5 Essential Physical Warm-ups

As performers we want to be present and "in the moment." That phrase is thrown around a lot, but what I mean by "in the moment" is taking in the information that is currently happening. One way we can encourage this is by opening up our bodies before we get on stage. All performers should do a physical warm-up of some kind before they hit the stage for a performance or speech. Stretching and opening our bodies helps us to shed the accumulated experiences of our day so that we can perform at our best.

Below are 5 warm-ups I always do before a performance. By no means is this list exhaustive, but it's a good place to begin if you are just starting out as a public speaker or performer. It's also an effective list if you need to warm-up but are short on time. Most of these exercises are from the Miller Voice Method work that I practice. In all of these exercises I encourage you to breathe in and out of your mouth, which is the most economical and easiest way to breathe. Focus on breathing into your low belly (the area between your navel and hip points.) You want your breath to be flowing easily in and out with no stoppage at the bottom of the exhale or top of the inhale.

• Jaw massage: I like to begin my warm-ups with this exercise: take both of your hands and clasp them together, bring your thumbs to your right and left side of your jaw and rub into the muscle that is just in front of the jaw hinge. You may find this to be slightly uncomfortable or painful. As a matter of fact, if it isn't you're probably not in the right spot. Most of us hold a lot of tension here. This is the last place of holding before "information" leaves our lips and is out in the world. If there's something we want to say but feel like we can't or shouldn't, it often gets "stored" in our jaw muscles. Remember when you're doing this exercise to release your jaw and breathe in and out of the mouth.

• Roll down: In a standing position, bend your knees slightly and bring your feet hips-width apart. (This is most likely going to be narrower than you think it should be.) Bring your chin to your chest and then slowly roll down the entire length of your spine, go vertebra by vertebra if possible. When you are completely released in this position take a few deep breaths into your belly and low back. Feel your belly expand and release against your thighs. If you would like to deepen this stretch, clasp opposite elbows and continue to breathe deeply. Stay in this position for about 30 seconds, then slowly roll back up through the spine. If you feel dizzy, put your index finger a foot in front of your face and focus on it until your dizziness subsides.

• Half-Moon: In a standing position, bring your feet together and clasp your arms above your head. You want your pointer fingers pointing towards the sky. Wiggle your rib-cage up off of your internal organs and feel the space that is created. Staying in this position stretch over to the right side, stretching out the left side of the rib cage. Notice how your ribs expand as you breathe in  and release as you breathe out. Remember to keep your body facing toward the opposite wall so you are not collapsing down towards your feet. Repeat this stretch on the opposite side.

• Hip Opener: Bring your legs a bit wider than hips distance apart. Bend your legs fully so that you are in a squat position. If possible, your toes and heels should be rooted into the floor. Bring your hands into a prayer position between your thighs. Use your forearms to gently press against the inner thighs encouraging a deep stretch. Try to maintain a long spine in this position. Breathe in and out of the mouth, maintaining the pose for 30 seconds to a minute.

• Tongue Twister: The last thing I like to do before going on stage is tongue-twisters! If I'm pressed for time and can only do one it's generally going to be "My Sister Sally." The reason being is that the "s" is the most likely sound to be sloppy in our speech. Having as much clarity as possible with our "s" makes all of our speech more crisp. You can find the full text of "My Sister Sally" in Edith Skinner's Speak With Distinction 

I like the progression of this warm-up because it warms up the whole body: the jaw, the spine, the ribs, the legs and the tongue. All of these exercises are linked by the continuous breath that you maintain throughout the warm-up. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments and also leave any warm-ups that you find useful!

On Nourishing Your Inner Orchid

This morning as I was writing in my journal, I looked up and noticed that an orchid I've had for over two years had sprouted a new vine. My heart lept into my chest. I bought this orchid a few years ago and after a couple of months the blooms fell off and it went into "hibernation." I'd been watering it every week or so for the past couple of years and (when I remembered) spraying it with orchid fertilizer.

I've been determined to get that orchid to bloom again. I could never throw it out, even though it hasn't bloomed it ages. It would be throwing out a living creature and that seems cruel and inconsiderate! So I've faithfully watered and spritzed this plant for years, hoping that one day it would bloom again. Today finally after over two years there is a glimmer that something might happen!

Aren't we like the orchid? We need tending and nourishment in order to thrive. Sometimes we go into hibernation and it seems like nothing is happening on the outside, but on the inside we may be completely transforming.

Most of us have days where we feel like giving up on our goals. They seem too unrealistic and we get discouraged because of the lack of forward movement. When this happens to you, remember the orchid.

It takes a lot of energy for an orchid to bloom and along the way it needs three things:

1) Nourishment: Orchids need water, indirect light and orchid fertilizer in order to bloom. Like the orchid, we also need nourishment in order to blossom. We need to feed ourselves physically with nutritious and wholesome food. We also need to feed ourselves creatively and spiritually in order to truly thrive. Choose activities that truly nourish you, such as going for a walk in nature or seeing a soul-stirring performance.

2) Rest: It takes a lot of energy for orchids to bloom. Humans also need adequate rest in order to perform at our optimum. If we're not getting the rest we need our physical health suffers, and so does our mental health. In times of intense activity, make doubly sure that you're getting adequate rest to support your well-being. And at those times when you're not productive, trust that the period of rest is necessary and nourishing so that you may bloom again.

3) Alone Time: Now you may think I'm crazy saying that orchids need alone time! What I mean is this: if you over-water, give to much sun to or over-fertilize an orchid (or any plant) it will die. Orchids need only a few ounces of water per week, any more and they start to drown. Check in with yourself daily. Are you giving yourself adequate "alone time"? Remember that when we feed ourselves too much "food," be it through activities such as socializing or over-scheduling ourselves, we are in effect drowning ourselves and damaging our ability to thrive.

It is a dance to stay in balance and harmony. You can help yourself achieve that sense of inner balance by following the above tips. How do you nurture yourself? I'd love to hear from you in the comments.

5 Ways to Stay on Track With Your Creative Goals

A few days ago, I got an idea for a book. I sat down at the computer and an outline flew out of me. It felt like this was the book I was born to write. In the process of writing the outline I entered that "flow state" where I felt totally in the creative zone. It was great.

However later that evening, the voices of doubt started to creep in: "Who's going to read this book?" "Who are YOU to write a book?" "How could you ever get this thing published?" "You're not even a good writer..." etc. So I stopped writing. A week went by and I did no work on my book. I abandoned this project that had given me a few hours of total joy and excitement. I believed the voices that said I wasn't good enough.

And then I had a realization: "Just write the damn book and worry about who's going to read it later. Write the book because right now your soul wants to create this book. Write it for YOU right now and trust that when the time is right this book will find it's audience... and if its audience is just you, that's okay." 

Have you ever found yourself giving up on a goal that earlier had given you lots of joy? 

Here are some tools for getting back on track:

• Don't believe everything you think. I've written a bit about this in a previous post, but it holds especially true in this scenario. Most negative thoughts are fear-based and invented by our subconscious mind to protect ourselves from perceived danger. Your brain isn't trying to sabotage you; it's trying to protect you. However, in most creative endeavors, you don't need you brain's protection. Shine a light on the negative voice inside of you that is trying to stop you from creating. Thank this voice and show gratitude for its efforts in trying to protect you. Also let it know that it's not going to stop you from pursuing your goal and then carry on creating!

• Resolve to work on your goal every day. I've committed to working on my book for 20 minutes every day. Now this might not seem like a lot of time, but 20 minutes a day adds up to 10 hours a month. Committing to work on something every day actually increases your odds of working on it for longer. Often I'll do my 20 minutes in the morning and then later find myself inspired to go back to work on a section of the book. I'm getting new ideas because the book is constantly on my mind and so my brain is working on it even when I'm not actively "working on it."

• Have an accountability partner. Oftentimes setting goals on our own isn't enough to keep us on track. It can be helpful to buddy up with a friend who is working on a similar goal. You can connect weekly in person or via Skype and make sure that you're both staying on track with your goals. Break your goals down into manageable weekly "chunks" and then check in with your partner to see if you've both reached the week's goal.

• Reward yourself. This one works really well for me and I've used it throughout my life. (It's how I used to get myself to go to auditions.) Your reward for making progress towards your goal can be anything you want it to be (although I do encourage green juice over ice cream). I urge you to give yourself small rewards as you make positive steps toward your goal, rather than one large reward when you've succeeded - this way you're most likely to stay motivated.

• Let go of perfection. I'm aware that my book is not ready to be published in its current state. I'm writing from the heart first and then will go back and edit and polish, etc. Writing a book takes a lot of time, a lot of work and a lot of endurance. I'm giving myself permission at this stage for the book to be rough, for it to be "bad." I'm in this for the long haul. I'm allowing myself to be in the process of writing a book, without needing my book to be a product.

I hope you found these suggestions helpful. They are certainly helping me stay on track with my goals. If you find yourself falling off the wagon with your creative goals, getting back on track is just a few actionable steps away. I'd love to hear how you stay on track with your creative endeavors.

Four Benefits of a Daily Meditation Practice

A couple of months ago I gave myself a challenge. I committed to meditating every morning for at least ten minutes a day for the next thirty days. I created a small altar on the coffee table in our living room, consisting of a Buddha statue, a surrender box, and an incense burner.

Every morning, soon after waking, I sit cross-legged for ten minutes in front of the altar. I meditate with my eyes open, but in soft focus and place my awareness on my breath. I count my breaths from one through ten and begin again when I reach ten. This method helps calm my mind and keeps me focused.

That doesn't mean that I've achieved enlightenment or inner-peace! On the contrary, meditating has helped me realize how active my mind really is. It seems as soon as I begin, my mind remembers this HUGE to-do list that had previously been living in the dark recesses of my mind. Things that had seemed trivial yesterday all of a sudden come to the forefront, wanting to be heard and recognized. When the thoughts come (and they always do), I try to practice compassion and loving-kindness towards myself. I label the thoughts "thinking" and bring my focus back to the breath.

Sometimes while meditating, I experience thirty seconds of presence and sometimes I experience two whole minutes! And at other times, no peace comes, just an endless stream of thoughts punctuated by breath.

What have I gained in my 80+ days of daily meditation?

• Time. I used to feel like I didn't have time for anything, like time was continually slipping away and I was running to keep up with all the items I had to check off my to-do list. I still have the same amount of responsibilities in my life, but now I experience a lot more space around these responsibilities. Time seems to be elastic, rather than fixed. And although I'm taking at least 10 minutes a day to sit in stillness, somehow I seem to have more time to do the things I need to do and, more importantly, the things I want to do.

• Inner Peace. A funny thing started to happen after I'd been meditating for awhile. I started sweating the small stuff less. For example, I live in New Jersey and have struggled my entire adult life with road rage. The moment I get in the car I'm "horn happy." I won't claim to be a saint now, but I will say that my tolerance for sitting behind someone who has stopped at a green light has increased ten-fold. I no longer take their absent-mindedness as a personal affront, but recognize that they may be having a bad day. Nowadays when I find my stress levels rising, I remind myself that "we are all one."

• Perspective. We all struggle. We all have stressful aspects to our lives that aren't going as well as we wish they would. Meditation has given me the perspective to recognize that my problems are only as big or as small as I make them. I have the power to change my perspective. I have the power to decide if a problem is going to ruin my day.

• Positivity. Before I started meditating, I was often at the mercy of my mind. Human beings have a tendency to over-focus on the negative and I was no exception. Since I've started meditating, I've become more aware of my negative thoughts. When you notice a negative thought before it takes hold, you can easily replace it with a more positive thought. One of my favorite sayings is: "You don't have to believe everything you think." Meditation has given me the power to chose more positive thoughts and that is an invaluable gift.

This started off as a thirty day experiment, but now that I'm eighty-seven days in, I think it's safe to say I'm hooked! I can't imagine not continuing to meditate daily and I've upped my daily meditation practice to fifteen minutes a day. Meditation is how I start my day; it is a small, but incredibly effective way that you can begin your day with self-care.

Don't Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good

Yesterday, while taking a drop-in art class I had an experience that I don't always have when I'm engaging in something creative: I was fully "in the zone." My instructor even commented: "You're on fire today." Painting after painting was flying out of me. I felt free and almost reckless - a very unfamiliar feeling for me.

Class started off with quick thirty-second figure drawings, then we worked our way up to one-minute, and then finally four minute sketches. Ever since the instructor told me not to go over the same line twice, I've really struggled with finding my freedom in figure drawing. But today I was completely free, and as a consequence, my line quality was much better. I felt completely unconcerned with what the teacher thought of my work and totally uninhibited. It was one of the most enjoyable creative experiences I've had in a long time.

Afterwards, I was reflecting on why this was such a pleasurable experience. This is how I always WANT to feel while creating, why do I often NOT feel that way? 

I think this was so enjoyable because it was a drop-in class. Not a full course. Not a master's degree. Just a drop-in class. Therefore I felt no responsibility in getting it right or needing the teacher to like me. I was able to take it less seriously and just have fun with it. And I wasn't monitoring myself to make sure that I was improving.

If you practice at your chosen craft(s), you will improve over time. Worrying about whether or not you're getting better doesn't help you improve. It actually slows down your growth. Your intellect might think it's helping out, but it's actually slowing you down and making your creative process less fun. Ultimately there's truth to the simple adage that "practice makes perfect." Or rather, since there's no perfection in the world of creativity, "practice makes better."

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Create even though it won't be perfect. Create BECAUSE it won't be perfect. Create because you're spirit cries out that it needs to express itself. That is where the freedom is. That is where the joy is.

5 Ways You Can Meet Your Fear With Compassion

With all the violence (and threats of violence) that have been in the headlines these past few weeks, the emotion of fear has been living very prominently in my mind. Fear is the most primal of all human emotions; there are no grey areas in the emotional landscape of fear. This emotion has a very important role: to protect us from danger. It prevents us from thinking we can hug grizzly bears, no matter how cute they may seem. The problem comes when fear wants to "help out" when it isn't needed. And in our modern world - where we generally aren't being chased by grizzly bears on a daily basis - fear often feels the need to lend a helping hand when it really isn't necessary.

In our society, admitting that we feel fear is often considered shameful, and yet the mainstream culture constantly feeds our fear, making it grow stronger and more powerful. We may try to fight fear or deny its existence, but in my experience, that isn't a very effective approach.

So what are we to do with the voice of fear when it tells us to run away when we're in a casting office waiting to audition? Or when it tells us to stay home and not go to the audition in the first place? Or when it immobilizes us when places are called before a performance? Below are some tools you can use to manage and diminish fear:

1. Make friends with fear.  It isn't going anywhere, so you might as well befriend it! When you notice it bubble up in you, say: "Hello fear. I see you there. Thanks for trying to protect me. I appreciate you." Fear will always be in your life, but it doesn't have to control your life.

2. Name your fear. Try thinking of fear as a separate entity from yourself. You might even want to give your fear a name. I like to call mine "Gertrude." Seriously, give your fear a funny name and you begin to take some power away from this previously unnamed force. When we treat our fear as something separate from ourselves, we are more likely to not let it govern us.

3. Turn off the news. I'm not suggesting that you become completely uninformed and blind to all the suffering in the world. What I am suggesting is limiting the amount of time you spend watching, listening, and reading about negative things happening. It is so easy to become addicted to the negative news cycle. Personally it doesn't make me feel empowered to have this "knowledge." It makes me feel more fearful, overwhelmed and disenfranchised in all aspects of my life. This is especially important if you are a highly sensitve person. While this may not seem to directly relate to stage or audition fright, the more opportunities fear has to manifest itself, the more real estate it will take up in your brain.

4. Take positive action. Instead of watching news, contribute a few dollars to the causes that matter most to you-- whether that be global warming, homelessness or war. Or use your creative voice to create art that will engender positive social change and illuminate the issues that are near and dear to you!

5. Meditate.  Meditation allows "the mind chatter," which is often fear-based, to quiet down. When you meditate, see if you can get in touch with your higher self. The higher self lives inside each and every one of us. It is our connection to something greater than ourselves: our inner wisdom. Allow your higher self to be the one who watches your fear. When you consciously shine light on your fear (instead of unconsciously letting fear run the show), fear's power will be greatly diminished.

Fear is natural, it will always be there. But you have a choice as to how you're going to react to it. The important thing is to not let it run your life. Don't allow fear to stop you from going to that audition or sending that submission to a casting director. When you take positive action towards your goal, you will meet your fear with compassion and it will become less powerful!

How to Cultivate Beginner's Mind

If you're a perfectionist like me, learning and creating while practicing "beginner's mind" is something you might find challenging. What is "beginner's mind" you ask? Beginner's mind is a concept from Zen Buddhism that encourages the practitioner to cultivate a sense of openness and eagerness.  It asks that we let go of prejudgement when engaging in an activity. No matter what your skill level, it is helpful to bring a sense of openness, presence, and childlike curiosity to your creative endeavors.

Despite its name, beginner's mind is not just for beginners. Practicing beginner's mind even when we're "experts" can help invigorate our acting, our creative endeavors, and our everyday lives with a sense of wonder and "nowness." It can help bring us into the present moment.

What are some ways you can begin to apply "beginner's mind" to your creative life? 

1) Allow yourself time to transition. Arrive early to a new class you're taking so when you get there you're not in an anxious and harried state. When you arrive, take some quiet time to center and prepare yourself for the experience. This can take many forms. For example, you might find taking a couple of minutes for meditation helpful, or perhaps journaling helps to quiet your mind. Find what works best for you and turn it into a ritual.

2) Breathe. I know it sounds simple, but there's a lot of wisdom in this simple reminder. When you breathe, you relax your body and create more openness. More openness in your body leads to more openness in your mind, your heart, and more openness to the present moment.

3) Have a sense of humor about yourself. Many artists (myself included) have a tendency to take themselves way too seriously. This cuts you off from the enjoyment of learning and also from creativity itself. You can't be fully alive and creative if your inner-voice is prejudging everything before you have a chance to utter the first lines of the monologue, put pen to paper, or wet your paintbrush.

4) Be curious about resistance. If you're feeling anxious about trying something new, ask yourself what is making you uncomfortable. Figure out why you are afraid of committing to the activity. Oftentimes, "This is stupid," actually means "I'm afraid of looking like an ass."

5) Don't be afraid of looking like an ass.  As an artist, you have to be willing to risk looking like a fool. This requires some vulnerability on your part. I'm not certain of many things, but I am certain  that nothing great was created without vulnerability.

The next time you find yourself in a situation where you're exercising your creativity, notice how you react to it. Do you allow yourself a sense of play and openness? If you do, you are practicing "beginner's mind." If you don't, don't beat yourself up- that only exacerbates the problem! Instead, breathe, take a step back, and remember the above tools. Happy creating everyone!