Starter Exercise

            First, for reasons we will talk about when we write notes about Viola Spolin, I don’t want you to worry about your grade during this exercise.  I don’t want you to think about what I think about what you’re doing.  This will be especially hard for those of you with whom I’ve worked, who know I like you, and who would like to keep it that way.  You will learn that I like you whether I seem to or not, that all my evaluations are tactics, that all society’s evaluations are tactics, and that this time in our class is your time to relax and to be you.  When we do this starter exercise, you can’t really do anything wrong.

            Second, when I talk to you about breathing, the only important thing is that you breathe.  That’s it.  There is an efficient way of doing this exercise, and if you don’t do it the best way today, you have tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.

When you enter this class everyday, I want you to make a practice of doing this.  Science prolongs life; the humanities make life worth prolonging; your happy life starts today.

            First, relax as much as you can, but do not worry about the tense feelings.  They’re ok.  Your tense feelings are mosquitoes, and winter is coming.  Breathe in deeply through your nose.  It is a good idea to keep your mouth closed as you breathe.  Now, allow a small opening in your mouth so that the air can leave slowly.  The air should leave so slowly, that if we put a feather in front of your mouth, the feather would not move.

            When all the air is gone, repeat this.

            Babies know how to breathe, and as we trail clouds of divinity from birth (Wordsworth), we forget how to and become too lazy to breathe correctly.  We can breathe with our lungs, but the diaphragm was made to help us inhale and exhale.  Place your hands on your stomach.  Very slowly push your stomach out as you feel the air draw in through your nose.  When your lungs are full, allow a small opening in your mouth and slowly allow your stomach to push the air out.  Remember the feather.

            Now as you continue this breathing exercise, think of something that has caused you stress

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