If you want to project a sense of elegant poise, radiance, eloquence and confidence in pubic, there's perhaps no better role model than the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
And where better to find out exactly how she achieved her distinctive spellbinding charisma than from the man who helped to make her one of the most iconic orators of the 1990s?
Stewart Pearce is an internationally renowned master of voice and presence coach who worked with the royal in the last two years of her life. As one of the world’s go-to guides, he has also helped statespeople including Margaret Thatcher and Mo Mowlam as well as actors such as Hugh Bonneville, Simon Callow and Eddie Redmayne.
Here, Stewart discusses his interactions with Diana and passes on some of the core practices and mindsets that helped her command any room she was in…
FOCUS
“Diana was extraordinarily beautiful and through her natural generosity saw how to evolve her own radiance – focus became the way she physically attended to her intention, by developing a laser-like quality of eye contact,” says Stewart.
“In its original meaning, the word 'focus' means hearth or fireside. And we all know what it’s like to sit around a log fire or hearth – we become compelled to stare into the flames. Yet today we really don’t have this in our lives any more. Instead, we have other light boxes, such as the TV or our tablets, which magnetise us. So conversations cease as everyone becomes enthralled by the light of the screen before them.
“If we look and smile at the person being introduced to us, rather than peering over their shoulder or appearing disinterested, they automatically begin to feel endeared. They feel the immediacy of our genuine interest in them. Diana did this so easily!
“When meeting people one-to-one, the most important thing is to decide what you want to ask. A human-interest angle could be something as simple as, ‘The weather is rather cold’ or ‘I really like your shoes’. As soon as human connection is made, meaningful interactions take place.”
FLOW AND BREATH CONTROL
“Diana was a keen swimmer and dancer, often working out several times a week, so she was attuned to her body, which was expressive through her natural grace, elegance and sense of flow.
“These qualities were largely derived from her keen sensory awareness and natural sensuality, which meant that she was very aware of her breath. Some of the core work we did together was to engage her in breathing exercises that calmed her, that made her self-aware and not self-conscious, and gave her a feeling of being present in each moment and not rushing ahead.
“My belief is that at this time the world is out of flow, which means we are all thinking so fast our opinions have become scattered. Before any event, we need to become aware of our breath. For example, tie an elastic belt around your midriff and the base of your rib cage, sit comfortably, being aware of your spine, and bring your whole being into an awareness of stillness.
“Blow all the breath out until you feel empty and then breathe in gently, rather than gasping, feeling the rib cage broaden and the breath moving into your body. Pause, then let the breath go. If this is done three or four times, you will feel calmness spreading through you.
“This always empowers the speaker and allows the audience to engage with their own breath, creating an empathic union.”
GROUNDING
“Diana often felt overwhelmed by large audiences or the flashing cameras of the paparazzi, and so we worked on allowing her to feel stable by checking that the shoes she wore were always familiar and comfortable, earthing her body through her feet, allowing her to feel in contact with the floor or the earth.
“Diana found that the most important thing before meeting the energy of a person or audience was to consider what she was feeling. She would question, ‘Do I feel my weight equally distributed between both feet? Am I prepared to feel the earthiness of my body through the shoes that I’m wearing?’
“Diana was also aware of the whole of her spine needing to be aligned, which gave her confidence. The more aligned your spine is, the more confidence is communicated.
“Conversely, if the spine is bent, we often suggest disempowerment. “Then just stop, look at them, smile and speak.”
AFFIRMATIONS
“Diana often said, ‘I am as thick as two short planks’ as her natural propensities did not lead her towards the intellectual plane. If we are of diminished sensibility, if we are self-effacing, or do not feel powerful, we could try using affirmations such as, ‘I am powerful and I will use my power for the greater good’.
“Affirmations rearrange our neural pathways and produce powerful hormones that bring us joy. We feel more solid, grounded. Diana had this endearing quality of being, due to her immediacy and spontaneity, and yet she was unaware of how extraordinary she was. My job was to remind her of these qualities so she could specialise in her natural talent – curiosity and a loving nature."
MOVING FROM THE HEAD TO THE HEART
“Diana always checked she was centring her voice in her signature note – and this meant placing all thought and feeling in her heart.
“Vocal centring is about finding the middle point of our range and this is what I mean by finding our signature note. Just try saying, ‘Hello, how are you?’ in your head. And then say the same thing in your heart, noticing the huge difference! My belief is this is what ignited Diana’s stunning radiance in her last years, as she silenced the voice of oppression within her critics. It is extraordinary how when we sit in our note the whole of our energy expands, our bodies align and we become radiant.
“Diana’s raison d’être was pure love, kindness and astonishing care, and when she expressed these human elements her generosity automatically became luminous and radiant – and so perhaps we should attempt the same thing."
Stewart Pearce’s updated book Diana, The Voice of change: The commemorative edition is available now on amazon and in all good bookshops
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