Monster Baby #71 Attention to Tension

Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and Improvisation

How can you play if your string is too tight or too slack?

Finding the right amount of tension matters hugely: in improv, in mindfulness, and in life. Along those lines, Ted and Lisa mine a moment of tension from the last podcast episode (1:48) before drawing on some wisdom from the worlds of astrology and Buddhism (8:09). Lisa explains how her impulse to preserve freedom and protect love have helped her deal with tension with a performer colleague (10:57) and we get the first of several banana bread interludes in this episode (15:51). Ted revisits the Matrix Leadership model as way for interpreting tension as a gift (17:27) and Lisa puts forward the value of slowing down in the face of tense situations (22:26).

In the spirit of letting the tension build for positive effect (25:46), Lisa takes another banana bread break (28:28) before we hear about her Xmas decorations (and before we get a groaner of a pun from Ted (29:29). One last baking interruption (34:25) presages a review of whether the extra juice of tension between performers helps or hurts an improv scene (35:03). Ted identifies some fundamental tensions in the world of mindfulness (38:34) and how he uses “Boom Boom Balloon” and other tools to help his students stay present whenever tension ramps up (42:49). Lisa brings in insights from the world of the Enneagram (49:13) and the episode draws to a close with a few valuable questions to ask whenever tensions get high. (56:03)

If there’s something in the episode that brings you particular joy—or raises a question—feel free to write us at [e-mail].

To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.

Maybe you’d like to put some “presence” under your holiday tree? If so, consider giving Ted’s Monster-Baby-inspired book, Playful Mindfulness, and sharing the joy and wisdom of these two worlds in tandem. To order, please visit www.playfulmindfulness.info. (Ask nicely and Ted will surely sign a copy for you!)

Lisa and Ted

San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.

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