Ralf Bauer is a famous actor in Germany. However, he is the complete opposite of those stars who make headlines with their latest scandals: Ralf works with his inner space.
He has now released a CD on relaxation exercises. This CD is only available for the German speaking market, so you, my dear English-speaking reader, will only be able to enjoy this interview without getting lost in translation.
Ralf released his CD together with Gary Quinn, his spiritual teacher in Los Angeles. It offers a whole program of relaxing exercises, tips and tricks.
You will, for example, not find a (good) actor who does not love vocal exercises. After all, the voice is one of the most important tools for expressing emotions. So, what do you do when you are about to go on stage and are overcome by stage fright? Ralf Bauer lets us in on these secrets: we learn about breathing exercises that actors utilize in situations like these. What else is offered in this CD? Keep on reading: I had the opportunity to do a short interview with him.
Dana Heidner-Krueger: You did this relaxation CD together with Gary Quinn, a life coach from Los Angeles. Why Gary?
Ralf Bauer: I thought to myself “him or nobody”. He has been doing these things for such a long time and with such an amazing success, that I couldn’t imagine anyone else for this project.
DHK: I listened briefly to your CD; it is a real potpourri of exercises. You will find breathing- and body exercises, meditations from Gary Quinn (as you have mentioned), poems from poets like Rainer Maria Rilke, Rumi and Khalil Gibran as well as anecdotes that make you think. What led you to this selection?
Ralf Bauer: The selection was determined by my personal experiences, everything that helped me during the last 20 years from losing it, going nuts or becoming an alcoholic in this business. Another aspect was to put myself in the situation of those people, who have no idea about yoga, breathing techniques or any Asian martial arts.
DHK: You do yoga and you have released books and CD’s about this technique in the German speaking market. How long have you been doing yoga and how has your life changed with it?
Ralf Bauer: I have been doing yoga intensively for 7 or 8 years. Since I have been doing it regularly, my back pain is gone. Before, I tended to get back pain regularly, every time that I felt pressure and stress.
DHK: People tend to panic or become discouraged when times get tough. What is the alternative to this and – how do you personally know what the alternative is?
Ralf Bauer: Everyone, young or old, man or woman, should be able to do these exercises, enjoy the words, get inspired and, maybe, find another point of view.
For myself, I believe that you have to have a more stable inner balance, the more outer success you have. We hear often about people who lose their inner balance due to their success…
DHK: Does even Ralf Bauer flip out from time to time?
Ralf Bauer: When there is a difficult situation, it can happen that I become loud or lose my patience. I don’t think it is good to hold back your emotions – when they have to be released, I let them. However, compared to earlier times, this happens rather rarely, and if it happens, I find my balance quicker: maybe by doing a breathing exercise, by moving very, very slowly or by doing a hand stand.
People who are able to understand German can purchase the CD on Amazon.de or directly on Ralf Bauer’s web site www.ralfbauer-yoga.de.
Dana Heidner is a muli-cultural German living in L.A. with a passion for art, wellness and pop culture as well as a love for good food, fast cars, fashion and... shoes.
