Let’s think about it. You carry the memories of your life and you have the ability to think about what may come in the future. You can plan. You can reminisce. You can replay events and ponder what you should have said. You can imagine new and innovative ideas. All these are thoughts, electro-chemical lightning in the brain. The ability to think is an important part of being human.
When one plays music, it involves an action that is happening right now, in the present. When one practices yoga, the same is true. In fact, life itself is only happening right now. You may memorise a piece of music. You may memorize a set of yoga poses to follow in your practice. When you play or practice, these memories guide you, but the playing is not a memory, and the pose is not a memory. These things are actions that exist in real-time now. Your breath flows in and out of your lungs right now. The music is heard right now. The body stretches right now. The experience of hearing and feeling is right now and you are immersed in it.
As discussed in Music Yoga #1, your breath is the unifying factor here. Your breath flows in a rhythm, even when you are not paying any attention. When you do pay attention, you attain focus and relaxation of the mind and the body. In yoga, you begin to breathe with the motions of the poses. Inhale as you lift the arms, exhale as you fold forward.
In music, you follow the rhythm and the time of the music. At the start, you count so as not to lose your place. As you become familiar with the rhythm and the tune, and you gain experience, you no longer need to count in your mind. You feel it. Adding the cognizant inhale/exhale within the rhythm you are feeling and playing takes you to the yoga of music. Both invite you to be here now.
Breathe, play, stretch, hear, love.
Watch for more of my music yoga articles.