Performing arts training, of necessity, includes methods to develop relaxation, concentration and presence. Years ago, in acting school,  I learned to do a voice and body exercise warm-up before auditioning or performing. While it did not completely get rid of my performance anxiety, it did help calm me. When I became a teacher of public speaking, […]

On August 29, 2012 The Houston Chronical reprinted a Chicago Tribune article on shyness in people who are single and breaking the bashful barrier.  The article states that behind shyness is extreme self-consciousness.  Shy people constantly worry that others are judging them, and they blame themselves for negative outcomes, so they choose to not do […]

This is the absolute bottom line of what to do to transform your public speaking tension and performance anxiety into radiant, authentic presence so that you shine in front of others. Coaching a corporate HR executive from a Fortune 100 company on his anxiety about public speaking, I said something new, something I’ve never said […]

This weekend I attended a workshop on Sound, Color & Vibration taught by Elias Demohan and Rafael Demohan.  Elias has been the most significant spiritual teacher in my life.  I have not seen him for many years as he now lives in Calgary, Canada.  The workshop was for me mostly a review of methods for […]

  My Zimmer Method approach to helping people to transform stage fright and fear of public speaking has been evolving since 1984.  It began by asking people to stand quietly in front of my acting classes to see if they could just be there at the center of attention.  Most people had great difficulty simply […]

Sean  Buvala  at storyteller.net has written an awesome post on using stories for apologies and healing.  He says that “Storytelling can be used for many different applications. One of the most difficult, but needed, application of storytelling is to express reconciliation, repentance and recompense.” Sean lists five steps that help create a story of redemption: 1. […]

You won’t believe me now, but it’s a good thing to have stage fright. In fact, the more stage fright you have, the better presenter or performer you can become, and the more potential you have to be a deeply impacting communicator and speaker! The reason is that you have the feelings. Your feelings are […]

  The trick to awesome speaking is not looking good on the outside, but feeling good on the inside.  You must build an inner foundation of comfort in your skin, presence, internal fullness and receptivity to the flow of other’s attention.   What trips people up about speaking is often the internal tension that distracts […]

  Everyday about 5 pm, I drive past a street fighter at the corner of Westheimer and Shadowbriar.  Really!  A street fighter!  For at least a year, I have seen this man, maybe 30 years old, dressed in fight gear, hat, gloves, armbands, shorts.  He dances on the corner, fighting with an invisible opponent.  Once […]

  When one journey ends, another begins.  But sometimes, maybe, you have to wait to see the next path. A little over 20 years ago, I started the journey of learning to transform stage fright and fear of public speaking so that I and others could connect with the power of presence when speaking or […]