Pull out the pillows and the tissue paper—Monster Baby Episode #47 gets emotional. Or, more accurately, gets into emotions. Lisa and Ted start with some reflections on Lisa’s end of term teaching improv at Stanford (2:27) and working through some “leftovers” from last episode—including how do you stay calm when performing I front of a [more…]
I Want to Sing!
Life stirs so many emotions large and small, each on opportunity to experience more of our humanness. Funny that a Spontaneous Broadway improv class could open a new window into their wisdom. From mindfulness practice, I realize that I am more than my emotions. Moving from “I am angry” to “I feel angry” gives me [more…]
The Transformative Failure Bow (Part 2 of 2)
The previous post discussed the history and varied application of The Failure Bow, a well-loved improvisational theater technique for returning to the present moment after a seeming mistake. This post, Part 2, explains recent body chemical research that shows how and why the Bow works—and argues for its wider application for creating and spreading confidence, [more…]
Confidentiality vs. Privacy
I used to think that welcoming the soul into group conversations required a promise of confidentiality. The late Rachael Kessler, pioneer in the field of social and emotional learning and author of The Soul of Education, changed my mind. For sure, a spirit of confidentiality helps. When we share unfiltered truth, we’re letting masks drop [more…]
Don’t Treat My Daughter Like a Dog!
Many teachers and coaches who use TAGteaching—Teaching with Acoustical Guidance—get resistance from parents or colleagues for “clicking” kids. Isn’t that what dog trainers use? Are you treating my kid like an animal? Humans are different! The palpable fear and anger get in the way of good instruction, both by introducing hesitation on the instructor’s part [more…]
Ticket to Blue Skies
It’s a helpless feeling. Looking up, just 50 feet away from getting back to my car, and seeing a pert parking attendant snap off a ticket, place it under my wiper with a flourish, and zip off, satisfied, in her little blue car. I had dutifully slotted three quarters—one hour’s worth—into the machine perhaps an [more…]
