forward-leaning neck.
7. Can anyone learn how to breathe properly?
EVERYONE can learn to breathe properly, since we all knew how to do it when we were born. It is the most primary function within our body. Unfortunately we have forgotten or neglected it due to lifestyle factors, stress, and a lots of sitting.
8. What are Tjaša’s expert skills and references in the field of breath?
“In particular, I managed to specialize my knowledge and practice of breath through my five years of study abroad, both at the Conservatory of Music in Amsterdam where I studied jazz singing, and at the Royal Academy of Music in London where I trained in musical theatre. I mastered the correct breathing, speaking, and singing technique, proper posture while speaking and singing, the Alexander Technique, relaxing the vocals and body with the breath, and meditation on stage.”
“In addition to the formal study subjects, I also managed to deepen my knowledge of correct breathing technique and vocal care through a two-year speech therapy practice. In this field I have worked with and supported people with voice fatigue and impaired breathing capacity. My knowledge of transcendental meditation and my experience as a sports instructor for group exercise certainly helps me as well.”
