This week I’m encouraging something you may think is ridiculous. I want you to yawn.
Why do I like yawning? It’s not just me. Yawning has been used for centuries as a technique to relax the throat and improve the voice.
Go ahead. Try it. Yawn like you do when you’re so tired you can’t keep your eyes open. Can you feel your neck and throat getting less tense? A good yawn relaxes the larynx (voice box) and throat and also promotes deep breathing. In addition, it forces you to open your mouth widely. All of these things will make you sound better when you begin your broadcast.
I’ll give you one example of the benefit. Do you ever hear those pesky audible intakes of air during your broadcast? They are the result of not opening your mouth and/or constricting your throat. Yawning before and during breaks in your broadcast might just eliminate them. The breath stream should come up through an open, relaxed throat such as you get when you yawn. (Want to know more about getting rid of those pesky audible intakes of air? Click here and watch the short video I made on the topic.)
So, go ahead and yawn all you like! You’ll like what it does for your voice.
There are lots more voice tips in my book, the fifth edition of BROADCAST VOICE HANDBOOK. You can instantly download the book by going to my bookstore.
