Some people dedicate their lives to breath and awareness in the body; I am one of them. One of the fundamental involuntary processes in our body is breath. This life supporting function can also be adjusted voluntarily. Because of this duality, breath can and does link directly to the calming or stimulating of the nervous system.
Connecting to the breath will connect you to sensations that are occurring in your body moment to moment. Sensations connect you to emotions. So if you are able to allow and experience your breath, or let your body breathe you, you can then fully experience your NOW.
You may already understand and agree that breath work is fundamental to an actor. Actors take years to train and develop breath support. We hone the ability to breathe in large thoughts to avoid running out of breath. Without good breath support, an actor cannot do quality stage work - no matter how intimate the theatre.
If you are interested in exploring breath work, I offer private classes that are informed by Rodenburg, Berry, Linklater, Fitzmaruice, and Skinner. To breathe is to live.
Charlotte Selver said, "We come into the world and soon learn to feel we always should be doing something instead of simply being open for what presents itself at the moment."
We are conditioned at a very young age to DO because simply noting something does not demonstrate to others you get it. Selver sites examples like a mother demonstrating for her "child, "mmmmm, doesn't that taste good?" (as she smacks her lips), or "Listen to the airplane!" (looking up strenuously)."
So how do we combat or learn alternative ways of being? As artists, or people, healing our souls is paramount. Without health, longevity lacks joy.
Meditation is embraced by many cultures to heal thoughts. WAIT! If you are repelled by the thought of sitting in a room with a bunch of other people trying to clear your mind, you are not alone. This is NOT the only way to create a centering practice.
A centering practice can be anything from traditional meditation to a repetitive action that requires focus, but allows the mind to percolate: it is something you practice often to rid yourself of any unnecessary feelings. Feelings begin from sensation, we interpret the sensation and give the experience meaning, and the meaning is often linked to our core belief system.
Do you crave to be more comfortable in your skin and in your life? Think about sensations you get that calm you down. What are the elements present in those experiences?
Sensations are great in that we can create a new one in our body at any given moment to override the sensations that may lead to uneasiness. Find your happy triggers and use them often!
Give my Core to Win two minute "awakening sensations" a go!
1. Find 2 minutes where you are uninterrupted - TWO.
2. Get in a comfortable position (sitting, lying down, standing) and when your body stills (no fidgeting, scratching, etc.), bring your attention to the sounds around you. Close your eyes to tune into your hearing.
3. Begin noticing the closest sounds to you and keep moving out until your two minutes is up. (The sounds next to your body, 1 foot, 2 feet, next room, outside, etc. Be specific.)
4. When you open your eyes and come into awareness, note what that experience was like for you. How do you feel in your body now? What is your breathing like now? What was the closest sound, the furthest?
Some people dedicate their lives to breath and awareness in the body; I am one of them.
