Playing music in and of itself can be a way of taking care of yourself - connecting to what's important. Here are some tips for reconnecting to yourself as a music maker:
1.
Warm up by checking in with the ground and your breath. Close your eyes, breathe, and check in before picking up your instrument/sitting at the piano/singing. Where do you feel supported by the ground? How can you let your breath be easy?
As you start your favorite warm-up, recheck your breath and the ground under you. Feel your entire self playing the instrument from the ground up, rather than focusing on your arms or vocal cords. Your body can better distribute the task of playing when you have a wide focus.
Periodically come back to this perspective as often as you like during the practice session, and pause again before putting away your instrument. Notice when this check-in is easy and when it's hard.
2.
Pace yourself. Muscles and tendons worked without a break get irritated and break down. It's easy to see this when we lift 20 heavy boxes on moving day and we instinctively take rests. It's harder to see this when the work is 20,000 small movements of the fingers, wrists, arms, and back. As the smaller muscles fatigue, they spasm, making it harder for blood to get in and re-nourish the tissues.
It can be much more difficult for the body to repair the small microtraumas that keep happening practice session after session for months than that big trauma on moving day that makes you quit lifting heavy objects for three days!
What can you do? At least every 20 to 30 minutes, put your instrument down. Gently replenish your blood flow by lightly shaking out your hands and arms, walking around, breathing deeply, and/or enjoying a few yoga poses (see below). This is still practice time, reflecting on what you've worked on and what you'd like to do next.
Do you do better work if your boss lets you take a walk during lunch and a coffee break or two, or if she demands that you work straight through lunch and inhale a sandwich at your desk while working until eight o'clock? Your body is the same way.
3.
Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. It's not just for singers anymore. This freebie will lubricate your tissues, making them less likely to get injured, and get rid of the waste products built up from the microtraumas of playing.
Get yourself a nice big 32 ounce BPA-free plastic bottle with a screw on lid. Fill it first thing in the morning. Drink it at work. At lunchtime, it should be empty. Fill it again. Voila, you have your eight eight-ounce glasses right there. I manage to do this during my busy therapy workday during quick trips to my desk, so anyone can if I can. Bonus: all that water in your system will keep you from sitting inert at your desk for hours. That 20 to 30 minute break works for computer work, too.
4.
Get friendly with basic yoga postures. Yoga can help musicians with greater control over stress and stage fright, focus, breathing, and the strength and flexibility to prevent injury, to name a few benefits. It's best to learn by taking a class for beginners to really learn the basics from a qualified teacher. However, anyone can start to practice a few postures on their own. Some postures of particular benefit to musicians are
Eagle Pose (you may want to just begin with the arm portion),
Cobra, and
Downward Facing Dog.
You can find short yoga sequences for varying experience levels in the
Yogamazing video podcast.
5.
Eat 5 servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day. Yup, there's a reason you've heard it from your doctor and it's printed on the produce bags at the supermarket. Seriously, it will help you feel more energetic and get sick less often. Plant foods are packed with vitamins and fiber. Your body will thank you. Work into this gradually, adding in another serving per day over the course of a week or two.
Share your own tips in the comments!
(Artwork: "Piano Dance" by Greg Gierlowski)
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