WARM-UPS
What for?

I know several pros who say they never warm up. I know singers who warm up by singing scales. But here’s why I warm up.

Just like an athlete, I want my body warm and stretched out, juices flowing, so I don’t hurt myself accidentally. Safety first. There have been many times I have played sports or sung without warm-ups, and only a few times, have I hurt myself, but why take the risk?

When my juices (musical or otherwise) are flowing, I feel good. I feel less resistance. I feel ready, energized, inspired, alive, excited. I am a better “me”. And I am/have a better instrument to work with–this goes for my singing and my acting instrument.

Warm-ups integrate; all the moving/active parts get to sync up, feel whole.

Warming up focuses, which allows us to feel a kind of joy or energy, a desire to perform.

Warm-ups remind us what we want, what we are here for, even who we are (capital I as in essence, stillness, presence, part of the whole, that place where our ego is not the boss, where we feel at home, and connected to everything.)

Therefore, successful warm-ups are done consciously, not mechanically. The better you are at maintaining your awareness when you warm-up, the wiser you will be at selecting warm-ups that work for you. All practice should include all you bring to a performance. Be awake and aware, and warm-ups will be a bridge to yourself and your art.