This one takes inspiration from The Alexander Technique. The Alexander Technique is a practice for performers that engages them in breathing and other physical exercises to relax and enhance their performance.
To begin, let’s start with an exercise called The Whispered Ah. This exercise may make us feel like we’re in a theater improv group. It may make us giggle and that’s the point. That giggling loosens us up to play.
- Think of something funny to smile at.
- Open your mouth by letting your jaw fall, avoiding pulling your chin in towards your larynx or your head back (don’t open your mouth like a Muppet).
- Place the tip of your tongue at the top of your lower teeth.
- Do not “take a breath” but, wherever you are in the cycle of your breath, whisper “Ah!” softly (preferably inaudibly), openly and as long as your breath lasts. Stop before you have to “squeeze“.
- Close your mouth.
- Wait for the reflex expansion of your ribs to draw the breath in through your nose.
- Repeat for a series of several Ah!s on consecutive out-breaths.
Take it Further
After this warm up, we may continue to speak in whispers, brainstorm and problem-solve in whispers. We can observe how whispering changes our normal ways of thinking about things. Does it make us feel more relaxed and playful? Does it help us take on different points of view?
This post is part of a mini series on “12 Days of Play“
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