Powerful Pause Meditation: Pre-Self-Taping

This meditation is designed to help you feel more present and connected to what you love doing so you can bring your best self to your self-tape audition.

When you’re self-taping at home you may find it harder to switch off as you’re having to wear lots of different hats. It’s important to learn how to get out of your head so that you can really connect to the character and the scene(s) that you’re embodying. This meditation is designed to help you to feel more present and connected to what you love doing so that you can bring your very best self to your self-tape audition. 

15-minute listen. We recommend listening to this meditation with headphones on. 

Listen to other meditations in the Powerful Pause series.

Meditation Transcript

Hello Bea here. I’m the Mental Health and Wellbeing Manager at Spotlight.

So, this meditation is designed to be listened to before you’re about to do a self-tape.

More than ever performers are auditioning by self-tape. When you’re self-taping at home you may find it harder to switch off. You’re having to think about lots of things such as lighting, sound, directing anyone who’s reading in with you and then framing and editing the tape before you send it off. 

So it’s important to learn how to drop those roles and get out of your head so that you can really connect to the character and the scene(s) that you’re embodying.

This meditation is designed to help you to do that. It’s designed to help you to feel more present and connected to what you love doing so that you can bring your very best self to your self-tape audition.

So let’s start this meditation standing if you’re able to

Otherwise you can do this seated

And just feeling the weight of the body pressing down
That sense of support from the earth underneath you

And before you do anything else

Just take a big inhale here

And sighing it out

Let’s do that twice more

Breathing in

filling your lungs expanding

And sighing out

Ahhhhhhhhhhh

And one more time

And release

And now let’s move the arms with the breath

So breathing in lifting the arms above your head

And then breathing out letting your arms come back down

Just doing this a few more times in your own rhythm

Following the flow of your breath

Just breathing naturally

And really paying attention to the sensation of the breath

As it flows in and out.

Now let’s take a few nice big shoulder rolls

Just circling the shoulders forwards or backwards a few times

Easing out any kicks or tension that might be here

Now let’s bring our attention to the jaw

You may want to just gently massage around the jaw

to help release any tension that might be there

And lets warm the voice up a little now

So just making any intuitive noises as you’re massaging the jaw

Perhaps bringing the lips together

Or moving the tongue around a bit

Just making any silly or nonsensical sounds that want to come up

You might like to laugh, hum or sing perhaps

Don’t worry about how you sound

We’re just allowing the body to warm up and to release anything that wants to be released

And now let’s give the body permission to move a bit

So again just making any intuitive movements that feel good

Maybe wiggling your hips from side to side

Perhaps stretching into the sides of the body

Maybe flexing the finger and toes or nodding the head yes or shaking the head no

You might like to play with shifting the weight from one foot to the other

Perhaps shaking the hands and legs

Just using the next minute to make any movements or stretches that feel good

You might feel silly and that’s ok

We’re just taking a moment to get into our body which helps us to get out of our head

And then just bringing that movement slowly to stillness
And noticing how you feel right now

physically

mentally

emotionally

And saying to yourself:

I release all physical, emotional and mental tension.

I release all physical, emotional and mental tension.

Taking a deep breath in through your nose

and release the breath through your mouth with a sigh

Take another breath,

and as you breathe out

feeling a current of gentle awareness

begin to soften through your whole body

Let your body know that it is safe

And allow this loving awareness to soothe

any parts of your body that might be trying to hold on

Give those parts permission to soften a little

Almost like holding up a warm hand to a sheet of ice

Feel any tension and tightness melt away.

And if your mind starts to wonder

Know that it’s ok

It’s normal

Just gently notice and bring it back to my voice.

Know that you have all that you need

Right now in this moment

Nerves and excitement are really the same thing

So know that it’s all ok.

You are where you’re meant to be

Just let go of any expectations you may have

Trust yourself

Trust your intuition

You are here

And you are ready to create

This place is where you belong

It is your home

Your natural habitat

This is what you were born to do

This is where you are most in touch with who you are.

What a wonderful gift this self-tape is
It’s simply an opportunity to play
And that is what you do best.

Take a moment to picture the character that you’re going to embody

How do they breathe?

How do they sit or stand?

What matters most to them?

Just take a moment to notice what comes up. And if nothing comes, that is fine too.

Let’s take another deep breath here
And release

There is nothing you need to think about
Nothing you need to do

Just breathe

You’ve got this

And if the mind starts to wonder

Away from the present moment

Just gently bring it back to my voice

You are safe

You are supported

Take another deep breath now

And release slowly

You have done the work

You are prepared

All that you need is inside you

You know enough

You are enough

You have enough

You do not need any more or any less

All you need to do is to just listen and trust

And ride the river of your intuition

Because you’ve got this

Say to yourself now

I’ve got this.

Allow that positive energy to spread throughout your body

Feeling a sense of lightness and ease

Feel the joy of stepping in front of the camera

It is where you belong

You’re doing what is natural and easy for you

It feels great.

All you need to do is enjoy this experience.

So just becoming aware of any sounds

That might be around you

Maybe noticing the temperature of the room

Feeling your feet on the floor

And when you’re ready open your eyes

Bring some gentle movement back into your body

Go and enjoy this time – it is time for you

You’re going to be great.

Image by Kelvin Valerio.