"Learned Behaivior" 'tis the season

To my acting students "learned behavior" is a repetative act/sound/body language that is learned during the script- prep process. It can hinder an actors natural instincts and trick them into thinking they have a script memorized. It is also very hard to perform improvisation in a scene with too many "learned behaviors". If you learn a script with certain inflections in your voice and tone, or body language pormpted by certain words and/or beats in the script then you become dependant on those learned behaivors to cue your memory. If for some reason those beats are skipt or interupted by something, the change can throw the entire scene off.."Man! I really did have that scene memorized..I just don't konw what happened" I hear that a lot from my acting students.
The key is to memorize your scene in a very monotone voice and manner. Speedreading, singing, reapeating your lines 10 times without any emotion are great ways to memorize a script. That way your mind is not dependant on the learned behavior to trigger words in your script. The lines will role without even thinking about them if memorized correctly. It will be easier for you to just "be" in the moment of your scene..emotional, real, reacting to your co-acotor when the script beomes a part of your subconscious mind.
Sometimes I think the past five years have been like this "learned behavior". I think my body, my mind, my heart have gotten used to this "learned behavior". This behvavior of child bearing, nursing, newbornning, sleeplessness, etc. The 18 month is a signifact trigger for me. A time frame that usually triggers the need to and want to have a baby. This mark is coming soon and for the past five years I have been repeating these behaviors to a "T". While approaching the mark, I am surprised that my boobs don't hurt, that I am sleeping regularly that I am not cranky with the girls for random reasons. I guess I just expect that they are here or around the corner. I find myself sad that the behavior has not come. I guess I just assumed that the belly would be growing soon. Assumed that I would be getting extra special attention from my hubby soon:).
But no, no pregors. No double D's. No special back massages. No baby-name dreaming. No majore anticipations. It is soooo strange to move on to a new season; to let the Improvisation take the wheel, to let new emotions, new events, new body languages ensue. It will be nice (for lack of a better word) to let the improv take place, to "be" in the moment without the known anticipations, to be responsive and reacting to my co-actor/compadre ;).
So we will see. 'tis the season.