Why Zarmina Sings: 18 Steps to Live and Learn Beyond Anxiety is a non-fiction book by author and educator Therese Ayla Kravetz. After being plagued by her own personal fear of public speaking for many years, Kravetz began to experiment with dramatic techniques as a basis for building confidence and quelling anxiety to produce a better level of personal performance and to enhance learning. This volume presents a collection of examples from Kravetz’s teaching career and personal life, in which different dramatic techniques are employed to aid students with their problems. The title’s Zarmina is one such student, afraid to put her true self forward, self-critical and anxious, until she finds a song and a voice within her. The stories are both inspirational and useful as a self-help guide to those struggling with issues of confidence.

As someone who holds an MA in Education, it’s nice to see a book about education that can be accessed by anyone of any academic level. Therese Ayla Kravetz has created a highly readable collection with a personal touch to its narrative, explaining the chemical reactions of the brain in effective terms and without overdoing the amount of information. Her central concept of ‘re-wiring’ the brain by changing techniques of voice, breath, movement, and central concentration forces students to think about themselves in a new way, dispelling anxiety and encouraging them to refocus that anxious energy into something new and productive. Why Zarmina Sings: 18 Steps to Live and Learn Beyond Anxiety is an excellent guide for both educators looking to instill confidence, and those who want to improve their own issues of anxiety and self-doubt.

Why Zarmina Sings: 18 Steps to Live and Learn Beyond Anxiety by Therese Ayla Kravetz is an informative book that introduces us to simple strategies such as breathing techniques, shoulder shrugs, Brain Gym exercises, role playing, and body focusing to help combat stress build up, especially in a classroom setting. The author is a veteran teacher that suffered from anxiety attacks, and she researched different methods to help her control these negative triggers. She then introduced these helpful methods to her students in an attempt to help them become more confident and relaxed in a classroom setting. The book also highlights the struggles and achievements of some of her students and it discusses how they ultimately found their inner voice and strength. The author discusses how a relaxed and safe environment promotes a less anxious brain, which makes a student capable of learning more.

Anxiety and stress are two strong forces that plague the minds and bodies of many individuals. Learning to cope and live with these negative energies can be very challenging. The mind-body connection is very powerful; this is why negative thoughts can trigger the body to go into panic mode by causing a rapid heartbeat, sweaty palms, a lump in the throat, and exaggerated feelings of fear. Why Zarmina Sings: 18 Steps to Live and Learn Beyond Anxiety by Therese Ayla Kravetz is a helpful resource that can give anxious people, especially students, the tools needed to combat fear, negative thoughts, 'what if' scenarios, and worry. It will help them to overcome stage fright and eliminate the fear of oral presentations, while injecting them with more confidence, courage, and inner peace.