The right way of breathing has everything to do with the right way of speaking. We are to use the abdominal muscles in speaking as well as in breathing; and if we do not use them in breathing, we cannot use them in breathing, we cannot use them in speaking. Therefore it we do not breathe rightly, we cannot speak rightly.
Speaking from the throat, all the time fretting and irritating the vocal organs, letting the words come out from the upper extremity of the vocal organs, is not the best way to improve health or to increase the efficiency of those organs.[1]
There have been even Seventh-day Adventist workers, who had a great deal of talking to do, who had so nearly ruined the throat that it was somewhat doubtful whether it would ever be well again. The throat was so filled with diseased formations that it had to be cauterized--burnt out.
And the sole difficulty was that the throat had been used in talking just as is here stated should not be done. The throat had been used alone, all the time fretting and irritating it, until it was almost destroyed. And all this through lack of knowledge of the simple principles which we are now studying.
You should take a full inspiration, and let the action come from the abdominal muscles.[2]
Let what come? The action. From what place? From the abdominal muscles. The action should not come from the lungs, nor from the throat.
Let the action come from the abdominal muscles. Let the lungs be only the channel; but do not depend upon them to do the work. If you let your words come from deep down, exercising the abdominal muscles, you can speak to thousands with just as much ease as you can speak to then.[3]
Where shall the words come from? From "deep down", not from high up; from the base of the vocal organs, not from the top, the action coming from the abdominal muscles. Then you can speak to thousands with just as much ease, so far as the lungs and throat--the vocal organs--are concerned, as you can speak to ten.
But no man can do that who speaks with his lungs and throat; for the more effort there is put upon these, the more destructive it is. But any extra exertion of these muscles can be made just as easily as can the normal by the man who is using his abdominal muscles. Of course, if he has to speak to but ten, he will speak as if he were speaking to but ten; and the muscular exertion will not need to be much, if anymore, than if speaking to one.
But if he is speaking to ten thousand, this will require more power; yet all he has to do is to bring more pressure on the abdominal muscles, and he can make the people hear; and the throat and lungs will be just as safe as in the other case. There is no more danger of injuring the throat in the extra use of the abdominal muscles than in the regular use of them.
Some of our preachers are killing themselves by long, tedious praying and loud speaking, when a lower tone would make a better impression.[4]
You have heard it,--you have heard ministers, when speaking in a small room to only a few people, strike a high key, that would make the house fairly ring. To cause all in the house to hear, they did not need to talk any louder than they would in simply talking to one or two; yet they actually talked louder than would have been necessary had they been speaking to hundreds.
When they stopped talking, they were tired, and you were also tired. Then, too, if they chanced to go out into cold or wet weather, they took cold; and the throat being all irritated and inflamed already, the cold seized upon that at once, and they were "laid up" for days or perhaps weeks, besides having laid the foundation for serious disease.
A lower tone would make a better impression, and save their own strength. Now, while you go on, regardless of the laws of life and health, and follow the impulse of the moment, do not charge it upon God if you break down.[5]
Do not think these are but imaginations, or mere trifles, meaning but little. They are not; they mean your life. And you can carry out these instructions if you will but persevere, and work with diligence. You can do it alone.
There will yet be teachers in all our schools, and among the ministers, who will give this training. But you need not wait. Until these teachers come your way, you can study these principles and follow a few simple rules, and so breathe and speak rightly anyhow. Here is a sentence on that:
A teacher should be employed to educate the youth to speak without wearing the vocal organs.[6]
Thus you see the right way to speak is not to wear the vocal organs. Then do not allow yourselves to wear your vocal organs when you are talking. That is the way a teacher would train you if he were with you; but till you meet him, do it for yourself. And that you may see that it can be done easily, read the following sentence:
All that was essential was to study and conscientiously follow a few simple rules...and to exercise a little common sense.[7]
This was originally given as a testimony of reproof of that which was done a number of years ago, when a "professor of elocution" was employed to come to Battle Creek and teach elocution. They got up a great stir over the matter, and some even dropped the work of the ministry to take up the teaching of elocution.
This Testimony was given to correct this wrong course. I have met some of the brethren who were there, and who took that instruction in "elocution," and they have been suffering from the effects of it ever since. They did not know what was the matter with them, until they studied up in the Testimonies on this matter. And then they had to undo that which they had been taught by that "professor of elocution."
But the Testimony says that instead of employing a professor of elocution, all that was essential was to study and conscientiously follow a few simple rules, and educate themselves by the exercise of a little common sense.
That was all that was needed then; and it is all that is needed now--at least until a teacher is found who understands the subject himself, and can train people as directed by the Lord.
You should not let the labor come upon the upper portion of the vocal organs; for this will constantly wear and irritate them, and will lay the foundation for disease. The action should come upon the abdominal muscles. The lungs and throat should be the channel, but should not do all the work.[8]
There it is written both how to breathe and how not to breathe,--not to breathe,--not to use the throat and lungs, but to use the abdominal muscles, while the lungs and throat form only a channel. Again, in speaking of a certain one, the Testimony says:
He breathes only from the top of his lungs. It is seldom that he exercises the abdominal muscles in the act of breathing.[9]--Advent Review, March 1, 1898.
Notes: