Separating Your Words From Your Body
Check out the picture below as it is a perfect park position. We will soon be learning how to incorporate gestures, but you must first train yourself to speak entirely in the park position. Practice speaking in front of a mirror for 30-second intervals in the park position. Practice speaking with no arm or hand movement. Crunch your toes, as well, to ensure no movement in your lower body. When you can talk comfortably with no tension or action in your lower body or arms, you have separated your words from your physical gestures. You are ready to take the next step. This practice is the most effective way to become an incredible communicator.
The Park position is by far the most difficult fundamental to master. Once you can comfortably speak without any arm or hand movement, you are separating your words from your gestures. You are in the home position, which is where you go when you want to take a conservative approach. You can't get burned from the park position.
When you get comfortable in the park position you can now learn how to make gestures whenever it is appropriate. You now have total control of your self. You can speak clearly and precisely without moving your arms, but you can then strike a gesture when you want to show credibility and instantly become more dynamic.
Do Not Try to Time Your Gestures With Your Words
The majority of the time you speak, you should have your arms relaxing and down by your sides in the park position. Although the percentage will change, you should strive to be in the park position 60-70% of the time.
In the park position, you like a boxer or a cobra ready to strike. What I love about the park position is that I know it looks great, so I don’t have to rush to get to a gesture. I can make my gesture when I am ready.
You do not have to attempt to combine your words with the perfect gesture. As you are speaking in the park position, merely perform a right-handed gesture, hold the hand still for a couple of seconds, and drop the gesture.
You are now back in the park position and after about 10-15 seconds gesture with your left hand. Hold it still for a couple of seconds, drop the gesture, and go back to the park position.
You will be pleased when audience members tell you how brilliant your gestures were, and they will often comment about your incredible timing of the gestures. Nobody needs to know that you merely raise gestures randomly.
Watch this video and see how The Speech Doctor uses the park position, but then drives his gestures home. The great speaker's park and then they drive.
Watch the video:
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