National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts

Performance Anxiety? Yoga may be the Solution!
If you are the kind of actor who feels mentally charged by performance anxiety but suffers from chronic headaches when going through back-to-back auditions, or if, conversely, you “shut down” during audition experiences, not allowing the auditors to see your best work, listen up! There is a chance you can retrain your stress response system and return to acting with renewed energy and a positive perspective through the practice of yoga.

As an actor, I have fallen prey to my own performance anxiety many times, usually by experiencing a constricted throat and intense lower back pain before auditions. As a student and teacher of yoga, I have discovered that these physical sensations needn’t interfere with my ability to perform. A regular yoga practice of at least two sessions a week, can help an actor learn to respond to stress in such a way that allows him or her to give a solid, interesting, and energetic performance. There are other benefits of regular yoga practice that can help an actor as well including a stronger, more flexible body; greater physical balance; increased ability to focus and concentrate; and a healthier immune system.

According to recent scientific studies cited in the October 2009 issue of Yoga Journal, a yoga student can train his nervous system to respond to stressful situations with a “challenge response” which allows us to meet a stressful moment with exactly what is needed: “first, the ability to see a situation clearly, and second, the skills to respond without becoming overwhelmed.” The theory is that yoga offers a unique opportunity for students to practice facing stress – on the mat.

By exploring challenging, sometimes uncomfortable postures, such as arm balances, head stands, and back bends, a yoga student learns to observe her response to stress. By doing so on the mat, a student can, through time and practice, learn to remain present to the physical sensations of stress and anxiety in daily activity (like auditioning and performing) without becoming overwhelmed by them.

My colleague and fellow blogger Nan Ficca agrees, “Mentally, I just have a better day when I get a yoga practice in. I find I can draw on the amazing focus and being in the moment that I experience in yoga just when I think that one of my many project deadlines is coming at me too fast and I’m not going to make it!”