Stand upright, sensing moment by moment for a dynamic, active alignment in your bones. Touching the wall for balance, shift your weight to the leg farthest from the wall. Begin to swing the leg closest to the wall forward and back from the hip joint, allowing the free arm to swing in the same direction […]
Author: jsortore
Stand upright, sensing moment by moment for a dynamic, active alignment in your bones. Allow the chin to fall toward the chest. Slowly, breath by breath and vertebra by vertebra, allow the spine to follow the crown of the head downward into a forward fold. Make sure that the joints of the legs are bending […]
Seated Breath Opening
This is a quick stretch for your breath that’s relatively unobtrusive and suited for public spaces like waiting rooms. Begin in an upright seated position with your feet planted squarely on the floor and your spine released into length. Folding from the hip joints, drape your torso over your thighs and take several generous breaths […]
Breath Deepening
Begin on the floor in a comfortable supine position. Allow yourself to be supported by the surface underneath you for a breath or two, releasing into gravity. If it’s available to you, close your eyes to increase your access to inner sensations. Begin to lengthen and deepen the breath, breathing in through the nose and […]
Constructive Rest
Begin on the floor in a comfortable semi-supine position with the head slightly elevated on a hard surface such as a medium-sized book. Allow yourself to be supported by the surface underneath you for several breaths, releasing into gravity. Breath by breath throughout this exercise, allow for the possibility of lengthening, expansion, and decompression along […]
This is one version of a classic first step in a Fitzmaurice “destructuring” sequence. Begin in a comfortable position on your back. Allow yourself to feel the support of the floor, releasing into gravity. Slowly begin to draw the front of your body in toward itself. The knees will float up towards the torso, the […]

Pronunciation Guide for the 2024 Colorado Shakespeare Festival production
Opening/Closing
The exercise is simply to open and close the jaw: gently, slowly, and smoothly. While you explore the gentle, slow, and smooth movement of the jaw joint, here are some things you might cultivate awareness of: Can you allow the breath to arrive and depart on its own? Does the breath want to synchronize with […]
Ya-Ya Waggle
Allow the jaw to release into gravity. Place your finger tips on the jaw to ensure that it remains calm and open during this tongue exercise. Gently reach the body of the tongue toward an /i/ (EE) shape, then release the tongue back toward neutral. Explore this movement several times, aiming for slow, smooth, and […]
Lightly anchor the tip of the tongue behind the bottom teeth. Maintaining this contact, gently, slowly, and smoothly roll the body of the tongue forward. Allow the tongue to gently stretch. As you release the tongue body forward, can you release any excess effort you may be feeling in the jaw or throat? Can you […]