“Our body is an instrument played by divine breath. It is our job to keep the instrument well tuned and to listen to the voice of truth moving through us.” – Anodea Judith
I wrote an article a while back called “The Four Bodies of the Actor”
The four bodies are the mind body, the physical body, the emotional body and the energetic body.
Accessing the energetic body is the key to unleashing presence. The energetic body can be accessed through the Chakra’s or Energy Centers of the body.
Energy Centers of the body
If you look at the image imbedded in this article you will see lights in the core of the body. Based on Anodea Judith’s book Eastern Body Western Mind, these lights represent the location of the chakras in the body and even though they cannot be seen they are nonetheless active and they affect our thoughts and our behaviours. The lower chakras which are closer to the earth, relate to our survival, needs, emotions, movement, action and the physical realm as well as soul. The upper chakras relate to words, images, concepts and the mental realm as well as spirituality, vision and insight.
Anodea Judith has written extensively on the Chakra System and its impact on bodies and our psychologies. Along with the training on this subject, that I have been involved in over the years, I have been greatly influenced by her work. Anodea talks about how metaphorically the Chakras relate to archetypal elements and psychological elements which are as follows:
Chakra 7: is located at the crown of the head and is related to cognition and the element of thought/consciousness.
Chakra 6: is located at the third eye (or between your two eyebrows) and is related to intuition and the element of light.
Chakra 5: is located at the throat and is related to communication and the element of sound.
Chakra 4: is located at the heart and is related to love and the element of air.
Chakra 3: is located at the solar plexus and is related to power and the element is fire.
Chakra 2: is located at the pelvis and is related to sexuality and the element is water.
Chakra 1: is located at the base of the spine and perineum and is related to survival and the element is earth.
The chakra system becomes a valuable tool for the actor to use for integrating mind and body. I will continue to discuss more about this in Part 3 of this Blog Article.
All characters exist inside of you because you are connected to the “Collective Unconscious”. You are enough!
Believe in that…
Cindy Tanas
Acting Teacher / Mentor / Life Coach Cindy Tanas, has run a highly reputable and successful Toronto acting school for over 25 years. She teaches Acting Classes for non actors, beginners and experienced Toronto actors. She is a member of ACTRA, former Chair and member of TAAS (Toronto Association of Acting Studios) and member of Theatre Ontario. Several of Cindy’s students have moved on to have professional acting careers in Toronto, Vancouver, New York and L.A.
www.torontoactingstudios.com
www.actratoronto.com
www.theatreontario.org