How to Warm Up as an Actor Using the Chakras
I love using the Chakras as a theme for my Warm Up as an actor.
Warming up helps me to tune into myself, to feel where I’m at for the day and see where my body needs more attention. It also helps me to let go of any nerves and feel my body as the complex instrument it is. Your warm up should be different every day because you are different! Bringing the Chakras in along the way is an awesome tool to connect to all parts of you.
Grounding and Centering
I always begin with finding connection to my grounding and centering. There is so much going on in life, Warming Up is a perfect time to leave the to do’s at the door and switch gears.
Then I’ll go into some gentle movement with breath experience, because breath is where it’s at!! If we aren’t connected to our allowed breath, we can easily get stuck in our heads, and it’s difficult for emotions to flow freely.
Tune into Impulses
Next, I always love to bring in some authentic movement - in my case I love to use the “Bad Dancing” approach. I learned this from Gerry Trentham who coined the phrase for me and it stuck. Bad Dancing is where you move the way you did when you were a kid, where it can be out of the beat, and rolling around, all things are a yes as long as it feels like something you want to do. I like to add privacy by keeping my eyes closed and focus on letting something go.
Sometimes it takes me into moving metaphor - getting rid of a block in my throat or chopping down barriers with an imaginary machete. Take the full length of a song and shake things up.
Stretching
Stretching is key to opening up the body to all possibilities. Here’s where I really dive into the Chakras - looking at Yoga for each particular energy centre, this is where it can be different every time. 10 minutes of stretching goes a long way to connecting you into your body and impulses.
Voice
Last up is focusing on the Voice. Obviously as an actor, our job is to communicate, so having an open and resonant voice is at the heart of what we do. Make sure to hit the key spots:
breath
hums
jaw massage
tongue stretches and rolls
blow out lips
soft palat & yawns
tap out the body with sound
resonators
tongue twisters
gentle projection
Closing
And then closing! Setting an intention for your work, bringing in affirmations or mantras and tuning into play.
For an example Warm Up you can follow, here is linked a free recording of one of my live Warm Ups!
How do you warm up?
I’d love to hear some of your favourite things to do in the comments!
Thanks for reading, hope it’s helpful!
-Missy xo
ps. Now available: Free Mini Course - Acting with the Chakras where you have access to the 7 Day Chakra Warm Up Challenge that flows through the Chakra themes. Or join the MAW Network here to sign up easily for classes, as well as access more material!
PIn for later reference!