The Wordplay warmup

In many cases, language can be considered a stumbling block or a barrier, limiting feelings and emotions to a singular clause or utterance.

However I personally have always had a rich, complex and varying relationship with language, whether that be spoken language, written language, or the act of reading and writing.

Although a singular word cannot summarise the complexity of emotions, feelings, inspirations, or challenges one could feel in a single, fleeting moment, I believe it can serve as an interesting vehicle or grounding point to then explore the areas around this.

I find huge beauty in the written language, and how language can come to us, and comfort us at the most unexpected times.

For this warm up you will need a piece of paper, a pencil or pen.

The instructions for this warm up are as follows:

Take a moment to survey your surroundings. All of course surroundings. Any objects, any people, any sounds, any smells. The temperature, the settling of the light.

Now close your eyes.

Take a deep breath in – 1,2,3,4

Take a deep breath out – 1,2,3,4

Keep your eyes closed.

Take a moment to ground yourself in your body, and your mind. How do you feel today? Do you have any tension? Do you feel ease? Do you feel tired? Do you feel energised? Are you hot? Are you cold? Take a moment to familiarise yourself with your self.

Now.

What is the first word the comes to your mind, when you think of yourself today?

Keep this word in your mind.

Hold this word in your mind for 10 seconds.

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Now consider. How do you connect to this word?

Does the word represent you? Does it represent your emotions or feelings currently? Does it represent something that has happened in your day, or week? Does it represent your current relationship with yourself?

How does this feel?

How do you relate to this word? Do you feel negatively towards this word, do you feel positively towards this word? Are you completely neutral?

Hold this word again in your mind for 10 seconds.

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Now open your eyes.

Take the piece of paper and pen and write the word down.

Look at the word closed for 10 seconds.

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Has the meaning of this word changed for you now it has been written be your hand, and now you are face to face with it?

How can you embody this word? How can you mould it to understand it better, to understand yourself better – how you are feeling, what emotions you contain, what is happening in your mind, your world, your self right now?

Now repeat the word. Write it 5 times on the piece of paper.

As you write, is the word changing? Is it morphing? Is it evolving? Is it in flux? Or does it remain the same?

Take a moment now to sit, relax and stare at the words in front of you. Meditate upon it, soak it in, embody it, own it.

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Please fold up the paper as small as you can, and so the word is no longer visible, and place it somewhere it is out of sight.

Now please close your eyes again.

Hold the word again in your mind for 10 seconds

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Now softly whisper the word to yourself. Firstly as the entire word. Pause. The by it’s syllables. Pause. The every letter of the word. Pause.

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Allow the word to softly, slowly float away from you.

Now please open your eyes.