The Spiral Connection

I find it humbling when I return to the yoga mat. To authentically ask my body what it needs today and then to trust it, to allow it to unfold without expectation, takes courage. I am so driven by results that I can often get in my own way, creating all kinds of unnecessary obstacles. In my experience as an acting teacher, I often see the same thing when my students prepare for a role. It takes courage for them to ask “what can I authentically bring to the room today to allow my character to release, to unfold, to discover?”

I have been very inspired by the spiral recently – the spiral as it appears in nature, in our bodies, in our way of being. I am drawn to the interconnectedness of the spiral, to the idea that philosophically we always need to return to the source. Then I discovered there was a practice in conventional teaching called spiral teaching. The principle is that the teacher keeps moving the student in an upward trajectory, returning to the fundamentals through review and adding more material along the way. In actor training we can also work through the cyclical essence of the spiral, constantly coming back to the source of the text or concept, building, regenerating, renewing and reinventing in the process. This allows us to make stronger connections with our fellow actors, the material and consequently the story. Furthermore, I think we can apply the spiral image to ourselves on a spiritual, psychological and physical level. As we prepare for rehearsal, it might be helpful to visualize going back to the mat and authentically connecting with the spiral within us before we begin to connect with the spiral of work in the room.