Getting Centered

For the voice coach Patsy Rodenburg, finding one's center is an acting principle that can be applied to the body and the voice. She sees it as a practical, not mystical, process. Here is a basic centering exercise from her book "The Actor Speaks: Voice and the Performer" (St. Martin's Press).

• Stand feet parallel under hips.
• Energy slightly on the balls of the feet.
• Knees unlocked but not too bent.
• Spine up but not rigid.
• Shoulders released.
• Drop head onto chest; feel the weight.
• Let the weight of your head take the upper body over, so that you flop over from the waist.
• Shake your shoulders out while bent over.
• Check that the knees remain unlocked and the back of the neck released.
• Come up slowly from the base of the spine.
• Let the shoulders fall easily into place. Avoid the temptation to place them.
• The head is the last thing that should come up.
• Keep breathing and the jaw should remain free.

- Swiped from the NY Times 1/8/01