A Mindfulness Practice That's Shorter Than Most Co-Star Auditions

In this episode, we’re once again practicing mindfulness and in keeping with what we talked about in the episode about mindfulness misconceptions, I’m going to introduce you to a practice where your mind will definitely not be clear (we’re going to intentionally give it some very specific thoughts to think) and we’re only going to practice for less than 1 minute at a time.We’re actively dispelling the misconceptions that you have to stop thinking and you have have to meditate for a long time in order to be practicing mindfulness.A 10-Count Moment of MindfulnessThis is what I call A 10-Count Moment of Mindfulness and it’s a very simple way to start your mindfulness practice.All you’re going to do is count your inhales and exhales up to 10. You’ll count “One” as you inhale, “Two” as you exhale, “Three” as you inhale, “Four” as you exhale, and so on all the way up to ten.Go ahead and give it a try right now.* Count “One” as you inhale.* Count “Two” as you exhale.* Count “Three” as you inhale.* Count “Four” as you exhale.* Count “Five” as you inhale.* Count “Six” as you exhale.* Count “Seven” as you inhale.* Count “Eight” as you exhale.* Count “Nine” as you inhale.* Count “Ten” as you exhale.That’s it. Once again, you practice mindfulness and you did a great job. Congrats! 🥳Let’s Make It A Regular PracticeFor the next week, commit to practicing A 10-Count Moment of Mindfulness 1-3 times each day. I know that sounds like nothing, but I promise it’s enough to get you started. If you follow through on this, at the end of this week you will be able to say, “I have a regular mindfulness practice.”The trickiest part will be remembering to do it, so here are some suggestions to help you with that. * Put up sticky notes around your living space. Practice whenever you see them.* Set a few alarms on your phone. Practice whenever the alarm goes off.* Pair the practice with something you already do regularly, such as brushing your teeth or washing your hands. (You still might have to put a sticky note on your bathroom mirror for a while as you build the habit)Pick one of these (or make up your own) and make a commitment to yourself to remember to practice.You got this!Thank you so much for joining me! If you found this content helpful and inspiring, I’d be honored if you’d leave a comment, share it with your actor pals, and check out my offerings below. Thanks!Get Out of Your Head and Rock Your Next Audition 🎧I’ve created a free guided 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.Access Your Presence and Feel Empowered in Your Actor Life 📖The Aligned Actor Mindfulness ToolkitThis ebook is comprehensive collection of tools guaranteed to be the Dramamine you need for the roller coaster ride of #ActorLife. Whether you’re dealing with audition nerves, obsessively checking your email after submitting a self tape, or just learned your series has been canceled, there’s something here that will help you access your presence and feel grounded again.I’m a professional actor, a mindfulness and mindset coach, and I’m ready to help you thrive in your actor life.🎭 I’ve been a professional actress for almost 20 years. I’ve survived 3 industry shut downs - 2 strikes and 1 global pandemic. I’ve worked in TV, film, commercials, and produced my own award-winning web series.🧠 I’ve been a life coach for 5 years, specializing in mindfulness and neurolinguistic programming and helping people become more aware and focused on making positive changes in their lives.💖 I blend lived experience with powerful, proven coaching tools.🎢 Let’s get you feeling resilient, empowered, focused, playful, relaxed, confident, and riding the acting career roller coaster without throwing up! 🤗 Get full access to The Aligned Actor at thealignedactor.substack.com/subscribe