PLANT

Plant​

​

1. Let’s do a little Stationary Walking.

Lifting the heels.

Releasing the arms.

Nice and easy . . . Good.

 

(While you continue to “walk.”)

 

When you think about it, speaking 

is just writing 

that comes out of your mouth.

Which means you have to do it in person.

And that’s the hard part:

standing alone, being stared at,

watching your audience respond (or not!) 

while your body is busy having 

its own response and suddenly you’re like

what’s my next line?!

 

So we try to quiet the body

and replace all that self-consciousness, 

with a feeling. The feeling of connection.

 

2. To do that, we use a game 

called “Plant, Tune, Talk.”

 

First, we practice planting, 

 

(Plant.)

 

Ready?

Here we go. 

​

(Raise foot & breathe in.)

​

We call this part “Meet Your Feet.”

 

(Plant & breathe out.

Repeat, adding the word  “plant” on the out-breath.

Repeat, and at the top: )

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Hold . . . Okay, let’s play with our balance.

 

(Play with taking up space. Then Plant. Switch feet: )

​

Plant.

Hold . . . Okay, this time, try to stay still.

See if you can feel where your weight 

goes into the floor. 

Is it more the ball of your foot? The heel? 

One side or the other?

 

(Plant both feet.)

 

3. Now, keeping both heels on the floor,

can you slowly shift your weight to the balls of your feet?

Good. And shifting your weight back

towards the heels.

Now, here’s the pay off, 

slowly shifting forward 

centering your weight 

just behind the ball of the foot.

Good. In breath. And . . . plant.

 

4. So let’s apply that 

to how we arrive 

at our Speaking Spot. 

Little step back. Ready? 

In-breath connects me to my body. 

 

(Breathe in. Step forward.) 

 

Out-breath connects me to the floor. 

 

(Breathe out.) 

 

I’m planted.