Hello friends!

I’m adding a new element to The Aligned Actor PodTubeStack. We’re going to practice mindfulness together because mindfulness is a hugely important foundation of my work — I am a mindfulness and mindset coach after all — and one of my missions is to demystify mindfulness and make engaging in a regular practice as accessible and easy as possible for people.

Mindfulness is incredibly simple — it’s a special way of paying attention to the present moment with curiosity instead of judgment. Typically, you focus on your breath and then just notice whatever you notice both within you and around you — the physical sensations of breathing, the thoughts in your mind, the emotions you feel within you, the noise of that plane going overhead, etc.

As you’re witnessing what’s present within you and around you, one of those things might take center stage within your mind — “Look at me! Look at me! Lalalalalalalala! Jazz hands!” — Suddenly you’re watching a solo show rehashing something from your past, forecasting into your future, or imagining what it would be like to win an Oscar. The point is, you’re no longer observing your present moment.

But that’s no big deal. It happens to all of us. Just kindly and gently guide your focus back to your breath.

“Oh, yes, I should definitely remember to thank all those folks in my acceptance speech, but right now I’m going to lovingly guide my focus back to my breath and my present moment experience.”

No need to curse yourself out or berate your wandering mind. Just let the orchestra play you off as you return your focus to the present moment.

Simple. Gentle. Rinse and repeat as many times as needed in the session.

Let’s go ahead and practice together now. If you are driving or doing something that requires your full attention in order to be safe, please come back to this at a later time.

This is the mindfulness practice…

As we’re all enjoying the afterglow of that little mindfulness session, remember:

There are so many great benefits of mindfulness for both humans in general and actors specifically. Practicing mindfulness, tuning into your breath and observing the present moment with curiosity instead of judgment, can help you…

* Relax and relieve stress from your mind and body.

* Calm your nerves before a big scene.

* Stay more present in your work, really listening and reacting moment to moment.

* Get out of your head in auditions and stay focused on what your character wants.

* Notice when your Inner Critic is being really mean to you, so you can practice being kinder to yourself.

* Become less judgmental of yourself and others.

* Start to gently question if some of your dominant thoughts are actually limiting beliefs holding you back in your acting career or life in general.

And so much more. A regular mindfulness practice, even just 10 minutes a day, will make all of these benefits more and more accessible to you. You will find it easier and easier to do all of these things.

It just takes practice, which is why we do this.

Speaking of Mindfulness! Get my Pre-Audition Focusing Meditation 🎧

I’ve created a free meditation to help you get out of your head and into your character so that you can rock your next audition.

It’s going to help you calm your nerves, let go of distracting thoughts — “How can I book this? What do they want?” — and focus in on what your character wants, what’s going on in the scene, so that you can present your best work every time.

Let’s chat! ☕️

If you’re ready to transform your actor mindset, let’s connect in a complimentary session.

Rest assured, this is not a “sales call.” I’m not Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross. In my world ABC means “Always Be Celebrating!” 🥳

This is a chance for us to connect and for you to walk away with some specific, actionable ideas that you can start applying right away to shift and strengthen your actor mindset.

Think of it like an audition where you are the production team. I’ll show you what I do in the role of “coach” by actually coaching you, and then you get to decide, “Does my production need a mindset coach right now, and is Amy right for this role?” Sounds fun, right?

Super Stressed? I got you! 💖

Accessing Calm is my ebook of super simple, fun mindfulness life hacks I use every day to calm down quickly when stress is high.

These are the tools that help me release tension from my body and keep my mind from spinning out of control with worry and frustration. 😭 ➡️ ☺️

They help me get through the morning rush, calm down before a big audition, and deal with all the stress of the world in general.

It’s a quick read that includes video demonstrations of all tools and some bonus mindfulness meditations — all for just $7!

Upcoming Workshops

I’m hosting online mindfulness workshops in October and November exclusively for members of the SAG-AFTRA LA Conservatory!

Mindfulness 101: Empower Your Craft and Your Career With Your Presence

Come learn about mindfulness and the many advantages it offers performers. Experience a guided mindfulness meditation, explore the benefits of developing a daily mindfulness practice, and learn some quick centering tools to use in auditions and on set.

If you are a member of the SAG-AFTRA LA Conservatory, head to the calendar on the website to sign up. If you’re not a member, I encourage you to join, it’s $45 for a full year of workshops and classes.

Get full access to The Aligned Actor at thealignedactor.substack.com/subscribe