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Yoga for Public Speaking: An Embodied Approach to Managing Your Onstage Presence

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Loved it! 😍

A self-help guide of how to use Yoga to achieve one's composure before a presentation

In todays post-Covid society, it might seem as though public speaking is actually on a down-turn - but you'd be surprised. If anything, it's possibly becoming more common, although maybe in different guises. I, for one, have found myself using Zoom a lot more than I would have ever thought - for anything from meetings with perspective clients as well as get togethers with friends. At some point in the not too far distant future, I have a presentation to give over the platform, and needless to say, I'm a little nervous. Which is why this particular book caught my eye.


So, Yoga for Public Speaking: An Embodied Approach to Mastering Your Onstage Presence. At not one point was I expecting the author to expect me to break out into the Tree or Warrior Pose mid-speech, but I was expecting much more of a guided breathing program. In Chapter four, you're informed that you'll learn


five pranayama practices that will help you self-regulate your nervous system In effect, you will change your breath in order to change your mind.


Unfortunately, however, there were no practices - which left me somewhat disappointed. Although in Chapter six, there are several meditation practices that the author describes in detail for you. I tried each of them, and found them to be easy to follow and relaxing. Although the Mantra Meditation did feel a little strange at first - I could understand the benefit of speaking out-loud to get one used to public speaking. I found the Visualisation Meditation technique the easiest; you imagine your excess energy as a ball of light, which you move down your body with each breath, until it's at a place where it can leave. I practise a similar technique when I struggle getting to sleep - imagining myself descending further down a ladder with each breath - the lower I go, the closer to sleep I am.


In all, although there are some issues with this small book (such as errors on the pages, no breathing or movement descriptions in Chapters four and five), this book can help someone who may be almost crippled with nerves before speaking at a public event. It offers mindful techniques, and even some more practical approaches before you even begin to write the speech.


S. A


Edited to add:


After the author read this review, they sent me an updated copy of the book which included the missing practices from the copy I received through Reedsy. Having seen that copy and attempted the practices, it worked well for me. An extra star has been added due to that as it was simply an error in the Digital edition.


S. A

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Sally's debut novel, The With Laws is now available to read for free on Kindle Unlimited!! Sally loves to read, and is a champion of Indie Authors, especially those who write fantasy novels. She is the proud reviewer on The Indie Book Nook (link in bio). When not reading, she knits!

Why Yoga for Public Speaking?

About the author

As a creative director, speechwriter, & speaker coach, Margie Newman has helped Fortune 500 presenters, executives and leaders craft & deliver mission-critical events & presentations, product launches, annual meetings & giant user events with maximum impact. view profile

Published on May 16, 2022

20000 words

Genre: Self-Help & Self-Improvement

Reviewed by