Discovery

Hello, world!
I discovered something interesting this last month and it hasn’t quite resonated with me until today. In my acting classes we talk quite a bit about connection and being connected with our bodies. This is particularly hard for me for some reason. Why? I’m not exactly sure. When I was younger I had some health difficulties that made certain things hard for me to do (mostly physically challenging activities… I once fractured my ankle doing practically nothing, but that is a story for later.) and I am thinking that the old patterns of trying to be “careful” have inhibited me from doing things that seem like they are “too hard”. It is possible that my subconscious mind has “protected” me and keeps “protecting” me by cutting off the connection between my mind and my body. I am always capable of moving, I am just unaware of the impulses that my body sends me.

Now, that part isn’t the discovery, it was just a little bit of back story.

For my voice class we are taking famous speeches and turning them into a group performance. My group has chosen to perform FDR’s “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” Inaugural Address in 1933. I absolutely love this speech and I feel like it really speaks to me. In a way, politics has always spoken to me. When I get in the right mood, I can defend my country, my values, my morals, and my standards like none other. I will stand up for my country and the foundation that it was built on. I live in a nation under God, and I intend on fighting for my rights as much as I can. I support those who have fought physically, are fighting, and will fight with every molecule in my body. I may not be on the front lines fighting face-to-face with our enemies, but I will stand and fight those who threaten our rights back home. I consider myself a Conservative, which is MUCH different than most around me. Number 1, as a college freshman it is strange that I care so much about what happens politically, and number 2, it is strange that I am currently trying to get into a major where the majority of those who pursue my career path are liberal in their political stance, if any.

Now you see what happens when I get started in on something political. 🙂

I once had a good friend ask me if I wanted to go into politics, since I do have such strong opinions. My answer to him was simple: There is less drama in theatre.

The part you’ve been waiting for: My discovery
As I have been attempting to memorize the FDR speech, I have found that I am more aware of my hands. I know this is kind of a weird thing, but I’m 100% serious! When I feel the most awake, the most alive, I tend to have a heightened sense of what my hands are doing. I can feel them. When I notice them, I then begin to notice my arms more. I start to be able to move at a faster pace and have a greater capacity for motivating myself.
When I am connected to my body, it starts with my hands.
Have you ever thought about how much your hands do? They do a lot!! If it wasn’t for my hands, this blog would never have existed. Even if it had, it would have taken me much longer than 30 minutes to write. Give yourself a moment to examine your hands and to feel how they feel. Do they feel nimble? Tough? Fragile? Strong? Pain? How do they feel when they are typing? Writing? Flexing? Feel your hands!

Really, this is an exciting day. Perhaps I am so excited about it because I don’t have that much going on in my life right now besides school, church, and a prank war that I may or may not have helped initiate… However, like the broken ankle story, I will save that for later. For now, I must return to memorizing and homeworking.

A bientôt!!