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 hard it can really be to learn to stop stuttering. They think that anyone can simply 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 that 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 doing these interviews, he met someone who told him that he didn’t 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 just dismissed it as a psychological distraction. However, she later realized that the answer was actually in the flow of the exhale.

In short, this is how the “Passive Airflow Technique” works.

1. Before you start to speak, take a short breath out.

2. Halfway out, say the first word of the sentence you want to say.

You can then go on to finish your sentence because as you exhale, you are relaxing your larynx and the Valsalva mechanism.