Bandobast Warm-Up Guide
Please Take Care When doing any Physical activity and Check for trip Hazards etc...
Hello everyone! I hope you are all well and looking after yourselves. I have created this guide for you to use at your leisure perhaps before you follow any masterclasses or create content to get into the right frame of mind. Warm-ups are incredibly important but not something you often think about if you are simply at home creating. Warm-ups often ease anxieties and focus your mind and body so feel free to give these a try even when you might not be performing or creating!
There are three types of warm up – physical, mental and vocal (including breathing), and an effective warm up uses a combination of all three. I will give examples of each below, so you are able to pick and choose ones suitable to you to make your own bespoke warm-up.
So, if you have a bit of spare time (to include all 3 types of warm ups takes around 15mins, or do them alone if that is more feasible to your day), clear the space of all trip hazards and let’s get ready to focus on your bodies as artists!
*Please remember to listen to your own bodies and don’t push yourself too hard. If you need a break do not hesitate to do so*
Warm-Up 1: Physical (low intensity)
Start by yawning and stretch your body up to the sky, hold for a few seconds and then at your waist flop your body in half.
While bent over shake out any tension that you may be holding in your body whilst inhaling and exhaling deeply.
Keeping your knees bent and soft roll up your spine slowly vertebrae by vertebrae stacking them on top of each other until standing. Ensure your head is the last thing to come up.
Repeat steps 1-3 twice more to remove tension from your body and ensure your muscles are loose and ready.
Warm-Up 2: Physical (medium intensity)
Start by rolling your neck from side to side, slowly, but never in a full circle – focussing on the front and then back. Release all the muscles and hence the tension in the neck
Next roll your shoulders to the front and to the back – each 4 times. If you feel you can, repeat this twice. Then shrug your shoulders up and back down 8 times.
Stretch out the other muscles in your body you feel may need it. Focus on where you keep your tension and work most in this area. This may include lunges, side stretches, tricep/bicep stretches – anything you feel is necessary for you. Remember to breathe deeply whilst doing all of these – do not hold your breath.
Now put your arms out to the side so they are perpendicular to your body, and whilst keeping the rest of your arms straight, draw 4 circles in the air using only your fingers. Repeat this again whilst drawing circles in the opposite direction
Repeat step 4 however this time using your wrists to draw the circles, and when this is done, then use your whole are to draw the circles – 4 front and 4 back, creating a windmill effect. For added difficulty, do this again while wind milling your arms in opposite directions
Next, put one hand on your hip and lean to that side, stretching out your ribs. With your free hand rub the stretched ribs as if warming them up. Take deep breaths and continue to rub and pat the ribs. Repeat this equally on both sides.
Finally, start shaking your entire body out, starting with your hands, bringing it into your arms, your torso, and down your body – releasing any pieces of tension that may be remaining.
Warm-Up 3: Vocal/Breathing/Mental
Start by just focussing on your breath, breathing in for 4 beats, holding that breath for 4 beats, and releasing it for 8. Try and focus on nothing but your breath – if you mind begins to wander, just bring it back to focussing only on this task.
Continue with this task, focussing on your breathing, but this time whilst you release your breath, release in on an ‘s’ sound. Repeat this 3 times and then do again, this time releasing your breath on a ‘z’ sound, then an ‘r’ sound, and then an ‘f’ sound. You can continue this for as long as you wish, releasing your breath on letters of your choice. *While doing this ensure your stomach muscles are relaxed so your diaphragm can move freely*
Next, lie flat on the floor in a semi-supine position (with your knees bent to the ceiling). Go back to simply focussing on your breath as you did in step one, breathing into your diaphragm while letting your back and shoulders spread into the floor, as if you are physically grounding yourself, connecting yourself to the floor.
Whilst doing this, give your face a massage to loosen your muscles – rub your jaw, your sinuses, under your chin, all in small circular motions.
Next roll over onto one side and up onto all fours. Next slowly spinal roll up to a standing position, stacking your vertebrae on top of one another, allowing your head to be the last thing up to avoid a head rush. While doing this, ensure your feet are still connected to the floor, grounding you.
Warm-Up 4: Vocal/Mental
Start by breathing deeply in for 4 beats, hold for 4 beats and out for 8. Repeat this 3 times.
Carry on breathing as in step 1, however this time release your breath on a hard “HA”, with your hands on the centre of your stomach, just below your ribs (the location of your diaphragm). You should be able to feel this moving when you release your air in this way, pushing your stomach (and your hands) out.
Next, we will be focussing on your mouth muscles. Imagine you have popped the smallest piece of chewing gum in your mouth and you are attempting to chew it. After a while this gradually gets bigger and bigger until you cannot chew with your mouth closed and has coated all your teeth, which you are trying to remove with your tongue.
Now, focus on your tongue and with your mouth closed draw circles with it in front of your teeth. Draw 8 circles one way, and then repeat in the other direction. After this, repeat again with the numbers 4, 2 and 1.
Next, I will give you examples of tongue twisters you can try. You can of course use your own, or google any others, but the ones I like to use in my warm-ups are as following:
He thrust his fists against the post and still insists he saw a ghost.
A proper pot of coffee in a proper copper coffee pot
I carried the married character over the barrier
Unique New York Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
Warm-Up 5: Mental
Mental/ Focus warm-ups can prove to be quite difficult when you are on your own. There are copious amounts of games and activities to create a shared mental space and group focus, however of course this is not accessible at this time. I suggest for this warm-up you focus on guided meditation to develop an introspective focus and, of which there is a video of on our website.
You may also want to think about your intentions with the piece you want to create, consider what speaks to you, what is your stimulus and what drives you. Tongue twisters and breathing exercises as shown above are also useful in warming up your mind, so please do give them a go!
I really hope this is helpful to some of you and allows you to get into the correct headspace in order to create – as we are of course living in a very overwhelming time, it can prove difficult to clear the mind.
Please do give these a go at your leisure and experiment to see what works for you!
All the best!
Nim