breathing · web view2021. 2. 16. · breathing, as i wrote earlier, strongly influences mind,...

Australian College of Dramatic Arts

7 Macquarie Place, Boronia Vic 3155Telephone: 9720 6200

Warm-ups – ResourcesBREATHING 1

DIET HINTS 2

DIET, FITNESS AND HEALTH 5

AN ACTOR’S HEALTH 7

RELAXATION, BREATHING, SPEECH AND PHYSICAL EXERCISES 9

DEEP RELAXATION EXERCISES 13

STANISLAVSKI AND MEISNER 15

WARM-UPS 15

YOUTUBE RESOURCES FOR WARM-UPS 16

Are There Trading as the Australian College of Dramatic Arts 2021

BreathingBreathing, as I wrote earlier, strongly influences mind, body and moods. By simply putting your attention on your breathing, without even doing anything to change it, you move in the direction of relaxation. There are many worse places to have your attention – on your thoughts, for one, since thoughts are the source of much of our anxiety, guilt and unhappiness. Get in the habit of shifting your awareness to your breath whenever you find yourself dwelling on upsetting thoughts.

The single most effective relaxation technique I know is conscious regulation of breath. I will teach you a yogic breathing exercise I give to most of my patients. It is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment, and can be done anywhere.

Although you can do the exercise in any position, to learn it I suggest you do it seated with your back straight. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

First exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.

Next, close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.

Next hold your breath for a count of seven.

Then exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.

This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Note that you always inhale quietly through your noise and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation.

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Diet HintsTaken From: Judie Curtin N.D Naturopath

Breakfast:For breakfast, the best cereal options are:

Natural muesli / porridge Vita Brits Weeties Weet-Bix HiBran / OatBran Kellogg’s Just Right

Sultana Bran Uncle Toby’s Rice Crispies Sanitarium Light and Tasty Sustain Sports Plus

Milk and extras: Soy milk Skim milk

For sweetness, a SMALL amount of PURE honey

Fruit: Fresh or tinned in a natural juice Stewed fruit

Toast and bread: Sourdough Wholemeal Wholegrain Rye Rice cakes

Ryvitas Flat bread Pocket bread Buckwheat Pancakes

Toppings: Tomato Avocado Fruit spread

Grated apple Mashed banana Almond nut spread

Eggs and meats: Scrambled Boiled

Poached Cold roast meats

Snacks: Fresh fruit Raw almonds Seeds Sunflower Low sugar muffin

Rice cakes Muesli Bars Ryvita Crackers Yogurt

Drinks: Water Herbal tea

Pure fruit juice Smoothies

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Lunch: Salad sandwich Salad platter Variety of fresh fruit and

vegetables Fresh meat Chicken Turkey

Fish Egg Vegetable soup Toasted sandwich Baked beans Casserole

Dinner: 60grams – 100grams chicken

(no skin) 1 – 2 times a week 60grams – 100grams fish 1 – 2

times a week 60grams – 100grams beef 1 – 2

times a week 60grams – 100grams lamb 1 –

2 times a week Large serving of steamed

vegetables Salad 4 – 5 different types 1 dark green (spinach, broccoli,

silver beet)

2 light green (cabbage, peas, beans, zucchini, cauliflower, celery, asparagus, marrow)

1 yellow (corn, sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin, tomato, squash

1 white (parsnip, potato, turnip) Casserole Stir fry Curry Fish patties Vegetable patties Lentil burger Brown rice

Dessert: Fresh fruit Low sugar (half in the recipe)

Whole meal Tofu ice cream

Do your best to follow this food plan remembering that it takes time to change bad habits (approx. 6-8 weeks). The closer you adhere to this the more chance you give your body to work at its optimum.

Healthy Hints:1. Remember fresh is best – eat fresh fruit and vegetables daily2. When cooking vegetables lightly steam, microwave or pressure cook them3. Eat wholegrain cereals/legumes e.g wholemeal bread and pasta. A good

source of energy giving complex carbohydrates.4. Have a variety of foods and rotate all foods daily.5. Dilute fruit juice with 50-50 water6. Drink 8 cups of liquid daily – WATER 4-6 glasses, Fruit juices, herbal tea7. Meat should be lean and grilled where possible8. Alternative to coffee – cereal beverages – Nature’s Cuppa, Caro, Caro extra,

Ecco, Dandelion Coffee etc..9. Herbal teas – chamomile, peppermint, rosehip, alfalfa – mint, linden etc. They

all have medicinal actions as well as being refreshing and tasty.

The following items should be avoided or used sparingly: Sugar

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Salt – use a low salt alternative & buy low salt products

Tea and Coffee Alcohol Take away food Fried and fatty foods e.g.

crumbed foods, fish and chips, dim sims etc.

Packet, canned frozen and dried foods

Food containing artificial additives e.g. flavours, colours, preservatives etc. Real Food Labels

Avoid processed meats – stras, sausages, corned beef, ham, bacon, luncheon meat. They are high in fat, preservatives and salt

Avoid low, nutrient snack foods e.g. potato crisps, sweets, cakes, biscuits, pastries etc.

If dairy product intolerant, alternatives are: soya milk, goats milk, whey milk, Also avoid cheese, ice-cream, cream, yoghurt, milk powders.

Note:Eat 4-5 small meals dailyAlways eat breakfastAvoid skipping meals or going too long without mealsEat slowly in a relaxed environmentChew food thoroughlyPlan your food intake aheadDon’t drink with meals – either half an hour before or one hour after is best.

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Diet, Fitness and HealthFor Diet fitness and health (extracts from Live Better Medibank)Information for UOC’s VU21837 Prepare and present self for auditions and VU21840 Expand skills for auditions

Hit the pause buttonWhen we’re stressed we can get caught up in the ways things have played out in the past or catastrophise about what the future holds. The best place to be is here, in the present, and the best way to refocus to here and now is to practise mindfulness.

Take a moment to focus on your breathing. Breathe in through your nose, fill up your abdomen, hold it for a few seconds and breathe out through your mouth. As you repeat this pattern start relaxing your tensed muscles, your clenched jaw and hunched shoulders – become aware of where you’re holding your tension and let go.

Sweat it outMany research studies have shown that exercise is beneficial for our mental health in a number of ways. Exercise has been found to have benefits on mood – think of that ‘runner’s high’ feeling we get just after we finish a workout.

It doesn’t have to be intense, sweat-inducing exercise either. Studies have reported positive effects from light and moderate intensity exercise too. Even short bouts of just 10 minutes at a time may be effective for improving mood. Try a quick lap or two of the block with your headphones and some good music to reset, or try a yoga routine if you’re feeling restless before bed.

Take it outside ‘Green fitness’ or getting active in nature can help you get higher levels

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of vitality, happiness and self-esteem, and lower levels of tension, depression and fatigue after exercising outdoors.

Whether it’s a hike, swim or outdoor yoga class, enjoy some time outdoors with the added goodness of fresh air, natural light and nature.

Break it downBreak down any tasks into bite size pieces and focus only on completing each step, one at a time.

Flip your self-talkIt’s easy to believe negative self-talk about your abilities. Interrupt the internal barrage and focus on your strengths instead. Make a list of all the things you are good at, and all the things you are grateful for. It helps put all your stresses back into perspective.

Do you want to be a grape or a sultana? Drink lots of water, your skin and internal organs will love you!

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An Actor’s HealthThis information is so important for the actor, especially if you are constantly performing.

Eating chocolate/cheese/lots of dairy can so easily sabotage actors. Dairy makes the saliva thicken up – this affects speech. It is too easy to stumble over words after eating foods that make your saliva thicken up. An opposite affect is seen when your saliva dries up – this can occur from some of the flavours and enhancers in the sachets in quick noodles.

Try googling a Food Additives Guide if you want to know more. So, when we are in performance mode or indeed want to be at our optimum health then experiment with some foods/drinks and see what the noticeable affects are:

FOOD/DRINK AFFECTS NOTESTea Dries saliva Is a dehydratorCoffee Is a dehydratorOrange juice Should be good but

check your responseCoca Cola Is a dehydratorApple juice Best to use pure Cordial Really just sugar and a

bit of colouringMilk Great but not before a

performancePasta Great for energyFast food -Fried chicken/fish/chips

Doesn’t digest well, not good before a performance

Cheese Great but not before a performance

Chocolate Great but not before a performance

Steamed veg GreatSalad veg GreatFruit Great

So GOOD things to do: Breakfast, feed the body Snacks, if rushing, make a list of good snacks Dinner, actors need agility when performing. Try meat and steamed veg or

salad veg. Stir-fry without the sauces that will affect your saliva. Pasta with veg.

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Just remember if you perform on a stomach that has been filled with heavily fried or starchy food then they sit heavily on your stomach. How can you perform to your 100%?

You can become seduced by foods – chips, it’s the salt that attracts you! Fast food – it’s the easiest option Too tired – reach for the chocolate Who bothers to make their own breakfast? Year 11 and 12 exams – stress and pressure

Everyone wants a part of you; your subject teachers, your parents, your boyfriend/girlfriend, your friend, your deb, your school performance, your hobby, your 18th birthday, your driving license. Everyone and everything wants you.

But what do you want?

Do you want the stress and the things that stress does to your bodies or do you want calm and to be able to do your exams without feeling as though you’re sinking.Try taking 20 minutes for yourself a day – not with computers and games but with good music, exercise, a walk, playing with the dog, gardening, deep breathing, yoga, sitting in the sun, reading a good book, walking on the beach, embrace your religion/spirituality, swimming, having a massage.

Prepare with good food, salads, fruit, meat etc maybe some multi- vitamins during SAC/VCE exam time and you should come out of this period without too many scars. Ask Grandma for some of her home cooking, freeze it.

Honestly explain how you are feeling and how you would like to live through the exam period, I’m sure everyone will HELP you.

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Relaxation, Breathing, Speech and Physical Exercises

Good actors prepare. Discuss the importance of warm-ups and improvisation. When you read out loud in class, remember you are actors in training, don’t mumble.

Relaxation ExerciseLie on the floor, eyes closed and knees up until your back is touching the floor (with minimal stress on your back).

Tense your toes Relax Repeat twice Continue this with calf, thigh, buttocks, legs and feet

Feel where your legs and feet are touching the floor. Imagine you are laying on a cloud. Now on a hot chocolate. Now on that hot chocolate with marshmallows. Now in a nice warm bath. Now on hot sand. Let your legs and feet sink in.

Tense Relax Tense lower back and abs Relax Continue this through middle back, sternum, chest, upper back, then all the

body, being careful with the neck

Now shoulders, upper arms, lower arms, wrists, hands, fingers and thumbs. Tense Relax Tense head and facial muscles, then all of head and body

BreathingDeep breathe to aid relaxation. Lay on the floor in a relaxed position. Put your knees up so that your back is laying comfortably on the floor.

Breath in through the nose and out through the mouth Feel where your back is being extended by each inhalation Breath in again as deeply as you can and hold for a count of 8 Exhale slowly and controlled through the mouth

One of the secrets to good breathing is to relax when doing it. Many people hold their breath and tense their throat muscles, this is not good. You need a relaxed neck. One way to achieve this is to leave your mouth slightly open. Losing a bit of air doesn’t matter. If you are able to breath deep, you are oxygenating your lungs. This is good for your general health, as well as circulation of oxygen to the brain and body. Furthermore, this can help develop voice tone, volume and flexibility.

Vocal



Speech is made up of vowels and consonants. In order for us to pronounce words, we put these sounds together. Any combination of consonants and vowels can help you become flexible.Break up a word slowly – deconstruct – put back together accurately especially words that you have problems with.

The funny furry fly flew far to the flowers.Harry had a horrible headache and hated to hear Henry howl.“Be quiet,” said the Queen quickly, “or I’ll quarrel with your question!”The zebra zoomed zig-zag in the zoo.

Irish wrist watches.Yellow leather, read leather.

th, f, vf, v, thv, f, th

Learn all four lines: Moses supposes his tosies are posies of rosesBut Moses supposes erroneouslyIf Moses’ tosies are posies of rosesWhere’s the posy of roses Moses supposes his tosies to be Bay, bee, bah, boh, boo Tay, tee, tah, toh, too Day, dee, dah, doh, doo Eeh aw, eeh ah, eeh aw, eeh ah Stretching and open your mouth to do this properly

Making these sounds feels strange, but after a few weeks of this, you’ll forget that and just do it. These are good exercises for your speech equipment, which is your lungs, making sounds with your mouth, teeth and tongue, and using and stretching your jaw. Lip ExercisesBubble, babble, pebbleRub-a-dub-dubA big brown bearHip hop, tip top, tip top, popcornPuh-tuh-kuh-buh-duh-huhPlum pieLonely man in the moonRoo-roe-rah-ray-ree

Tongue and Teeth ExercisesFive fifthsGive giftsVicious villainTay tee tie toe tooDay dee die do dooLoo low law lah lie lay leeThigh thin thick thud thumb thankThough thou thy they there



See say sigh sew sooZoo zone zest zinc zealOoh ohy ahy ayj eejOoth ohth ahth ayth eethOosth ohsth ahsth aysth eesthOosths ohsths ahsths aysths eesths

Palate Exercises

Cut cubes in quartersOok ohk ahk ayk eekGoing ga-ga at the go-goKay key kar kur kooGoing out, coming in, yell ye, young men

Tongue TwistersA bitter, British blizzardDimpled dolly dwelt with dappled deerThe frothing filly frisketh franticallySix gray geese grazing on green grassHorace’s horse was hampered by the hillockJolly Jimmy Jupiter jumpin in the gymCather cooked coffee in the coffee potLoitering along a long lonely lanePeter picked pickled peppersTom peeped through three thick trees

PhysicalPhysical – The stretch out/drama flick out

Wriggle toes Rotate ankles



Bounce Wiggle/shake legs Tighten bottom Flex abs Wiggle fingers/thumbs Rotate wrists Stretch out arms Move out and up Move neck and head to the north, south, west and east, or up down left and

right Open eyes, look left right, up and down, don’t move your head Wiggle nose Smile, kiss, smile kiss Stretch jaws, open mouth as wide as you can Wiggle/shake all body

Breathing, as I wrote earlier, strongly influences mind, body and moods. By simply putting your attention on your breathing, without even doing anything to change it, you move in the direction of relaxation. There are many worse places to have your attention – on your thoughts, for one, since thoughts are the source of much of our anxiety, guilt and unhappiness. Get in the habit of shifting your awareness to your breath whenever you find yourself dwelling on upsetting thoughts.

The single most effective relaxation technique I know is conscious regulation of breath. I will teach you a yogic breathing exercise I give to most of my patients. It is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment, and can be done anywhere.

Although you can do the exercise in any position, to learn it I suggest you do it seated with your back straight. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

First exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.Next, close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.

Next hold your breath for a count of seven.

Then exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.

This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Note that you always inhale quietly through your noise and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation.



Deep Relaxation ExercisesBreathing is of great value in relaxation, particularly during the initial stages. People who are at ease with themselves and their world breathe slowly, deeply and rhythmically. Breathing is the only autonomic function we are capable of controlling consciously and by doing so it is possible to influence autonomic and, to a degree, emotional responses.

Here is a basic and safe breathing relaxation technique:Ideally this should be done twice a day for 5-15 minutes in a quiet room free of disturbance.

Rest on your back with head and neck comfortably supported Rest hands on upper abdomen, close your eyes and settle into a

comfortable position Avoid distractions such a sunlight, a clock, animals etc. The aim is to breathe slowly, deeply and rhythmically. Inhalation should be

slow, unforced and unhurried. Silently count 4,5,6 whatever is comfortable for you. When inhalation is complete, slowly exhale through the nose. Count this breathing out, as when breathing in. The exhalation should take as long as the inhalation

There should be no sense of strain. If initially you feel you have breathed your fullest at a count of 3, which is all right. Try gradually to slow down the rhythm until a slow count of 5 or 6 is possible, with a pause of 2 or 3 between in and out breath

This pattern of breathing should be repeated 15 to 20 times and, since each cycle should take about 15 seconds, this exercise should occupy a total of about 5 minutes.

Once the mechanics of this exercise have been mastered, introduce thoughts at different parts of the cycle. An example would be trying to inhale to sense a feeling of warmth and energy entering the body with the air. On exhalation sense a feeling of sinking and settling deeper into the surface you are lying on.

On completion do not get up immediately but rest for a minute or two, allowing the mind to become aware of any sensations of stillness, warmth, heaviness etc.

Once mastered, this exercise can be used in any tense situation with the certainty that it will defuse the normal agitated response and should result in a far greater ability to cope.

Often tension is focused in the muscles of the body itself, and this following exercise can release such tightness and so allow the mind to be at ease.

It is best to precede this exercise with a few cycles of deep breathing. Either lie down or sit in a reclining chair Avoid distractions and wear clothes that do not restrict



Starting with the feet, try to sense or feel that the muscles, curling the toes under and holding the tension for 5 or 10 seconds. Then tense them even more strongly for a further few seconds before letting all the tension go and sensing the wonderful feeling of release.

Try consciously to register what this feels like, especially in comparison with the tense state in which they were held.

Progress to the calf muscles and exercise in the same way. First sense the state the muscles are in, then tense them, hold the position, and then tense them even more before letting go Positively register the sense of relief.

There is a slight possibility of inducing cramp doing this. If this occurs stop tensing that area immediately and go on to the next.

After the calf go on to exercise the knees, then the upper leg, thighs, buttocks, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, head and face.

Discuss stress – Does everyone get stressed? Do we worry about jobs, money, parents, peers, pressure, relationships and so on? If the answer is yes to any of the above, then we as actors have to learn to be able to switch off and enjoy the job of acting. One way to do this is to learn how to relax the body and then the mind, to be able to refocus on the very thing that we enjoy.

Therefore, discuss the importance of relaxation, meditation and warm-up exercises.So how do you relax?



Stanislavski and Meisner Warm-ups

Method Acting is a range of training and rehearsal techniques that seek to encourage sincere and emotionally expressive performances, as formulated by a number of different theatre practitioners. It was developed by Constantin Stanislavski. After improvising, divide into groups of three and dot point some of Stanislavski’s important methods.

Relaxation - Muscles, breathing, daily tension – Making yourself a blank canvas meaning you are not carrying baggage with you in the acting space.

Magic If - Putting yourself in your characters shoes.

Imagination - Being able to imagine a wide range of circumstances.

Objectives - What your character wants.

Sense Memory - Using physical smells, tastes, sounds and visual stimuli to induce a memory and the emotions attached to it.

Units - Splitting up the script as your character would.

Given Circumstances - The information the script gives you about your character.

Meisner's approach trains the actor to “live truthfully under imaginary circumstances,” to discover or create personally meaningful points of view with respect to the (written or improvised) word, and to express spontaneous human reactions and authentic emotion with the utmost sense of truth.

Use the hot seat technique so you can develop further the character of Finlay.Question each other about the character’s background, behaviour and motivation.

a. Why did you run away?b. What’s wrong with you?c. Don’t you have friends?d. Didn’t you consider your family?



YouTube Resources for Warm-upsVocal Warm-up #1: Breathinghttp://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk/media/video/behind-the-scenes/Tc-_hoG4nec

How Stanislavski Reinvented the Craft of Actinghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB1fPZX5Zgk

Girl Asleep – Opening Scene (Monologue)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRpw7NEzYMw

Vocal Warm-up #2: Resonance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBoOyCLlCcU

Meisner Monday: First Repetition Exercisehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsp2jry3YCc

The National Studiohttps://atyp.com.au/writing-3/the-national-studio/?mc_cid=e6a426fa1c&mc_eid=26a3da5863

How to Reduce Stress With the 2:1 Breathing Techniquehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQjGqtH-2YI&fbclid=IwAR08jmRW-oHSSfbIfNsjzRmTdhY-3ubpYIE1ZT-L6AqlKbQMh8fKayHmMKs

Fantastic Video for Directors.Geoffrey Walker actor to Director. Get to the heart of how he became a director at around 37 minutes. Well worth watching.

Jeffrey Walker Webinar: Child Actor to International Directorhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_LsCLdc1dc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_LsCLdc1dc&fbclid=IwAR3weDWOP6t6mqWT38pqzaL0zSX9jOr8nRCQ7huNX76mtr0NYcfuBSocYo8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsp2jry3YCc&fbclid=IwAR1iib3dVu_GxIdc9dsZG8z4qPkWQP8dqdunPE_0HkyvLDwdoAuQa8YUark

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DrBoOyCLlCcU%26fbclid%3DIwAR0xLo-bk9qAVTXDAmSJrL4sBnduJojuHupzf3UNw06zv2iEq69aPfQWqfw&h=AT0CsZMfNMhLz2oNFdnp5QKUtmnjWihMtoWPTGf9qkPDPc2C3E5MzqjxaG4tNBmwW6TY6HhbvyFxXsTaNQXxkodboyJHg8pxA_hhUVyhEJZol6sIo_yIWCwHQfnNwKS0rx_CK9sAjhgukiTnExoOhvDL3PfPVMxBg-152aVZYx0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB1fPZX5Zgk&fbclid=IwAR1zIFhRoLhgYttqn5EbDVwBOFl_GLMECJ0xMler8EPm1Gq7LPB6jTUI1jQ

breathing · web view2021. 2. 16. · breathing, as i wrote earlier, strongly influences mind,...

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