I am a former stutterer who knows firsthand how difficult and frustrating it can be to have a stuttering problem. Many people don’t understand how difficult it can really be to learn to stop stuttering. They think that anyone can just overcome this speech problem with the right strength of character. Therefore, they label us as weak and nervous and tend to look down on us. However, I know this is not the case! Although, learning to stop stuttering is not an easy task. In fact, it is possible, which is why I have written this article to teach you about the passive airflow technique developed by Dr. Martin Schwartz.
Dr. Schwartz discovered this technique by interviewing several people who were able to overcome their stuttering problem. While conducting these interviews, he met someone who told him that he did not stutter while he smoked. Schwartz asked him to demonstrate, so the man lit a cigarette, blew out some smoke and started talking.
At first, he simply dismissed it as a psychological distraction. However, she later realized that the answer was actually in the flow of exhalation.
In short, this is how the “Passive Airflow Technique” works.
1. Before you begin to speak, exhale briefly.
2. Midway through your exhalation, say the first word of the sentence you want to say.
You can then continue to finish your sentence because as you exhale, you are relaxing your larynx and Valsalva mechanism.