"It's All In Your Mind(fulness)"

Summary

Stage Combat The Podcast: Episode Summary – "It's All In Your Mind(fulness)"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Stage Combat The Podcast
• Host/Author: Haywood Productions, LLC
• Host: Sean Hayden
• Episode: "It's All In Your Mind(fulness)"
• Release Date: August 19, 2024

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Introduction

In the episode titled "It's All In Your Mind(fulness)," Sean Hayden delves deep into the concept of mindfulness, exploring its definitions, applications, and personal significance. Drawing from his own experiences and engaging with various experts and friends, Sean investigates how mindfulness can aid in mental health, especially within the high-pressure environment of the theatre industry.

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Defining Mindfulness

Sean opens the discussion by addressing the ubiquity of the term "mindfulness" in recent years, acknowledging its evolution from a specialized practice to a widely recognized buzzword.

• Andrea Kohler (02:21): "Everybody's using it. It's the go to mindfulness this, wellness that. It's just become ubiquitous."

Sean attempts to define mindfulness, recognizing its multifaceted nature and personal relevance.

• Sean Hayden (00:55): "I exploded when you texted that to me. But let's repeat it. So what's our answer? Chris? Does method acting suck? I'm gonna go with yeah. And you're gonna be a little more nuanced."

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Origins and Commercialization of Mindfulness

Sean traces the roots of mindfulness back to its Buddhist origins, explaining its translation and contemporary commercialization.

• Sean Hayden (05:12): "Mindfulness comes from a Buddhist term. It's a translation of the word sati from one of India's ancient languages, Pali. And that word roughly translates to awareness."

He critiques the commercialization of mindfulness, highlighting the surge in related products and services.

• Sean Hayden (05:38): "Today, that buzzword mindfulness has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry."

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Expert Insights on Mindfulness

Sean engages with Dr. Brian Tierney, a clinical psychologist, to unpack the essence of mindfulness beyond popular misconceptions.

• Dr. Brian Tierney (05:12): "Simply put, it's an observational style. It's a way of cultivating observational skills to just observe what's happening in present time in the mind, in the environment and sensory experience and what's happening in the body."

Dr. Tierney introduces the concept of "McMindfulness," criticizing the superficial adoption of mindfulness practices devoid of their deeper philosophical roots.

• Dr. Brian Tierney (06:55): "McMindfulness is a way that identity propagates. People get into mindfulness and then feel important because they're mindful."

Sean resonates with this critique, emphasizing the potential alienating effect of such superficial approaches.

• Sean Hayden (07:32): "I think that attitude and it becomes very daunting and the arrogance of it is off-putting."

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Sean’s Personal Journey with Mindfulness

Sean shares his transformative journey into mindfulness, prompted by a mental health crisis stemming from his experience at the Goodspeed Opera House.

• Sean Hayden (15:14): "I have notes that I had written when I first met you, because I started. Well, I was. I was writing a mental health log really shortly after I was fired from the Goodspeed to make sense of what was happening."

He recounts his first session with Adam, a licensed massage therapist, highlighting the pivotal role of binaural beats in achieving a meditative state.

• Sean Hayden (17:23): "What led you to a hypnotherapist?"

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Conversations with Friends and Guests

Mary Jane Waddell – Yoga Instructor

Sean reconnects with his friend Mary Jane Waddell, a yoga instructor, to explore mindfulness through yoga.

• Mary Jane Waddell (10:09): "I feel it's overused. I always say awareness. It really is awareness. Just awareness. That, to me, is being mindful."

They discuss the challenges Sean faces with traditional yoga practices and explore alternative approaches to incorporate mindfulness without the intimidation of conventional yoga classes.

• Sean Hayden (13:25): "Maybe I don't need to put this pressure on myself that I have to get to this yoga going into meditation thing."

Andrea Kohler – Coloring Broadway

Sean introduces Andrea Kohler, the creator of Coloring Broadway, to discuss mindfulness through creative activities like coloring.

• Andrea Kohler (21:27): "Mindfulness really is about being present. It's about being in the moment that you're at."

They explore how strategic creativity, such as coloring, can serve as a meditative practice.

• Andrea Kohler (22:40): "Coloring, as an activity slows your brain down. It allows you to do a repetitive motion, and at the same time, you're making strategic choices."

Alexander Evans – Listener Story

Sean shares the story of listener Alexander Evans, a West End actor, who found solace in cognitive hypnotherapy after a personal loss.

• Alexander Evans (25:21): "I thought, I just need someone to go, you know, what is hypnotherapy?"

Alexander describes his transformative experience with hypnotherapy, emphasizing the importance of personalizing mindfulness practices.

• Alexander Evans (28:59): "That's a lovely little tool that he's given me."

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Yogi Master Yoshi’s Guidance

Sean revisits his interactions with Yoshi, a yogi master, to further understand the integration of breath work and chakras in achieving mindfulness.

• Yoshi (36:10): "It's a belief thing. You have to believe a little bit in there is more to you than just bones. Right. And muscles hopping around on planet Earth."

Yoshi introduces Sean to the concept of chakras and pranayama (breath work), explaining their roles in energy and stress reduction.

• Yoshi (36:53): "Once you know a little bit about the chakras and what they're in charge of, and you're adding pranayama, the breath work to it."

Sean reflects on his evolving understanding and acceptance of these practices, acknowledging their impact on his mental health journey.

• Sean Hayden (38:34): "So I came to see you, and before we even started doing any of this work, you said, sit down on the stool. And we talked for like an hour. And I was like, what is this, like, therapy?"

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Practical Applications of Mindfulness

Sean experiments with various mindfulness practices, integrating insights from his conversations and personal experiences.

Yoga Practice with Mary Jane

Sean participates in a one-on-one yoga session with Mary Jane, overcoming his initial apprehensions and experiencing a moment of peace during the tree pose.

• Sean Hayden (32:24): "I feel tall, really tall, lengthening up to the sky. I feel at peace. I thought, oh, mindfulness."

Coloring as Mindfulness with Andrea

Exploring creative mindfulness, Sean engages in a Coloring Broadway session, appreciating the therapeutic benefits of focusing on meaningful lyrics through art.

• Andrea Kohler (23:09): "But I really try and focus on the lyrics that aren't just super popular from the show, but that carry an elevated meaning for me."

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Lessons Learned and Conclusions

Sean synthesizes the diverse perspectives and experiences discussed in the episode, emphasizing the non-linear and personalized nature of mindfulness.

• Sean Hayden (43:11): "So what have I learned in this investigation? Be curious, keep exploring. And there's no one road that fits everyone when it comes to mindfulness."

He advocates for exploring various mindfulness practices beyond conventional methods, encouraging listeners to find what resonates with them individually.

• Sean Hayden (30:30): "I'm in New York City, so I'm sure you've got everything. I'm sure we have. Well, you can get everything in New York City, right? Do it."

Sean wraps up the episode by highlighting the importance of community and shared stories in fostering mindfulness and advocating for mental health within the acting industry.

• Sean Hayden (30:51): "If you get anything from this episode, I hope with a desire to just slow down, put away the emails, the text messages, the phone and slow down."

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Notable Quotes

• Dr. Brian Tierney (06:55): "McMindfulness is a way that identity propagates. People get into mindfulness and then feel important because they're mindful."

• Mary Jane Waddell (10:26): "With yoga, there were no mirrors and there was no judgment. And really, it was about feeling everything in a judgment, free way."

• Andrea Kohler (22:32): "Mindfulness really is about being present. It's about being in the moment that you're at."

• Alexander Evans (28:59): "That's a lovely little tool that he's given me."

• Yoshi (36:10): "There's an energy in you. There's a vibration in you. There is a life force in you that wants to move you forward."

• Sean Hayden (43:11): "Be curious, keep exploring. And there's no one road that fits everyone when it comes to mindfulness."

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Conclusion

In "It's All In Your Mind(fulness)," Sean Hayden masterfully intertwines personal narratives with expert insights, offering listeners a comprehensive exploration of mindfulness. By sharing his journey and engaging with friends and professionals, Sean demystifies mindfulness, presenting it as an adaptable and accessible tool for mental well-being. The episode underscores the importance of personalized practices and community support in navigating mental health challenges, especially within demanding fields like theatre.

For those seeking to embark on their mindfulness journey, this episode serves as both an informative guide and an inspiring testament to the transformative power of self-awareness and intentional living.

Transcript

[Sean Hayden]

If you're only listening to Stage the podcast, did you know you're only getting half the Stage Combat experience at Stage Combat at Patreon? You can listen to bonus content episodes with extended interviews from Stage Combat the podcast. I sat there and thought, why on earth is that an option? This can't happen. This is unsafe. We have an emergency. But when they want you out, they do to make you leave. Period. Don't kid yourself about it. Plus, I'll give you my own personal post show wrap up. If you have an investigation and the results are not made public, how does change happen? There's also our companion series, Just Acting, featuring Boston Conservatory at Berkeley professor of acting Christopher Webb. What we need as a character, as.

[Adam]

An actor, is measured by the value of the loss.

[Sean Hayden]

I exploded when you texted that to me. But let's repeat it. So what's our answer? Chris? Does method acting suck? I'm gonna go with yeah. And you're gonna be a little more nuanced.

[Adam]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayden]

I am nothing if not nuanced. Sean, you're the king of nuance.

[Yoshi]

I am.

[Sean Hayden]

I am the king of nuance. It's like getting an acting lesson in your earpods. And there's the mental health pod, featuring provocative mental health conversations that you need to hear. I mean, I think of being a highly sensitive person as being a superpower. You have a greater awareness of your surroundings and an increased emotional connection. People ask me, do you think bullying is worse in theater than in other professions? Yes, it's worse in my mind because actors define themselves by their identity. That's who we are. So what are you waiting for? Check us out and join the Stage Combat at Patreon Community. You'll find the link in the show notes. And now, on with the episode. Without a doubt, one of the biggest buzzwords over the last several years when it comes to our mental health has been mindfulness. In fact, it's been called a buzzword so long that it's probably no longer a buzzword.

[Andrea Kohler]

Everybody's using it. It's the go to mindfulness this, wellness that. It's just become ubiquitous.

[Sean Hayden]

But what exactly is it? I would say mindfulness is taking care of your mental well being. Whether that's through meditation or doing something.

[Andrea Kohler]

Nice for yourself you wouldn't normally do on a daily basis when you're being.

[Sean Hayden]

Mindful of other people's feelings. Mindfulness, what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a meditative practice for me personally. It helps reduce some anxiety. I really don't know what it is, honestly. If you've been following this podcast through its first two seasons. Well, you know, you and I, we've shared a lot together about my own mental health journey. You heard about my therapist, My doctor, my physical therapist, my gym classes, the holistic massage therapist upstate, and yes, the yogi master in the finale episode. In this episode, I'm undertaking an investigation into my own exploration for mindfulness. We'll also talk with a few friends along the way and see how they're doing it. I'm Sean Hayden, and you're listening to episode four of season three of Stage Combat. It's all in your mindfulness. See what we did there? We did that little thing. Okay, who wrote this? First things first. I wanted to find out just where this rather odd word comes from. I have to admit, when I first heard it, I thought it sounded like you were filling your mind with something. Well, mindfulness comes from a Buddhist term. It's a translation of the word sati from one of India's ancient languages, Pali. And that word roughly translates to awareness. Today, that buzzword mindfulness has turned into a multi billion dollar industry. There's courses on mindfulness coaches and retreat centers for mindfulness. There's books and audiobooks. You'll find over 60,000 titles on Amazon alone. And then there's the mindfulness apps like the Calm app and Headspace, which are exploding. Mindfulness has met capitalism. Can you help us take the mystery out of mindfulness? What exactly are we referring to when we're using that buzzword mindfulness?

[Dr. Brian Tierney]

Yeah, so I think, simply put, it's an observational style. It's a way of cultivating observational skills to just observe what's happening in present time in the mind, in the environment and sensory experience and what's happening in the body.

[Sean Hayden]

That's Dr. Brian Tierney, a clinical psychologist in the San Francisco Bay Area.

[Dr. Brian Tierney]

And I think maybe a better term would be body mind integration.

[Sean Hayden]

Many people seem to think that mindfulness, the only way to achieve that is through a really formal meditation.

[Dr. Brian Tierney]

You know, there's that kind of flavor that is cultivated by meditators that is more of a passive observational style. And that's a kind of style or a flavor. And that's distinct, I think, from the zone in sports, which is then also distinct from the zone of being an actor and being inside a role and being mindful of your body inside a role which has a narrative quality to it.

[Sean Hayden]

Yeah. Then I think the challenge becomes, then how do you achieve some of that sort of in the zone quality in your mind, body connection off the stage.

[Dr. Brian Tierney]

It's a good question. I like to cultivate a diversified practice approach so that mindfulness isn't just limited to just one domain where it's just meditation. And meditation is the royal ruler of mindfulness, which I guess I could say that could be the shadow side of mindfulness that some writers actually call McMindfulness. Have you ever heard this term, McMindfulness?

[Sean Hayden]

I haven't heard that term, Brian. What does that mean?

[Dr. Brian Tierney]

I think it has to do with our propensity as humans to be arrogant with our belief systems and the propensity to just want to feel special. So it, it's a way that identity propagates. You know, people get into mindfulness and then feel important because they're mindful.

[Sean Hayden]

Yes. And I think that's what puts people off who haven't even started to explore that path. You know, I think that attitude and it becomes very daunting and the arrogance of it is off putting. And people are like, well, no, I'm not even going to try to start that journey.

[Dr. Brian Tierney]

Yep. And it's a similar problem that goes with any belief system or religion. Right. That element can turn a lot of people off. So I think that's one of the things about McMindfulness is it operates as kind of like a pseudo religion sometimes.

[Sean Hayden]

Yeah. And I like what you said, and that's what I'm going to try to find out in this episode, that there can be different ways and different levels of exploring it. Sort of like physical fitness, which can have its own mindfulness quality. But, you know, you don't want to do just cardio, you don't want to do just weights. You need to do different things. You know, you want to do a bunch of different disciplines that you're sort of hitting your body from all different angles.

[Dr. Brian Tierney]

Yeah. And I like that framework in training graduate psychology students too, to take a diversified approach.

[Sean Hayden]

Yeah. And the same way we train as actors to try different things. Try Shakespeare, try musical theater, try straight drama. Okay. I've got my, my work cut out for me and I'm going to see what I can find out.

[Dr. Brian Tierney]

Thanks, Sean.

[Sean Hayden]

The next day, I'm at Tom's Diner for breakfast, thinking about my conversation with Dr. Brian. I was glad to hear that mindfulness can be achieved through a diversified approach, because I have to confess to you, the idea of being alone in a room, meditating by myself is just not me. So I make some notes on my phone. What is the diversified approach to mindfulness? Are there areas in my life where I already have been Taking on mindfulness. And where could I really start to stretch beyond my comfort zone to achieve mindfulness? Back at my apartment, I'm on social media when I come across an actor friend who I haven't spoken to in a very long time. Mary Jane. I can't believe we're reconnecting. When did we do that show together?

[Mary Jane Waddell]

I think it was 2008.

[Sean Hayden]

Oh, my God. In St. Louis, Missouri. And I don't think we've been in touch. But then you just came across the podcast Stage Combat and reached out and.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

I binged your podcast in one day. Could not stop listening to.

[Sean Hayden]

Oh, my gosh. That's a lot of story. That's actor Mary Jane Waddell, who is also a yoga instructor based in Florida. I always think mindfulness is a. It's a confounding word.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

I feel it's overused. I always say awareness. It really is awareness. Just awareness. That, to me, is being mindful.

[Sean Hayden]

Because we rush through life, right?

[Mary Jane Waddell]

We're unconscious. Most of the 95% of the time, we're unconscious.

[Sean Hayden]

Let's talk about your work in yoga, which I think a lot of people try to achieve mindfulness through yoga. Right.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

I think with yoga. Yoga is such a vast subject, and there's many types of yoga, and there are people that meditate that don't do yoga, But I think people that are introduced to yoga are then introduced to meditation. So the yoga for me, I was originally a dancer, of course, and it's all about your body, and it's all about judgment, and it's all about, you know, I'm very dysmorphic about my body image. So yoga, there were no mirrors and there was no judgment. And really, it was about feeling everything in a judgment, free way. And I think that's what really attracted me to yoga.

[Sean Hayden]

So. Okay, let me tell you my thing about yoga. Okay, here's my second confession to you, the listeners. I have a fear of yoga, so I tell you where I'm not. Yet the idea of pure meditation scares me. We can unpack that. So even though I have been meeting with a yogi master, we're not doing yoga. We're doing breath work, and we're doing some yoga stretches and things like that. You know, I go to this gym with mostly cardio and hit classes, and I tried once to go to a yoga class, and there were so many people there with their mats already lined up, and it was just too intimate and close for me. And I kind of freaked out and said, I can't do this. And this stayed in my mind with yoga. So I've not tried to go to a yoga class, whereas my husband every day does it like online by himself, which I'm not good with an online thing. I need to be in a group. I need that pressure, you know, which I think is why I do kind of well with HIIT classes. So I sort of had this block about yoga and leading to meditation, and I'm not sure how I kind of get through that. I'm kind of wanting to. So that's a lot to kind of unload on you right there. What do you hear frequently?

[Mary Jane Waddell]

I'm curious men from men specifically, as that they have a preconceived idea of what yoga is. And look, I don't want to be in a room full mat to mat people sweating. So you may find you're meditating through your HIIT classes and things like that. You don't have to be a yoga practitioner to practice mindfulness. Yoga's just not the postures that you see. It's a complete philosophy as people, they start out with the physical part of it and then it morphs into other areas. So, you know, you just have to find what works for you.

[Sean Hayden]

Maybe I don't need to put this pressure on myself that I have to get to this yoga going into meditation thing. But the other thing is maybe the only option isn't just going to a class for yoga. I could do something like online, one on one with someone like an instructor, like a live person on the other end, which would give me some accountability because I don't think I could just play something on YouTube because I wouldn't do it. I'm thinking maybe I should give it a go with someone you should like. I'm thinking someone like you, you should.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

Give it a go. We should try it out.

[Sean Hayden]

Okay, Mary Jane, we're gonna do this. Let's set this up.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

Don't be nervous.

[Sean Hayden]

So Mary Jane and I schedule a one on one zoom yoga class, which we'll come back to later. I loved reconnecting with Mary Jane. But, you know, whenever a friend lets me know they just discovered the podcast and my story, it does for a moment take me back to my mental health crisis at the Goodspeed Opera House. I developed a panic disorder there that I didn't have before. And after those events, I was the textbook case of someone who really needed mindfulness practices because that experience, it caused my mind to feel spirally much of the time. But something started to change for me for the better. About two years into my panic disorder. And it all began when I walked into a massage studio in upstate New York for some neck and shoulder pain. Hey, Adam, what's happening? Sean, what's happening? This is weird. This is a little weird.

[Adam]

You know, it is weird because we usually have these, like, intimate conversations in a really awesome studio setting after this.

[Sean Hayden]

Like, it's out of context. It's out of context. It totally is. Yeah. That's Adam, a licensed massage therapist in upstate New York. You know, we have been working together. It's almost gonna be three years, which is crazy. I mean, did you have any idea when I walked into your studio for the first time, what a mess you were going to be working on that day?

[Adam]

Well, no, and I wouldn't call it a mess. I think. I think there are a lot of people out there that are a lot more messy. Oh, really? That just don't know it. I mean, you're right on. You know what's going on. The reason that you showed up there and the fact that you made a correlation between your visit there and that it wasn't just to get your shoulder fixed or your elbow fixed, There was something else going on there. That's a big thing. You know, you came in with an open mind, ready to actually start healing from within.

[Sean Hayden]

I think I remember saying, I'll try anything. Like, I was in so much pain emotionally. Like, I was really in a bad spot, and I was just like, whatever this guy does, let him do. And it was a transformative experience from day one. Your massage is not just someone walking in and saying, working on my shoulder. You have this holistic approach that's very intuitive to what the person brings into the room and to what their body is holding.

[Adam]

That's kind of it. And I can't control, like, so when I'm working on somebody and I touch them, and I feel that there's energy over here, but not over there.

[Sean Hayden]

Adam's massage is a combination of deep tissue massage, heat therapy, some crazy stretches, and aromatherapy. But it was one element of the massage that really jolted my mind and my body. And then the binaural beats are very important in this experience.

[Adam]

They. Originally, when I started using binaural beats, it was. I was just trying to set myself apart from other therapists and do something that no one else was doing.

[Sean Hayden]

Binaural beats. That happens when two tones of slightly different frequencies are played in separate ears at the same time. Your brain perceives the creation of a new tone. That frequency is equal to the difference between the two tones being played the way you typically hear these binaural beats is within a musical soundscape. And within that soundscape, you can hear a pulsating, low throbbing sound. Those other frequencies embedded within the sound design, you can find binaural beats sound pads on YouTube and any music streaming service. What I found with the binaural beats, I mean, that really was a game changer for me. Let's explain what you have. You have these speakers on each side of the person, so you're getting it in your left ear and your right ear. And so what it was doing, it was allowing me to go into a meditative state, which I had never achieved. And certainly this was really at the near peak of my panic disorder. And it was also offering me a lot of clarity about the panic and the anxiety that I was experiencing. So, Adam, I have notes that I had written when I first met you, because I started. Well, I was. I was writing a mental health log really shortly after I was fired from the Goodspeed to make sense of what was happening. And then when we were in litigation, it became even more vital to keep an accurate record. So this is what I wrote after my first visit with you. I wrote, I got emotional and teary during it and just kept thinking, I want all the pain to go away, that I'm not garbage, like the goods be treated me. I'm a human being, and I deserve for all the pain to go away. That was pretty heavy. Yeah. That was the first visit.

[Adam]

Yes.

[Sean Hayden]

Yeah. I would tell you about the images and visions I was seeing while I was under those binaural beats. And then sometimes. Do you remember, Adam, I would get this flying sensation.

[Adam]

Yes.

[Sean Hayden]

You tell me. My arms were, like, outstretched, like I was flying, and I would have no recollection of it.

[Adam]

Yeah, you'd have your arms out, your back would be arched and on your chest, and then, like, your legs would be, like, off the table, too. So you were literally just laying on your belly or on your sternum, and you looked like you were just kind of tossing around like you were flying on the table. It was.

[Sean Hayden]

Oh, my God.

[Adam]

It was pretty cool.

[Sean Hayden]

What did you think?

[Adam]

It looked like you were in some sort of a trance and just doing, like, whatever your body needed to do at that point. And it looked like there was energy shooting out of your fingertips and out of your toes and out of your head, and it's like it couldn't be contained, so you just had to let it out. And the only way to do it was to just fling your arms out and do it.

[Sean Hayden]

Yeah. Because I think so much pain and damage had been stored and blocked within my body from what happened to me. Well, Adam, I never dreamed on that October day when I walked in because I was in so much pain from my neck and my back, that that would be the start of my own mindfulness journey. And I want to thank you for that and introducing me to the world of binaural beats. I think it's something that will likely be in my life for a long time.

[Adam]

You're very welcome, Sean.

[Sean Hayden]

So I'm seeing that the start of my own mindfulness journey, it actually started in upstate New York on that massage table. But what if achieving mindfulness were as easy as coloring? Andrea, I have the Sweeney Todd Coloring Broadway card.

[Andrea Kohler]

That's pretty cool. How's it going?

[Sean Hayden]

That's Andrea Kohler, and she has a company called Coloring Broadway. You know what I love about this? Cause, you know, we met briefly at BroadwayCon last year, and I was like, what is this coloring? But then you said, it's a great way to suggest to a person to slow down, which is what mindfulness to me is all about. And I thought, oh, that does make sense.

[Andrea Kohler]

Well, and it absolutely does make sense. Mindfulness really is about being present. It's about being in the moment that you're at. For example, right here, talking to you in my headphones, hearing where we are and being nowhere else other than here. Not thinking about what's going to go on after we finish, what I'm going to have for lunch today, what my next meeting is, et cetera. But when we truly are mindful and we're present in that moment, it expands our capacity to be fully with the people that we're engaged with or even fully with ourselves.

[Sean Hayden]

And so how do we get to mindfulness with coloring? What's the idea behind that?

[Andrea Kohler]

Coloring, as an activity slows your brain down. It allows you to do a repetitive motion, and at the same time, you're making strategic choices. So it involves different parts of your brain all at the same time, but it also helps calm all those other thoughts down while you're doing it. So it's just so multilayered.

[Sean Hayden]

Coloring Broadways coloring sets feature four cards with four different lyrics from your favorite Broadway show.

[Andrea Kohler]

But I really try and focus on the lyrics that aren't just super popular from the show, but that carry an elevated meaning for me. Like when we were doing Mean Girls, it would have been really easy to pick. You go, Glen, Coco, or, you know, some of these other things. But I really wanted to focus on Lyrics. And that also had something to say.

[Sean Hayden]

Yeah. You've incorporated into the physicality of the coloring, focusing on a lyric, almost like a mantra, almost like a meditation, which I think is really cool about this.

[Andrea Kohler]

Yeah, it's like musical mantras.

[Sean Hayden]

And what do you hear back from actors, performing artists who have been using coloring Broadway?

[Andrea Kohler]

What I hear, first of all, is that it was unexpectedly more fun than they thought it would be, because, not unlike our interaction, you were like, what is this coloring? Tell me about this.

[Sean Hayden]

Why?

[Andrea Kohler]

What? I'm creative. I do all of these other things in my life. Why would I slow down and do this? But it was the unexpected invitation to sit down and do something creatively differently than they normally might. And then also, the other thing that I hear is it was so much fun to color as an adult.

[Sean Hayden]

So, Andrea, if I ask you, can we color our way to mindfulness? What's the answer?

[Andrea Kohler]

I mean, to use a theater response is yes and. But the yes and of can we color our way to mindfulness? Is yes. And if coloring doesn't work for you, find something that does.

[Sean Hayden]

Well, Andrea, I'm gonna finish out my Sweeney Todd packet, and I'll let you know how it goes.

[Andrea Kohler]

I can't wait to see the last visual of it when you're done.

[Sean Hayden]

Oh, you want to see the finished product? Okay.

[Andrea Kohler]

Of course.

[Sean Hayden]

Thank you, Andrea.

[Andrea Kohler]

Thanks, Sean.

[Sean Hayden]

Mindfulness can not only be a journey that you take on because you want to be more productive or you want to be more creative. Sometimes we come to mindfulness out of a crisis, like I did, or to heal from loss.

[Alexander Evans]

Things got tricky for me 10 years ago as a result of losing somebody very dear to me. It was the first time I sort of had a bereavement.

[Sean Hayden]

No.

[Alexander Evans]

Yeah. These things. That's life. But I. Because it's the first time I really lost somebody, I didn't know how my body was going to react.

[Sean Hayden]

That's one of our listeners, Alexander Evans. Alex is a West End actor who lives in London.

[Alexander Evans]

I was in a production, and I was kind of doing that thing of, yeah, I'm going on stage every night, even though this is happening, even though people around me were saying, you need to stop. Just, Alex, take some time out. I was like, no, no, I don't need to take time out. I don't need to take time out. You know, and that kind of thing. But then when the show finished was when it hit me, you know, because I wasn't being on stage, but my brain started to spiral out of control, and no worry about, you know, X, Y and Z and what have you.

[Sean Hayden]

You sort of had this realization of the need to just stop. The need to slow down.

[Alexander Evans]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayden]

I think that's what we're so many of us are looking for when we're looking for mindfulness.

[Alexander Evans]

Absolutely.

[Sean Hayden]

And for his path to mindfulness, Alex sought out cognitive hypnotherapy. It combines cognitive therapy with hypnosis with the goal of updating the patient's subconscious to align with the conscious. What led you to a hypnotherapist?

[Alexander Evans]

Did it kind of came to me. I thought, I just need someone to go, you know, what is hypnotherapy? I mean, I'd seen it on the TV and seen people dancing around and making fools themselves.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayden]

Because I think the stereotypical impression is somebody sitting on a stage with a magician. Yeah. And there's a medallion. And then they get up and they do ridiculous things and the audience laughs at them.

[Alexander Evans]

Yeah. Revealing your deepest, darkest secrets.

[Sean Hayden]

Right. So you. Did you have to get that idea out of your head.

[Alexander Evans]

Yeah. I mean, I didn't know what I was stepping into kind of thing.

[Sean Hayden]

Sometimes that's not a bad thing when we don't know what we're stepping into.

[Alexander Evans]

No, no. But, yeah. And I found a wonderful chap called Spencer Baldwin who was local to me. I'll give it a go.

[Sean Hayden]

And what was that experience like the first time you walked in to see him?

[Alexander Evans]

I talked a lot, and that's part of. The first part of it. So working with a clinical hypnotherapist, sort.

[Sean Hayden]

Of like talking to a therapist.

[Alexander Evans]

So half the session is chatting, then half the session is him finding a suitable way to take me under. But when he brings me up, it's about 40 minutes. And when I say under, under sounds really odd. No, I've never fallen into sort of a deep sleep. I'm awake and I'm aware, but I go into a very deep, deep relaxation.

[Sean Hayden]

And I assume that the hypnotherapist, he's sort of guiding you and providing imagery, I assume. Or.

[Alexander Evans]

Yeah, imagery. He might do colors, you know, what are you seeing behind your eyes? And things like that one is this. This mind library that I go and visit. So he did a session on this in me where I can visit this library that I can picture in my head right now. It was crazy because I was kind of visualizing stuff before he was mentioning it, but he said that sometimes that happens. What's wonderful about this library, I can just have a table in this middle of the Library where I can see which books are open in my mind and whether these books are helpful or words that may not be useful for your day. And I can either keep the book open if I think it's a useful book, or I can just close that book. Book and put it on a shelf and say, it's not forgotten, but it's just not useful for you today. And that's. That's a lovely little tool that he's given me.

[Sean Hayden]

Yeah, I love that imagery, Alexander. You know, I. I was doing a form of mindfulness with a massage therapist with binaural beats, and I would see these doors, and I could choose which doors I chose to go through, and I could also choose to. The doors, I could push them away so they almost like the opening credits of the old Twilight Zone series. And what I'm hearing from you is sort of a similar imagery. I think it's very powerful.

[Alexander Evans]

It is. But every session that I came out of, I just felt so much better in myself, where I am on my journey and my musical theater life. This is working for me.

[Sean Hayden]

You know what I love about this conversation with you, Alexander, is acknowledging that, first of all, for us individually to come to a place and say, you know, I want to get to a place where I feel more centered, where I feel I can slow down, and then to figure out what is that? Because there is no one answer for everyone.

[Alexander Evans]

Yeah. No longer afraid of the dark. Oh, God. There's a fantastic musical that's open here called the Little Big Things, and there was just something that sort of, you know, how darkness could be painted with colors and things like this. And that's exactly what it is. It's a chance to close your eyes and paint it with beautiful colors and beautiful things. It's a complete bang canvas. It's literally me and myself and being in control of myself.

[Sean Hayden]

Well, how you enjoy this conversation. I think this is something I want to check out myself.

[Alexander Evans]

Yeah. See what's in the local area.

[Sean Hayden]

I'm in New York City, so I'm sure you've got everything. I'm sure we have. Well, you can get everything in New York City, right? Do it.

[Alexander Evans]

Try it. I would love to see how you feel about it.

[Sean Hayden]

It's a Saturday morning, and it's time to reconnect with my friend Mary Jane, the yoga instructor I spoke to earlier to take that yoga class.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

Good morning, Shawn.

[Sean Hayden]

Here we are.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

Here you are. How's your nervous system feeling?

[Sean Hayden]

Good. Look, I came dressed for the part. I've got the headband on. I've got the stretchy pants. You know, I'm in it to win it.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

You look like a yogi already.

[Sean Hayden]

So I have a funny question. And don't take it the wrong way.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

No.

[Sean Hayden]

How long will this take?

[Mary Jane Waddell]

Well, I can condense it.

[Sean Hayden]

No, no, no. I want. I want to do what everyone else does.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

All right, then.

[Sean Hayden]

Yeah. I don't want any shortcuts.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

All right, no shortcuts for you, mister. Okay. All right, let's get started.

[Sean Hayden]

So Mary Jane started guiding me.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

Now, I want you to just listen to my cues, John. Okay.

[Sean Hayden]

Through various yoga poses, stretches, honestly, I'm not sure what you call them, but I did find myself thinking in my head, oh, I actually do this pose in my hiit class at my gym. Or I do this pose in my circuit training class at my gym. Or I do this post in my Beast class. Yeah, there's actually a class called the Beast. And then there was this moment near the end of Mary Jane's class. She had me do what is called a tree pose.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

We're gonna do the traditional tree pose.

[Sean Hayden]

I know all of you yoga people. You are more than familiar with this pose. You don't know what it is. It's a standing pose where one leg has the knee bent, and that leg pins the foot on the inside of the other leg, and your arms go over your head. And as I was doing the pose, I found myself looking past Mary Jane's face on my laptop, looking out to the woods beyond my window, and thought, I feel tall, really tall, lengthening up to the sky. I feel at peace. I thought, oh, mindfulness. When the class was over, Mary Jane and I checked back in with each other. Well, Mary Jane, thank you so much for being patient with me and opening my eyes to this experience. So how do I sign off on this with you? Do I go namaste?

[Mary Jane Waddell]

Yeah, namaste is fine. It just means I'm bowing to the light within you. You're bowing to the light within me? We're just honoring each other.

[Sean Hayden]

Oh, my gosh. I never knew that's what it meant.

[Mary Jane Waddell]

Right?

[Sean Hayden]

See what a newbie I am in all of this stuff?

[Mary Jane Waddell]

That's good, though.

[Sean Hayden]

But how beautiful is that? Because this whole journey for me and what we're trying to do in this podcast is how do we get ourselves closer to the light?

[Mary Jane Waddell]

You just did.

[Sean Hayden]

When we aired the finale episode of season two of this podcast, many of you had questions about a new character who was introduced into the story or how a new interest can suddenly pop up. Ian I think I'm going to go see a yogi master. Okay, I'll see you later for dinner. Fuck is a yogi master? And the way my visits are going with Dr. Mike. So, yeah, I started seeing this yogi master and we're doing breath work and we're talking about Buddhism. That's right, the yogi master, who we called Andreas in the podcast. So today I am climbing up the sixth floor, walk up in Hell's Kitchen to check in with him and talk about our journey together. By the way, his actual name is Yoshi. We introduced you as a character because we told the story of me meeting with you. We called you Andreas. Not sure how we came up with that name, but instead of Yoshi, a very German name. It is a German name, Right? Okay, good. Because I don't think I ever told you the name of Joseph.

[Yoshi]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayden]

Do you like that name?

[Yoshi]

I think the name is good. I like the name.

[Sean Hayden]

Good. I'm glad you approve. So, Yoshi, I wanted to recall with you I met you. It was January of 2023, but I was feeling a lot of pressure because we were about to launch the social media of the podcast. The Goodspeed was going to find out I had a podcast and also kind of feeling like, how would the people in the industry react to it? And I don't know how I came across you, but I remember seeing that you did work with chakras and breath work, and I thought I could use any additional tool to help me for my mental health. I was open to whatever you had to offer. Do you recall what that work was that we initially started doing together?

[Yoshi]

Of course, we talked about this maybe the first or the second time when we met. It's a belief thing. You have to believe a little bit in there is more to you than just bones. Right. And muscles hopping around on planet Earth. There's an energy in you. There's a vibration in you. There is a life force in you that wants to move you forward.

[Sean Hayden]

Right.

[Yoshi]

And you can achieve that if you take yoga on a regular basis, or if you would take, for example, meditation on a regular basis also can give you quite a lot. So all together, you have the poses, you have the breath work, you have the chakras.

[Sean Hayden]

Chakras. Thus the concept originating in India that states there are seven energy points running from the crown of your head to the root of your spine, which, honestly, we would need another podcast episode to even start to cover. But it was the breath work and relation to those energy points which really changed things for me.

[Yoshi]

So the idea is, once you know a little bit about the chakras and what they're in charge of, and you're adding pranayama, the breath work to it. Right. And once you bring oxygen into your body, you create energy through the oxygen, Right. It has to do with being in the red blood cells or connecting with the iron. And this oxidation, this process creates energy, you feel better in your body. Your stress level goes down. Right. It helps to recalibrate your nervous system, system. That's the idea of it. And now I'm telling you, put your hand onto your belly, breathe in, have that feeling. You breathe all the way into your belly. We talked about it, right? Just imagine that. And when you exhale, have the feeling, you release. You release the stress in your muscles, but you also feel your body becomes heavy. The oxygen will help you, the breathing technique will help you. Obviously, my voice will help you. But at the end, it's all up to you. Are you open to accept, to take this in? Like you said in the beginning, you are open for everything. And that's the reason why you made a huge step also forward. Because you trusted me, you trusted us, and at the end, actually, you trusted yourself.

[Sean Hayden]

Yeah. And then what is happening is I'm going into a meditative state. So what was interesting, the idea of, like, meditation doesn't have to be like, you close yourself off in a room someplace. There can be someone that can help you, kind of guide you through that. Which is what you were doing with me, right? Right.

[Yoshi]

Correct.

[Sean Hayden]

So I came to see you, and before we even started doing any of this work, you said, sit down on the stool. And we talked for like an hour. And I was like, what is this, like, therapy?

[Yoshi]

It is therapy, but not the one you're used to.

[Sean Hayden]

We dramatized this whole conversation in the finale episode of season two because you asked me, because I told you everything that had happened. My mental health journey. And you said, what's your future?

[Yoshi]

What's your future?

[Sean Hayden]

And I look at him completely dumbfounded. I don't know. My life has all been about my panic disorder disorder and suing the good speed.

[Yoshi]

Maybe you could put all that away. Think of the bad episodes in your life like they are packed away in gold bowls sitting high up on a shelf.

[Sean Hayden]

That was just a odd, strange imagery, but, my God, it worked. And I said to you, oh, you know, I actually have what happened? The story of what happened to me. I have it in Dropbox and podcast episodes that's already been edited. Everything changed for me that day. Everything changed for me. I was no longer reliving the past with my therapist. Suddenly I was thinking about, you know what? I've done enough work on the past and figuring that out, I am ready to think about what is possible in the future.

[Yoshi]

And I think that's very important, what you just said, because we have a tendency, we rather go back to the fear we know instead of moving forward into the unknown. And we have no clue what the future brings. It's a mystery. So we have all this tendency to go back to that pain. And I think this is the wrong way. In yoga or in Buddhism, for example, the saying is, what can you do from here on? Remember we had a conversation about this in therapy form. You go back into your childhood, which is very important too, because you have to figure out why there's a problem, where the problem comes from, what caused the issue. But like you just said, there is a point where you have to tell yourself, okay, I get it now. I move forward. What can I do from here on? What could be my first step?

[Sean Hayden]

I was going to tell the podcast story and let people get from it what they wanted. I didn't think there would be more than that. But you were suggesting what if you're actually you, Sean, out of this can provide thought leadership. You can help inspire people and try to make change. And that's where I looked at stage combat as being more than just, hey, here's what happened to me. What do you think about this? It was like, here's what happened to me and how can we build a community and how can we share our stories and how can we advocate for changes? So I have you to think for that, and our listeners have you to think for that because we have built a community.

[Yoshi]

You are yogi. You are the yogi by now.

[Sean Hayden]

I'm not the yogi.

[Yoshi]

You are. Because what is the idea? You just said it. In yoga, there are two things. It's compassion and wisdom. Those are two things. Wisdom and compassion. Where does the wisdom come from? It comes from experience. You experienced something which was life changing for sure, right? It will be with you for the rest of your life. How you deal with it and how you move forward with it, it's a complete different story. You add it with your intelligence, with your emotions, whatever you call it, that creates the wisdom. And now you share with someone else. That's compassion. You open up and you say, that's what happened to me. That's my life. And if I only can help one person on planet Earth, I am fine with that.

[Sean Hayden]

It is interesting that that's what is happening. Our listeners write into us and we're sharing so many stories in this season three. It's interesting. The podcast went from my story to sharing other people's stories. That's what this whole season is about.

[Yoshi]

Love that. That's a good step forward, I think.

[Sean Hayden]

So what have I learned in this investigation? Be curious, keep exploring. And there's no one road that fits everyone when it comes to mindfulness. And you don't have to start a search for mindfulness because you experienced a crisis like Alexander did or I did. It's just a great tool to help you enjoy your life. And if you get anything from this episode, I hope with a desire to just slow down, put away the emails, the text messages, the phone and slow down. That's what I'm doing right now. Sitting at the counter of Tom's Diner, alone with a slice of pie, savoring each bite cherry, by the way. It's really good. Coming up on the next episode of Stage Combat. These stories, your stories got me to wondering, do audiences actually understand the dangers that we actors face every time we step out on a stage when it comes to stage combat? And do we, as the actors, fully understand the risk that we are taking? How did you feel? We're in the hospital. What are you feeling at that moment? I shouldn't be here.

[Dr. Brian Tierney]

I warned you.

[Sean Hayden]

I told you this would happen. And we're here. So it's like, yes. While not having these protocols in place hurt me. Didn't hurt the show as much.

[Andrea Kohler]

The show's gonna go on. That's why I want to advocate in the workplace to be safer, but I also want to advocate for us because we're the ones.

[Sean Hayden]

Actors who are advocating for themselves are.

[Andrea Kohler]

Going to be the ones to change the workplace.

[Sean Hayden]

That's coming up on episode five. Somebody's going to get hurt. Hey, Stage Combat listeners. The conversation continues over at Patreon, where you can hear more of my conversation with the yogi master.

[Yoshi]

The fifth chakra is in charge of communication, my expression, creativity. If this chakra is blocked, you have a hard time to really verbalize or express yourself.

[Sean Hayden]

Yeah. And I was stuttering for Akeem to see you. I mean, I was having a problem with communication. Plus, at Patreon, you can enjoy our companion series, which have been created exclusively for the Stage Combat community, such as our mental health podcast. The Mental health podcast and our acting podcast called Just Acting, with my co host, Christopher Webb, professor of acting at Boston Conservatory at Berkeley. Right now, our Patreon members are enjoying a new episode where we ask the question, does method acting suck? But what you hear about are these stories where an actor is still maintaining that character in his her, their personal, personal life around the set. You know, there's no separation from the personal life to when they're in front of the camera or they're on stage. That's where I think it gets very dangerous. 100% it's dangerous and it's toxic.

[Adam]

It's dangerous not just to the actor themselves, but it's dangerous to the people that they're around, that they're acting with.

[Sean Hayden]

Just follow the link in the show notes to join the Stage Combat community over at Patreon. And remember, if you believe in the work we are doing at Stage Combat and our advocacy to try to bring about real change in the industry, your membership at Patreon is what enables us to continue to do that work. We simply can't do it without you. Just a reminder, the information in this podcast is not medical advice, so please seek the advice of a medical and or a mental health professional. This episode was edited by Alex Griffith, mixing and sound design were by Justin Gerrish, and it was written and directed by me, Sean Hayden for Heywood Productions llc. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to rate and review us on your podcast platform. We would love to hear from you as well. Send us a DM on Instagram @stagecompatthepodcast IG or email [e-mail] and don't forget, you can also sign up for the Stage combat [e-mail] I hope today and every day brings you an opportunity to claim your story. Stage Combat is a production of Heywood Productions llc.