The Yoga of Acting: “Building The Charismatic Body”

Abstract

In my research, I am developing an actor training methodology called “The Yoga of Acting” which combines Stanislavski’s “System” with Kriyas (dynamic movement), breath exercises and meditations from Yogic philosophy and practice for application in theatrical realism, My research aims to explore and investigate possible areas of confluence between the two methodologies to develop a “toolbox” for use in the Actor’s work.The Yoga of acting allows the actor to experience the “truth” of their own personal physical, mental, and breath state. As Stanislavski stated: “It is necessary to feel this truth at all times...to develop one sensitivity to truth....I speak of the truth of emotions, of the truth of inner creative urges, which strain forward to find expression, of the truth of bodily and physical perceptions. I am not interested in a truth that is outside me. What is important to me is the truth in me.”The Yoga of Acting is aimed to be a bridge to connect the actor emotionally, in Stanislavski’s words: to the “spirit within” and the “inner spirit throughout.” I am applying the practice of Kundalini Yoga, which is a dynamic movement-based Yoga focusing on Chakric energy and breathwork, in the creation of this methodology.This paper is focused on work which was undertaken at a workshop I delivered at DAMU in Prague, in March 2017.