Mindfulness for Musicians
"Mindfulness" has become a buzzword in the last few years. It is often associated with calm and peace of mind. It is a concept that is present in all wisdom traditions under different names; meditation, prayer, ritual, yoga, tai chi, etc. are all lumped into the category of "mindfulness" or "mindful practices." These practices are not only the domain of contemplative Eastern philosophers, monks, yogis, and New Agers, they can be used by people from all walks of life and backgrounds. Basketball players use visualization to get "in the zone." High-powered business types are participating in corporate retreats, which are meant to increase productivity, and Western medical doctors are prescribing these practices to treat stress. Stress is the reason for 75 to 90 percent of all medical visits!
Get in the Flow
While evidence is plentiful on the benefits of mindful practices for everyone. They are particularly beneficial for musicians. All musicians, whether they play an instrument, compose, and/or sing, use their body and mind to create their art. Creativity flourishes when we are in what researchers refer to as the "flow state" which these practices have been shown to aid a practitioner in achieving. Flow state refers to a state of mind where a person is "fully engaged" and a balance is struck between "challenge of the task and the skill of the performer." In fact, comparisons to music are often used by researchers and scientists when describing this state of mind. Hungarian psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, describes it in his 2008 TED talk as, "The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost."
The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost. — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Hungarian psychologist, TED Talk, 2008
A clear example of this state can be found in a letter to his son, Hans Albert, that Albert Einstein wrote in 1915. He wrote, “I am very pleased that you find joy with the piano. This and carpentry are in my opinion for your age the best pursuits, better even than school. Because those are things which fit a young person such as you very well. Mainly play the things on the piano which please you, even if the teacher does not assign those. That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don’t notice that the time passes. I am sometimes so wrapped up in my work that I forget about the noon meal....” Einstein describes a full engaged mental state where challenge and skill are balanced and time seems to slip away. He was deep in the flow state.
Though we can read explanations such as these which compare music and flow. Musicians often find themselves having a difficult time "going with the flow" as Taoist Monk Yun Rou describes it. (I had the honor to interview Monk Yun Rou with my podcast co-host, Spencer, for Conscious Community Magazine. Click here to read the article and listen to the conversation.) The music seems stuck inside us and we become frustrated. Some musicians, even accomplished ones, will give up on music altogether due to the blockage of flow. Mindful practices which brings our minds into an alpha state which assist us with letting go of mental blocks, overthinking, and increase holistic mental connections. When musicians enter this state, the music seems to "play the musician" rather than the other way around and challenging music becomes natural and feels effortless. So, what are some of the mindfulness practices that we can "get in the flow?"
Tai Chi and Visualization
