Authored and submitted by Dina Cindric to the Participatory Creative Music Hub.
These Presence Warmups prepare the body, breath and mind for expressive and creative music-making. They are most effective when used at the start of a rehearsal and can easily be incorporated into choral warm-ups, lessons, or your individual daily practice. They support body awareness and increase presence by connecting body, breath, sound and space.
The exercises are inspired by and have been adapted from Body Mapping, Alexander Technique, Qi Gong, Continuum Movement, and sound healing.
For more information, contact Dina Cindric at dinacindric@gmail.com.
1. CONSTRUCTIVE REST GUIDED MEDITATION (3 mins.)
Constructive Rest is an effective tool used by Alexander Technique and Body Mapping practitioners to – among other things – release tension from the body and develop awareness.
It is normally done lying on your back and can take 10–15 minutes. I have adapted it here, combining elements of Alexander Technique and Body Mapping, into a shorter 3‑minute guided meditation that can be done in a seated position (or adaptable for standing), making it suitable for the classroom, community centre, or rehearsal studio.
I begin all of my choir rehearsals and piano and voice lessons with a variation of this guided meditation and have witnessed the positive effects it has on my students in mind, body, and expression. Use the audio guide below to get you started!
For more exercises inspired by Qi Gong, Continuum Movement and other sound healing practices, as well as downloadable visual scores for these exercises, see Dina's complete project HERE.