What if we put relaxation first? Inspired by mindfulness practitioner Bill Morgan’s book, “The Meditator’s Dilemma,” Ted and Lisa explore the value of putting relaxation in front of other forms of meditation, improv included. They start by musing about Lisa’s recent time in Paris and the value of French croissants (2:06), after which Lisa acknowledges that her days of jetsetting may be drawing to a close (6:33). She questions the value of “culmination experiences” (12:02) and then Ted introduces this episode’s main topic, whether relaxation follows as a by-product of mindfulness or whether it’s a necessary prerequisite (15:49). The pair inevitably wonders about the role of relaxation in improv (21:49) and considers the value of consciously tensing up before relaxing (24:39). Ted mentions teacher-author Gregory Kramer’s notion of “Relax” as a fundamental principle for Insight Dialogue (28:51) and wonders whether there’s such a thing as relaxing too much (31:16). After Lisa considers whether she even knows how to relax (33:12), the conversation turns to the improvisor’s need to recharge with a group and to relax into chaos (35:47). Lisa wraps up the topic with some irreverent questions for Bill Morgan (44:48) and Ted closes with two new versions of the classic game, Sound Ball (49:53). If you’re inspired by what you hear and you’d like to let us know about it, please send a note to Ted and Lisa at  [email protected]. To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com. And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired reading or need a great gift for a loved one, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)         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.