Speaker
Description
A fear of public speaking is pervasive in modern society (Black, 2019), and its significance is amplified by the frequency with which we encounter public speaking situations in our lives. Whether it's delivering presentations, pitching ideas, participating in job interviews, or engaging in challenging conversations, public speaking is a crucial skill for personal and professional growth. Overcoming public speaking anxiety (PSA) is therefore essential for progress in various domains of life. This interactive presentation explores the theme of “coming together” in three areas. Firstly, the coming together of ancient yogic wisdom and modern science, specifically looking at how three key components of yoga (poses, breath work, and meditation) help with effectively regulating the nervous system to ease PSA. Secondly, the coming together of yoga and public speaking, with reference to how those same three components can be used to warm up the body and optimize vocal expression during pre-speaking warm-up sessions. Thirdly, some observations on how the coming together of students in second- and third- year Seminar classes worked to ease PSA as they collectively implemented yoga techniques toward the shared goal of becoming less anxious, more confident public speakers.
