YOGA + MOVEMENT
TURN UP YOUR VOICE! BY MEGHAN HATALLA (SHE/HER) “Your voice is so low and melodious, I just kind of tuned out.” “I love what you’re saying, but I can’t hear it.” “SPEAK UP!”
T
he last note is from my dad, but it’s a refrain I’ve heard many times from many people, in many instances. Yet I still struggle to notice when my voice gets softer. From what I’ve observed in yoga classes, I’m not the only one. For group fitness instructors, yoga and meditation teachers, or anyone who speaks in a forum-type atmosphere, finding a consistent range of vocal volume with efficient prompts forms
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the bedrock of effective instruction. This isn’t a recommendation to simply speak in a loud monotone throughout the class; it’s a reminder that everyone, from the seasoned to the green, can enhance clarity in their cues. How aware are you of your vocal volume when teaching? Or what other factors might affect your student’s ability to understand you?
Try recording your next class or session. Put your phone or device down in one spot. Listen to it afterward (yes, I know, this might be the most painful part of the whole exercise as no one likes listening to their own voice!), and note any of the following tendencies:
• Can you clearly
hear everything? If you can hear your voice wavering in and out from the point where you placed your recording
device, you can bet your students experience the same thing. Myriad pieces of advice out there tell you how to increase volume in the studio. The basics come down to taking the time to breathe deeply, avoid strain, stay hydrated, and find a slow, steady cadence.
“[Take] the time to breathe deeply, avoid strain, stay hydrated, and find a slow, steady cadence.”
• Are you over or under enunciating?
Our voices naturally go up and down, but sometimes instructors will exaggerate the emphasis on some words (IN-hale, EX-hale, MAN-tra), which can be distracting.
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