Our acting it seems also suffers from the same flawed strategy. By learning to truly be with our experience, fully, unconditionally, non-judgementally we are finally able to reliably access this ‘presence’ we so often seek but so rarely find. 

This is where mindfulness training is not only helpful but arguably essential for the modern actor. If one wishes to be truly present, it cannot be only in the times when nerves, fear or anxiety are not present. Nor can it lose its potency at the first sign of the inner-critic. Mindfulness is not just another tool, it’s application or denial affects the very foundations of our experience of the world. In order to learn to be truly present, we must learn to be present with all of our experience, completely, unconditionally and without exception.

So, what is Mindfulness then?

Instead of thinking of mindfulness as a state to attain, we might be better thinking of it as a way to relate to experience. We are not so much trying to change experience itself, but alter how we relate to the experience we are having. If mindfulness only works under certain circumstances, it's not a radical approach at all. In order for it to be useful in any way it must be able to be applied unconditionally. 

In Mindful Acting we use a range of techniques from various different acting practitioners as well as meditative traditions. From Meisner and Practical Aesthetics through to sensory exercises of the various Method acting traditions. By filtering these techniques through a kind of ‘mindfulness filter’, we can begin to understand how and why these techniques work.

Like anything, effective mindfulness practice is based on principles. What I believe is that the success of any particular acting approach is based on how well they each utilise these same principles, albeit often unknowingly. 

In mindful acting we work with a few principles particularly when applying mindfulness theory directly to our acting training.

So, what are these principles?

1. Firstly, all good acting methodology works through unconsciously applying the principles of effective ‘mindfulness’
2. Secondly, the success of any technique is directly related to its ability to effectively cover the range of these principles
3. Some techniques focus on just a few principles to the neglect of others and vice versa
4. By examining all techniques through the mindfulness filter we can begin to see what works, why they work, how they work and eliminate the unnecessary aspects that get in the way.

By recognising this crossover, we come to understand that not only do actor’s benefit from mindfulness training, but that in fact anyone who wants to come more into their own presence can also benefit from the various acting traditions the world has to offer. Now you’re probably asking yourself what are the principles of effective mindfulness? And you’d be right to ask, but unfortunately that’s a little less easy to sum up. So for that, you’re going to have to come along for the ride and find out for yourself.