When wanting to use an instrument of energy you must first connect with the energy source. Let’s start with plugging into your power. The earth is beneath you, holding you, supporting you, carrying you forward. Let’s tap into that energizing ball of raw power.
We theatre folk joke affectionately about talking heads: actors strangled by the noose of intellect, who emote from the face with no connection from the neck down. To clarify, no one wants to be that actor so we work diligently on being connected, grounded, and having stage presence. Is it possible to teach those elusive qualities of the stars? Absolutely. Here’s how to begin.
Where do you start when you build anything? From the ground up.
Today’s lesson is to connect with your feet first.
- Begin with a foot massage. I’m not joking. Nor am I offering, sorry. This you’ll have to do. Wake the feet up, feel their pain, fatigue, and desire to be loved. Take the time.
- Then stand on your two feet. Bounce a little. Sway a little. Feel your weight over your feet and feel your feet connected to the earth.
- Then inhale a nice cleansing breath and let it go. On your second breath, inhale, then as you let the breath go imagine the air falling through you like a waterfall, washing through your insides into your feet. Let your breath seep into the earth and nourish the ground around you. Keep taking nice and easy cleansing breaths allowing the breath to drop in, then wash down, and into your feet.
Easy Peasy? Yes. But this vital connection is the foundation of your power. Never underestimate it.
As you go through your day, I want you to set the timer on your phone for every hour. On that hour, take that cleansing breath, allow the breath cascade down into your feet on your exhale. If you don’t have time to start your day with a massage then at least give your feet a wiggle and a stretch. Can’t set your phone? Build the ritual into your routine: on breaks, between classes, after every time you put your shoes on. Be conscious of your connection as you walk through your day. Feel your feet anchoring you to your stage. Stand strong and confident because you are plugged into your power.
This may seem unremarkable until you begin to feel the trust. No matter where you are or how anxious you feel, the earth is there to support you, your feet are connected to that power, and that with a breath you can allow any feeling to fall away. This is extremely difficult if you struggle with anxiety or depression and you feel as if your body acts out against you. Conditioning your body with repeated physical exercises may help when trying to summon calm and connection. On a lighter note, it’s helped me, as a klutz, to stop walking into stationary objects.
So on the hour. Every hour. Let’s try it and see!
Need a mediation to go with your breath? Remember…
Wherever you go
there you are.
– Confucius
or Buddha
or Jon Kabat-Zinn
(Google isn’t being helpful)