Will you take a moment to experiment with me?
Look at your left thumbnail (or any fingernail, but choose and be specific.) Hold it up in front of you. Examine it.
The details – the shine, the condition of your cuticle, the wrinkles on your knuckle – these are in the foreground – the focus of your attention as the observer. The rest of the room is in the background. You know the room is still there, but it’s backgrounded, blurry – not the focus of your attention at the moment.
Now, take a moment to observe yourself (observe the observer) – are you making your body stiffer or smaller, unconsciously matching yourself up with the size of your nail? Has your breathing gotten smaller, too? Hmmm…isn’t that interesting!
When ready, shift your attention to the background.
No need to examine each thing around you. Can you, instead, have a more open or panoramic visual sense of the space, the light, the colors? Your thumbnail is still there, but it’s no longer in focus.
As your attention expands, does your body match with more size, taking up more space, fuller breathing? And what about your other senses – are you hearing more sounds in the distance? Do you feel more grounded? Hmm…that’s interesting!
In addition to freedom of motion, spatial awareness helps you manage your self-consciousness. A fluid sense of foreground and background focus lets you notice what or who is in the room – and this opens you up to more options with less overthinking. A sense of being in the whole space gives room for your imagination, and your readiness to play!
Hope you enjoyed our experiment.
– Belinda
Upcoming classes with Belinda include Alexander Technique for the Actor I starting 10/25 or 10/28.
Check out TBG’s full schedule of classes, including youth options!