Weekly Voice Insights #63 – Grounding the Voice: Adding Depth to “Stage Ready Rituals”

 

“Beauty comes not from adornment but from the order of one’s soul.”
— Epictetus, Discourses 3.1 

When I came across Stage Ready Rituals by Salvatore Manzi, a leadership and communication coach who helps professionals bring calm focus to their speaking, I recognized a kindred approach. His eight-step checklist is one of the clearest I’ve seen—simple, physical, and immediately useful before stepping on stage or into a meeting.

These reflections don’t add to his process. They explore what’s already there: how breath, balance, and intention turn quick rituals into embodied practice. Each step connects to principles from Developing Your Authentic Voice and echoes Stoic ideas that anchor composure in awareness.

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1. Box Breathing → The Farinelli Breath

Breath steadies judgment. The even inhale, hold, and exhale organize the body and prepare the mind.

“If your efforts are uncertain, the results will be too.” — Epictetus, Discourses 1.13.7

• When your breath begins deliberately, your speech follows it.

Related reading:

Weekly Insight #17: Building Your 12-Minute Practice Plan—Start with Breath 🎶   https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/2024/12/weekly-insight-17-building-your-12.html

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2. Strike a Post → Align Before Sound

Confidence isn’t a pose—it’s balance. Breath rises from the feet through the body like air through an organ pipe. Stillness and grounding make sound clear.

“Beauty comes not from adornment but from the order of one’s soul.” — Epictetus, Discourses 3.1

• Unnecessary motion blurs meaning; alignment reveals it.

Related reading:
Weekly Voice Insights #61 – Listening Before Leading: The Discipline of Perception
https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/2025/10/weekly-voice-insight-61-listening.html

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3. Say Your Why Aloud → Intention in Action

Speaking your “why” out loud isn’t for memorization; it’s for resonance. It lets you hear where tone and intention meet.

“First decide who you want to be, then act accordingly.” — Enchiridion 33.6

• Purpose becomes physical when vibration gives it shape.

Related reading:
Weekly Voice Insights #58 – Listicles Aren’t Mystical: From Checklists to Integrated Practice https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/2025/09/insight-58-listicles-arent-mystical.html

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4. First and Last → Anchoring the Arc

In voice work, the beginning and end of a phrase reveal steadiness. Rehearsing those moments aloud helps you feel timing and confidence.

“Each skill is strengthened by the act itself—walk by walking, speak by speaking.” — Discourses 2.18.1

• Every repetition builds clarity and trust.

Related reading:

Weekly Voice Insights #59 – Bias Alert Check-In: Guarding Clarity in Voice and Awareness -https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/2025/10/weekly-voice-insights-59-bias-alert.html

Voice Insights #12 – Distilling and Demystifying Voice Production https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/2024/11/weekly-insight-12-distilling-and.html

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5. Visualize Best-Case → Mental Rehearsal and Release

Visualization prepares you to adapt, not control. Once the picture is clear, you let it go.

“Train your mind to adapt to any circumstance… if circumstances take you off script, you won’t be desperate for a new prompting.” — Discourses 2.2

• Grounded preparation frees spontaneity.

Related reading:
Weekly Voice Insights #60 – Listening for What’s Actually There
https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/2025/10/weekly-voice-insight-60-breath-airflow.html

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6. Vocal Warm-Up → Purposeful Sound-Making

Warm-ups mean little without intention. Each sound should train something—resonance, clarity, or release.

“Train your speech to reflect clarity and reason—it’s part of the work of the soul.” — Discourses 2.10

• Sound practice is thought practice.

Related reading:
Weekly Voice Insights #15 – Choosing Exercises with Purpose
https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/2024/11/weekly-insight-15-choosing-exercises.html

Weekly Voice Insights #17 – Building Your 12-Minute Practice Plan: Start with Breath
https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/2024/12/weekly-insight-17-building-your-12.html

Weekly Voice Insights #18 – From Breath to Vowels: A Foundational Warm-Up
https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/2024/12/weekly-insight-18-from-breath-to.html

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7. Primal Release → Locate and Let Go

Freedom often looks messy. Sound and movement uncover tension before refinement begins.

“If you want to make progress, be willing to look foolish in the eyes of others.” — Enchiridion 29

• Ease replaces effort once judgment falls away.

Related reading:
Weekly Voice Insights #52 – Let the Breath Move You
https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/2025/08/weekly-insight-52-52-weeks-of.html

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8. Foot Focus → Grounded Awareness

Before speaking, feel the floor. Breath rises like air through a pipe—rooted below, free above.

“Present anything you wish, Fortune. I have resources within me that make use of it all.” — Discourses 1.6.37

• Grounding isn’t only stance you strike. It’s the sense that your weight, breath, and focus are working together without effort.

Related reading:
Weekly Voice Insights #56 – Grounded Speech: Finding Stability in Movement
https://dyavwithelias.blogspot.com/2025/09/weekly-insight-56-art-of-listening-from.html

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Each of Salvatore’s eight rituals points toward one truth: the body is not a bystander in communication. Breath, grounding, and intention are the quiet disciplines that make confidence visible. When practiced deliberately, they turn preparation into clarity—not performance.

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Further Resources

• Salvatore Manzi – Leadership Communications
  Amazon: Communicate With Clarity and Impact
  A practical guide for leaders and innovators who want to communicate ideas with clarity and confidence.

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Elias Mokole | Keynote Speaker, BA & Beyond 2025
Voice, Breath, and Clarity | Developing Your Authentic Voice Newsletter

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