The Meditator's
~ Bone ~
"A Major Tool For Your Bag"
By Peter Maxtone-Graham
Ever get that, "never-ending-racket-of-internal-chatter," feeling? Ya' know, that
conversation you have with yourself where you worry, argue, discuss, or hash things out inside your head with
you, and only you alone.
It's going on almost all of the time for most of
us. Don't believe me? Try this simple little test. Concentrate on any
one given thing for a period of time, say, two minutes (that's not very long),
and you will see what I mean. Before you know it, you're mind has taken
you off into realms you had no intention of entertaining. It happens
all the time, and most of us aren't even aware of it.
A majority of the people these days
are concerned with the external
workout, which is fantastic. As actors, our instruments have to be a
functioning, in-tune machine, all the while at the ready. The internal workout is as equally
important as the external, but together, they are an unstoppable force (If you are
starting to notice a subtle, or not so subtle Eastern philosophical
twinge infringing here, good,
because that's what it is).
Lets face it, the mind is so powerful, and we understand so
little about it.
There are two states of consciousness that we are aware
of. Well, one, that we are really truly aware of. Our waking
consciousness. The other we know of by our dreams. Sleep has shown
us that the depths of the human mind is bottomless, and that one of
the ways into those depths are via our dreams. They can be as frightening
a place as easily as they can be erotic, beautiful, or anything else for that matter.
Other states of consciousness exist too.
The
best place to begin a search for other states of consciousness
is through relaxation. Even taking the word "relax," and
exploring it thoroughly. It sounds a little strange, but sit with it. Pass it through,
and into all joints & points of stress while scanning the body
internally. Anybody who has ever worked out knows there is
a period of discomfort during the warm up process, but that once
you are warmed
up, the "machine" is ready for movement. When all is said and done, your endorphins are tickling your cerebral cortex and you're
usually feeling pretty good at this point.
In trying to "quiet" the mind, the discomforts
of settling down, are similar to the workout warm-up, but instead
of heating the body up, you are now focusing on slowing the rhythms down
(your breathing, heart rate, etc),
relaxing.
Beginning, the meditation takes some
time, working through and away from the clutter of the mind. Be
patient and most of all be easy on yourself. This is difficult and takes
time and practice.
Find a quiet room
where you won't be disturbed (turn off your [cell] phone, pager, etc), and sit
in a somewhat comfortable position (back supported if you choose). Close your eyes, and just sit with
your breath, monitoring, in and out. At the same time
with your mind, scan your body for tension anywhere and release it, breathe
it out, continually relaxing. With every breath, feel tension leaving your body.
Allow the
breath to be a point of focus, to guide you to a state of peace and deep
relaxation. A
meditation.
Your breathing
should always be your foundation. Anytime you find your mind has
wondered, just gently come back to your breath, and focus on
relaxing. Sit for as long you can comfortably. Twenty minutes is
usually a good goal to start with. When you are finishing, take your time
coming out. If you can, coming out of the meditation, carrying with you the sense
of peace and relaxation that you will have discovered, this is all part of the
game. The more you
do it, the more you will discover, and the longer you will be able to
maintain this feeling.
The
downside here is, meditation takes time, effort and consistency. Only the
greatest warriors will persevere to reap its rewards (a better sense of
well-being, the ability to focus more, better sleep/dreams, less stress...who knows,
maybe enlightenment for some, whatever
that is). * Plus, if you feel more relaxed in your acting, you're
apt to be more available to the experience.
Lets face it, who wants to sit and do nothing? However, if you really sit inside yourself as an impartial
observer, listening, breathing, you will discover things. Eventually over
time you will notice changes, and so on and so forth we go.
Listed below for those interested, are some links with more advanced, in-depth information
regarding meditation and the various kinds. I highly recommend a book by Ian Gawler called,
Peace of Mind - How You Can Learn to Meditate and Use the Power of Your Mind. His own story is nothing short of
miraculous. His
book is an incredibly user-friendly guide to more advanced states of
consciousness. The actor Alan Arkin's, Halfway Through the Door - An Actor's Journey Toward the Self
is another excellent source of information. Or, if you want, check
out Prosperity
Place right now. They have some great starting information and
techniques, FREE!
Have
any
Questions
or
Comments?
The
Actor's Bone
