Six breaths a minute, eyes far, hands open, for as long as you are sitting there, and a rule: do not run the material in the waiting room. When they call you, one physiological sigh on the way to the door and one Trap Door as you cross the threshold. Walk in released, not calm; they are casting a person, not a pulse rate.
The steps
- Sit. Soundcheck. Notice the jaw and the tongue; auditions live there.
- Six breaths a minute, exhale longer, for the whole wait. Small breaths.
- Do not rehearse. You either know it or you do not, and running it now costs you presence.
- Name called: stand on an exhale, one physiological sigh walking.
- At the door: Trap Door. Attention low, lungs empty, easy inhale, let the floor drop.
- First line on an exhale. After: three slow exhales before you check your phone.
When not to, and when to get help instead
No holds if panic is in your history. If auditions have become unbearable rather than uncomfortable, that is performance anxiety and it responds to treatment; there are therapists who work only with performers.
What the research says
Slow breathing lowers heart rate and reported anxiety within minutes; a longer exhale does more than pace; prolonged exhalation beat box breathing on performance in the one head-to-head. The Trap Door and the no-rehearsing rule are craft, from a great many waiting rooms, and are labeled so.
Other methods people use
Headphones and a playlist help some people, and I do not argue with what works. Beta blockers are common for audition tremor among classical players; a doctor’s conversation. The best preparation happened the week before, which is what the Night Before room is about.
Questions people also ask
Should I rehearse in the waiting room?
No. Running it under adrenaline rehearses the adrenaline. Sit, breathe slowly, look far away, and trust the week you put in.
How do I stop comparing myself to other people in the waiting room?
Eyes far, breath long, and a job for the mind: count exhales to ten and back. Comparison needs attention you can spend elsewhere.
In the book
Techniques
Rooms
Two rules, no exceptions
Never practice any technique on this site while you are driving, operating machinery, or doing anything that needs your full attention. The slow ones can make you drowsy, faster than you’d expect. And never practice a breath-hold, bellows breath, or any vigorous breathing in or near water. Read Before you begin for the doctor’s list and the rest.
More in “Before you perform”
- How do I breathe before public speaking?
- What helps stage fright in the minute before you go on?
- How do singers breathe to stay calm before a take or a show?
- How should I breathe before a job interview?
Written by Eric Bradley. Last reviewed October 2026. One performer’s craft, offered for general information; not medical advice, mental health treatment, or a substitute for care.