Just in time for a holiday season that so often leads to excess, Ted and Lisa return to extol the virtues of “Less is More.” They revisit an old standby version of Word-at-a-Time for a warm-up (1:39) and consider some general thoughts about how improv draws from life (5:42). Ted shares a few stories from the rustic portion of his childhood (10:16) and the pair recount humorous tales of Christmas past (15:09). They dig into the episode’s topic in full earnest when Lisa describes the value of staying with offers in improv, including examples from her recent “Bechdel Test” run in LA (19:05). Ted introduces the Raisin Exercise from mindfulness training and how it can help us savor what we already have (27:08) and then the two dig further into the notion of first offers in improv and conversation (30:30). They discuss the value of challenging a consumptive mindset and preventing “improv freakout” (34:26) and draw from the world of yoga to consider how support precedes action (42:05). Ted sneaks in an ACTUALLY funny story about his experience at a long-ago astrology conference (44:38) before the episode draws to a close.
As always, please send a note, question, or comment if you feel so inspired: info@monsterbabypodcast.com. Thanks so much for listening—we love you all!
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San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.
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