Boost your confidence with the Sarnoff Squeeze
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An attack of the nerves will instantly rob you of your personal presence and diminish your influence as well.� Many of you wil have seen actors pushing against a wall before a performance � why do they do that.
If they were sports-people, you�d guess it is to stretch muscles, but in fact, the compression of the stomach muscles when they do this is what it is all about.
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Dorothy Sarnoff was an opera singer, then stage actress, then voice coach, then image consultant. She originated �The Sarnoff Squeeze.�
This is a systematic alternative to pushing walls.� Like pushing walls, it blocks your body�s natural production of the adrenaline � a hormone partly responsible for the fight or flight response that gives you the sensation of nerves in the pit of your stomach.
- Sit upright with your back straight, but not rigid,
then lean forward slightly - Put your hands together in front of your chest,
with your palms together and
your fingertips pointing upwards and push. - Say �ssssss� as if you were a snake or a leak in a car tire.
- As you exhale while saying �ssssss,�
concentrate on the abdominal muscles below your chest bone,
where your ribs begin to spread apart. - You should feel these muscles tightening as you exhale
- Relax the muscles and inhale slowly.
Once you get good at the Sarnoff Squeeze, you will be able to tighten your abdominal muscles without having to sit in a chair, or push your hands against each other, or even hiss.
If you do this before a stressful event like an important meeting or an interview, it will help you to feel calmer.
I’m going to give the Sarnoff Squezze a try thanks for putting on your hub.