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Improvisation

Community for Spiritual Living: Improv for the Spirit


09/06/2008 - 4:00pm
09/06/2008 - 8:00pm
US/Eastern

Location(s)

Barra Kahn's Home
Falls Church, VA, 22044
United States
See map: Google MapsImprovisational theater principles and practices offer a great way to deepen our understanding of ourselves while having fun. We can laugh with others as we learn more about ourselves. We've been trained, traumatized and socialized out of the natural spontaneity of our spirit. Improv takes us out of our habitual interactions, time frames, structures, and ways of being and delivers us back into the fully alive NOW. Learning to feel comfortable in the unplanned flow - letting go of controls and judgements and surrendering to the moment - opens us up to our inner creative wellspring and nurtures our spirit.
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An Improvised Life

Submitted by Tom Goddard on December 13, 2006 - 3:21pm.

What does it mean to "improvise"? What is the essence of "spontaneity"?

Heck, should we even value improvisation? Some might argue that living a well-planned life is a good thing. How can you plan well yet commit to spontaneity?

Well, first, what is it? My dictionary says that improvisation is "a creation spoken or written or composed extemporaneously (without prior preparation)."

First of all, I feel like arguing with that definition. I certainly like the use of "creation" -- my every encounter with improvisation tells me that it is an act of creation. It is the parenthetical part of the definition with which I differ: "no preparation".

No preparation? Are you kidding? When Parker and Coleman met in a dark bar in Chicago and made magic, can we say there was no preparation? When Jonathan Winters walked through a room full of junk, picked up an odd item, and made us laugh, was there truly no preparation? When a Zen teacher and student engage in dharma combat and, thereby, reach a new understanding of the Ultimate, is there no preparation?


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