Perform: Calm and Connected

If you do only one thing when you are faced with an audience of listeners, it should be this.
Make eye contact with multiple people in the room. Breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly. Just that -- inhale and exhale, inspiration and expression. Then, inhale and begin speaking.
At our core, we are animals. We respond to each other without words and we connect through the air that we share. Take that brief moment and you are well on your way to your goal.
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 professional public speaker. For more information on the studio or to book Gina visit www.growvoice.com.
Related posts

What Happens in Vagus Part 4: Your Body's Early Warning System
In this installment of the "What Happens in Vagus" series, voice coach Gina Razón explores how to recognize your body's early warning signals before speaking anxiety takes hold.

What Happens in Vagus Part 3: Reading the Room (And Your Nervous System)
Different speaking contexts create different types of nervous system activation, and effective speakers learn to match their regulation strategies to each environment. This post explores five distinct speaking scenarios - boardrooms, main stages, difficult conversations, virtual presentations, and impromptu moments - detailing the specific nervous system challenges and tailored regulation techniques for each. Rather than one-size-fits-all solutions, readers learn to build a personal "regulation portfolio" that adapts to the unique demands of precision under scrutiny, performance energy management, interpersonal conflict navigation, digital dysregulation, and rapid pressure response.

What Happens in Vagus Part 2: Five Ways to Find Your Vocal Sweet Spot
This follow-up post delivers five evidence-based techniques for balancing your nervous system before, during, and after high-stakes speaking situations. Learn quick regulation methods like the Physiological Sigh (30 seconds) and Micro-Orienting (15 seconds) for in-the-moment reset, plus foundational practices like Coherent Breathing and the Voo Sound for vocal-specific nervous system preparation. Based on research from Stephen Porges, Peter Levine, and Bessel van der Kolk, these tools help speakers achieve "calm intensity" - the optimal state of high arousal matched with high regulation for dynamic, engaging performance.