Practicing No Motion

In this exercise, participants will focus on stillness in a new way.  To begin the exercise you will teach the idea with a basic movement.  Have the participants simply stand and raise their arms from their sides to about shoulder level.

Now have them do the same movement again but stopping and breaking up the movement as if it were stills in a film strip.  Taking several pauses in the flow of the movement.

This can be done with any movement.  You can use everyday movement they know well like brushing their teeth, taking a drink, opening a door, etc.  Also try fast movements they may know like shooting a basketball, waving at friend, etc.  You may also want to try walking the space in the same way.

In reverence, discuss what it was like finding stillness in the everyday movements and how they could do this every day.

Adapted from:

Spolin, Viola. Theater Games for the Classroom: A Teacher’s Handbook. Evanston, IL: Northwestern UP, 1986. Print.

Great for the themes of: Brokenness, Divinity, Simplicity, and Spiritual Practices