Dani Kind Instagram – This is the studio I study acting at. I love this tribe of people deeply. I love my craft fiercely. @gracemoonarts THE STUDIO SERIES – RELAXATION EXERCISE unrehearsed • in the moment Lee Strasberg’s Relaxation Exercise helps the actor identify unwanted tension in the individual muscles of the body, including the neck (where much of our tension and emotion hide), the face, the shoulders, the hips etc. It is the foundation of our work at the studio and in our project development at Gracemoon Arts. At the studio we have extrapolated parts of the original exercise and developed various ways of using relaxation to help the actor find freedom and truth in their work. It is not a warm up exercise, but a fundamental piece of the actor’s work to find ease, focus and concentration while acting. When the actor addresses the tension by isolating and moving the body’s muscles in ways the body does not move day to day, it then becomes easy to be conscious of the places of tension, and subsequently to release it. Then when the body finds muscular relaxation, especially in the deeply hidden places like the neck and face and shoulders, emotion is usually released. The actor allows this release without judgement or desire for result. It is the natural opening of our “valves” which we shut off habitually so we can function in the world. The process of relaxation opens the “valves”, allowing the ease of flow of emotion, thought, connection to oneself and to other actors. This process and practice when repeated over time, enables the actor to reach a level of relaxation quickly. The master class at the LS&CO Studio have been practicing for a number of years and this video is where each actor is in their process now.  Stay tuned for our next process videos of the sense memory exercise, animal and private moment exercises here on IG and soon on our YouTube channel. Edited by @danchich Directed by Michèle Lonsdale•Smith Music by Kyūka “Impermanence”