An Introduction to Yoga as a Tool for Successful Musicianship
by Dr. Brianne Borden, DMA. May 12, 2020.
Okay, let’s talk success. I don’t mean winning a competition or landing your dream job. Success is an objective word, so for my purposes I define success as a musician performing to their fullest potential in that moment, or finding peak performance.
It is no secret that myriad factors contribute to the success of a musician in a time of performance. During practice, musicians put themselves through physical and psychological demands. Research shows that this work results in very real changes to such aspects of the body as bone structure, musculature, circulation, and respiration. Additionally, in the process of musical training, and musician’s body’s nervous system undergoes a type of refinement that can affect movements, balance, posture, and even emotional responses.[1] If one relies only on independent physical practice, they might be startled by the physical sensations that accompany performance. A musician’s body needs to adjust accordingly to this altered state so it cannot act out of habit. Furthermore, their mind must take control by leaning on a strong aural and analytical understanding of the music and maintaining a calm, focused, mindset.
Huib Schippers from the Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre in Australia states that being a professional musician demands peak performance from the mind, heart, and body on a daily basis. Most musicians are trained in repertoire, but mental and physical preparation is lacking.[2] Schippers is just one of many scholars who define peak performance of a musician and include a balance between three aspects: preparation of music, mental well-being, and physical well-being. Though these aspects can be separated and defined independently, peak performance cannot exist without all three working in harmony.
How do you achieve this harmony, you ask? Classical musicians have a strong understanding of preparation of music.It’s been drilled into our minds through hours of rigorous practice, competition, and feedback. Where we frequently lack are the other two aspects: mental well-being,and physical well-being. This is where yoga comes in handy!
While many different types of body awareness regimens have proven themselves effective, the practice of yoga is especially pertinent because it is built on a series of postures that have become standardized over the course of several centuries of tradition. [3] Yoga is designed to teach a unification of the body and mind. Through regular practice, a musician can become more aware of their posture and the residual tension throughout the body; moreover, yoga can improve one’s focus and enable one to fully experience the ways that thoughts and emotions affect one’s physical being. Regular practice can help increase energy and flexibility, strengthen and tone the entire body, improve balance, and release tension and stress.[4] It can also promote awareness of one’s body and breath and enhance the ability to maintain concentration, all skills that can be brought to both practice and performance as a musician.
Let’s get real, yoga, an ancient practice encompassing thousands of lineages, can feel pretty darn intimidating. As somebody who has been practicing yoga for 16 years, I still get nervous walking in to a new studio, not knowing what to expect. The number one thing I hear from people before trying yoga is, “I can’t even touch my toes!” Well, I’m here to simplify it for you, and remind you that touching your toes (or even going to a yoga studio) actually has nothing to do with it at all.
Yoga is awareness. Much of what we do on a daily basis takes us away from ourselves. Tasks keep the mind distracted from the present moment and acknowledging what’s happening to the mind and body. Through yoga, one can find awareness of the body, breath, and mind, and eventually have more control over these things.
Here are four simple yoga practices you can do right now, to balance out the factors to a successful performance:
1. SET UP your Foundational Alignment, so that your body is working efficiently. Try to maintain this, even when you have your instrument in your hands, or sit down. Here is the checklist:
· Feet hip-width distance apart, to establish a solid foundation for the rest of the body
· Bent knees to promote healthy circulation and prevent fainting
· Neutral pelvis, to support the natural curvature of the lumbar spine
· Relaxed shoulders, in an effort to avoid unnecessary tension in the upper back and neck
· Crown of the head straight up to ensure alignment in the neck
2. NOTICE how your body feels, then find small, simple movements in the areas that typically get stiff. This could be some easy shoulder shrugs, neck rolls, wrist stretches. Taking a moment to really notice and become aware of your body IS yoga! No need to worry about a downward facing dog or touching your toes.
3. BREATHE. Breath work, or Pranayama, is an integral part of yoga and can strengthen the respiratory system, ease the nervous system, and allow for better concentration. One of my personal favorite breathing exercise is the Counting Breath. This breath takes the mind away from distracting thoughts and brings awaresness to the present moment.
· Start be exhaling all breath out
· Inhale as you count to four
· Exhale as you count to four
· Continue for as long as feels comfortable!
4. MANTRA Meditation. Proven benefits of meditation include: reducing anxiety, strengthening the immune system, improving concentration and memory, stimulating creativity, promoting a better organized thought process, reducing physical aches, lowering blood pressure, among so much more!
· If new to meditation, set a timer for 1-2 minutes.
· Find a comfortable posture, either seated or laying down.
· Choose a word of phrase that relates to what you aim to cultivate more of in your musicianship or life.
Some of my favorites are: breath, I am prepared, make beautiful music, I am strong
· Repeat the word of phrase slowly and deliberately until your timer goes off.
Footnotes:
[1] Lesley SisterhernMcAllister, The Balanced Musician: Integrating Mind and Body for Peak Performance. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, 2013, 329
[2] Jaume Rosset i Llobet and George Odam, The Musician’s Body: A Maintenance Manual for Peak Performance. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2007, vii.
[3] McAllister, 156.
[4] Ibid.
Bio
Dr. Brianne Borden is co-founder and CEO of Yoga for All Musicians, a virtual yoga studio created to cater to the specific emotional and physical needs of musicians. Furthermore, Brianne is author of e-book, Yoga for Musicians: A Practical Guide to Common Yoga Techniques for Musicians – much of which was built upon from her doctoral research. This research has been the focal point of her passion project and teachings, having presented at numerous universities and conferences around the country, including Colburn Conservatory, Ithaca College, University of North Dakota, and the International Women’s Brass Conference, among many more. She graduated from Arizona State University with a DMA in Trumpet Performance, after receiving her Master’s from the University of Colorado Boulder and Bachelor’s from SUNY Potsdam. Brianne is an avid trumpet soloist, freelance and private studio teacher within the Phoenix valley, alongside founding and serving as personnel manager for the Phoenix Brass Collective. Amidst her musical endeavors, Brianne is an E-RYT and YACEP certified yoga instructor, teaching multiple classes a week and actively leading 200 hour yoga teacher trainings.