Acting Exercise - Delve into Your Creative Side with the Meditation Exercise

As actors we are prone to moments of depression, anxiety, worry, fear and all the other negative emotions that span the human consciousness. It is your job as a performer to acknowledge these emotions and perform certain exercises to help calm your mind and bring peace into your being. As I said in a previous article, a tense actor is unable to fully develop a character and provide a performance full of true sincerity and conviction.

The meditation exercise is used to bring full-body relaxation without become emotionally dormant. This is an excellent exercise to perform immediately before an acting class, or before performing or going on an audition.

Step 1:

Lie down on the floor; make sure you have ample room between you and others or objects to fully extend your body. Let your arms rest naturally at your side; allowing your palms to face any direction that feels natural.

Step 2:

While lying down, straighten your back by extending your neck and legs until they are in a comfortable position. The goal is to lay down in such a manner that no part of your body is stressed.

Step 3:

Find a focal point on the ceiling, which will serve as your primary point of focus. Begin concentrating on your breathing. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Once you find that your breath is effortless and regulated, move onto the next step.

Step 4:

Vocalize your breath once your breathing is regulated. Inhale through your nose, and as you exhale allow a non-strained "Ah" sound to come from your mouth. While doing this, suppress all other thoughts beyond focusing on your breathing, your vocal sound and the focal point on the ceiling. If you notice that your mind wants to think about something else, force yourself to only think about your breathing. Say "Breathe in, Breath out" to yourself.

Step 5:

Begin to focus on different parts of your body, and try to relax these muscles. Don't rush this process. After you have focused on all the different parts of your body, take a big inhale. During the inhale say the word "peace" out loud throughout the entire inhale. One the exhale, say the word "Calm" out loud so it lasts throughout the entire exhale. Repeat several times, before returning to normal breathing and end the meditation session when time feels right.