The Right to Speak
Finding and Freeing Your Natural Voice
When is the right time to speak?
How do my body and breath support my speech?
How do I communicate with power and clarity when the stakes matter?
Tuesdays, 6:45 pm – 9:00pm Pacific time
Live, In-Person
May 31st – Jul 12th, 2023
(7 weeks)
Woodside Village Church, Woodside, CA (just west of I-280)
What about the Right to Speak?
We all want to be heard–and we’re all scared of speaking up when it matters most: at work, in relationships, and in our families and communities. That’s true even for the savviest of speakers. When we hold ourselves back, feel ignored, invisible or silenced, it hurts. We miss out on important opportunities and suffer from weakened connections.
The good news: there’s a way out of this dilemma. You were born with a ready presence and an open voice. It’s in your DNA, a birthright gift for your survival.
The challenge: you have almost certainly developed habits, stresses, and tensions that inhibit your fundamental ability to communicate.
In this course, we will identify and dissolve such restrictions by applying the same exercises used by Patsy Rodenburg, the renowned voice and presence coach. You will learn to inhabit what she calls “the second circle,” a physical and attitudinal way of being that promotes grounded confidence, ready connection, and easy charisma. With your body, breath, and voice fully present, your communication gains its natural clarity and power. You voice your truth and connect more deeply at will–in any setting.
In just 7 weeks, you’ll discover:
- a resilient mindset that transforms fear of failure into steady confidence
- the life-changing secret that has supported Oscar winners, Olympic champions, and global leaders when the stakes are highest
- a simple but powerful technique to tame your racing mind so you stay focused and confident in the face of stress
- how to form words and sounds so you’re more easily understood at any volume
- a proven 7-Step Method for finding, releasing, and strengthening your natural voice
The course incorporates insights and practices from the work of famed UK voice and acting coach, Patsy Rodenburg. We will rely on some of the mindfulness and improvisation tools developed in Playful Mindfulness and Playful Mindfulness 2, but we’ll get newcomers quickly up to speed.
This is active, experiential work. You’ll be on your feet, moving in space, and actively using your voice. Your classmates will rely on your commitment to the course–and you’ll be able to rely on theirs. Together, we’ll all open a sense of possibility and freedom very quickly–a gift that continues to deliver insights and growth over the long haul.
Guaranteed to shift how you move and speak in the world!
Please note: this course involves significant participation out loud, with skills building incrementally each week. The more students engage in class and with the assigned home practice, the more benefit they will see.
Who is the course for?
the Right to Speak is perfect for…
- professionals who need to speak up and speak out at work
- recovering perfectionists who want to lighten up
- adult learners stepping into the stress and uncertainty of life’s transitions: leaving or starting a job, letting go of a relationship, making a big move
- people who struggle with anxiety or want more confidence
- parents who want more patience with their children
- leaders who want to model calm, confidence and collaboration
- introverts who long for connection
- people considered abrasive or reactive and who actually want to put others at ease
- improvisors or actors who want to add depth and presence to their on-stage work
- mindfulness students or practitioners who want a newly-embodied experience
…with a word about INCLUSIVITY
All committed and kind learners are most welcome in the Right to Speak course.
We especially welcome those from all historically disadvantaged populations – People of Color (POC), LGBTQIA, those with disabilities, first- or second-generation immigrants, and more. Again, we want everyone to have access to this way of being in the world.
Who will guide us?
Ted DesMaisons has been synthesizing innovative approaches to teaching and learning for over 30 years.
A graduate of Stanford Business and Harvard Divinity Schools, he is a UMASS-trained Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) instructor and teaches several courses through Stanford Continuing Studies. He worked intensively with renowned acting and voice coach Patsy Rodenburg and has studied improvisation with Patricia Ryan Madson, BATS Improv of San Francisco, and the Loose Moose Theatre of Calgary, Alberta.
Ted released his first book, Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm and connection, in March of 2019 and has co-hosted the Monster Baby Podcast (“A Curious Romp through the Worlds of Mindfulness and Improvisation”) since 2016. He lives in Daly City, CA with his two quirky and charismatic Ocicats, Luna and Marley.
To apply for a scholarship or payment plan, please visit www.playfulmindfulness.info/scholarship.
Reclaim your birthright personal presence and vocal power.
