Disrupt: There’s Something About Hands

We don’t seem to know what to do with our hands.

Especially when at the front of a room and when other people are watching. Perhaps we worry about whether our hands are saying too much about our internal landscape.

Among other things, we worry about whether they look natural, whether they are shaking or fidgeting, and whether we are using them too much or too little. But gesture, or the lack thereof, is hardly the point.

Our hands are so dynamic. They are the primary instrument of touch. They are expressive and connective. They help keep us safe in space and they are the part of ourselves we see most consistently throughout the day. We know our hands. But, we don’t let them fully engage with the world.

Today, spend some time caring for your hands. Let each finger articulate, each digit finding its possible shapes. Use your hands to feel your hands, look at them and really see them. If you now notice you need a little nailcare or lotion, go for it. Observe the connection to the wrist and how it articulates. Then shake them out. Like everything else in this body, your hands love purpose. So get to know them and let that knowledge guide how they move through space as you speak.

Gina Razón is the principal voice specialist at GROW Voice LLC, a full-service voice and speech studio in Boston’s Back Bay.  She has over 16 years of experience both as a teacher of voice and speech, and a voraciously curious voice user.  Gina has worked professionally as a classical singer for over a decade and more recently as a professional public speaker.  For more information on the studio or to book Gina visit www.growvoice.com.