Yoga Made Me A Better Musician
I always joke that I’m not sure what came first, the classical musician or the perfectionist. Either way for most of my life they were one in the same. And I’m now not sure whether or not I ever realized how closely holding onto these identities heavily affected my life. I’m still unraveling those tightly wound threads. Pun intended.
But it wasn’t until I started practicing yoga regularly that I began to realize how much my mindset was affecting how I practiced, played, and viewed myself as a musician.
My yoga practice began having a profound effect on my music practice….
The most simple definition of yoga is ‘union’. The joining of all facets of your experience into the present moment of flow. (This flow is possible in stillness and with movement). Whole experience. Holistic presence.
I had never considered how to take care of my body (or physical alignment) while playing, I only knew how to push it through pain.
I had never considered how harshly and negatively I spoke to myself (or how I had been spoken to) while playing would imprint into my mindset and infiltrate alll other areas of my life.
I had never considered that I only knew how to perform and play for others’ expectations and accolades and hadn’t allowed myself to fully lose myself in the music for me and my emotional connectivity.
I had known that I said in high school, if I go into performance I will end up hating music… because I was burnt out on the expectations of others and the pressure I was putting on myself to be perfect.
Well, can confirm, I DID (eventually) go into music professionally and I DID NOT end up hating it. I ended up finding myself. Because I did the hard thing. Even though at one point I didn’t think I could, would, or should. But one I did, I discovered and uncovered my true self.
Practicing yoga brought me home to myself in a way that helped me wake up to my own authentic expression. It’s sometimes hard to explain the depth of this experience, but if you practice yoga regularly you understand what I’m talking about. Some things there are just no words for. And if you know me, then you know I’ve tried.
This isn’t a ploy to get you to try yoga. Or even me trying to “convert” you. This is me sharing how important it is to start to pay attention to all parts of yourself— body, mind, emotions, and soul.
I used to heavily identify with my mind. And if you know anything about Scorpios, then you know I was tortured. I was torturing myself until I realized I was the one holding the key to set me free. Me and only me.
I hope you do the same for yourself. Notice your patterns. Notice your perceptions. Notice how you think and what you think about. Listen to your body. Note your intuition. Take in the magic of your life…. All parts.
Love,
Britt