Are you bringing mindfulness to the practice room?
Finding Peace Through Practice: Be Mindful and Manage Distractions
Image by Ralf Kunze from Pixabay
Nearly every minute of every day, unwanted and distracting thoughts bombard our minds and take us away from the task at hand. The Buddha once said “our minds can be a fickle and restless space; a dangerous weapon... restless as a monkey.” It’s crucial to steady our wandering minds and focus on the moment. However, our doubts, insecurities, and distractions can get in the way, causing us to lose focus.
Consider what distracts and impedes your playing, and overall life for that matter. Keeping the mind peaceful and focused, find the joy in the practice of being mindful. This takes time and practice–– as much practicing our instruments. We should strive to practice this while playing music! If we keep working on it, and not judging ourselves when mistakes are made, we feel at ease with ourselves and we make real progress. Progress makes everything more fun to play!
Now Try This:
Take a scale that you’re fairly comfortable with but one that may need some tightening up. For now, play or sing it without a metronome at first.
First, check your fingerings to make sure you know exactly how it’s played. If you’re a singer, consider using a drone or instrument to check your pitches.
Play it slow. Find a tempo where you can play it perfectly. Most importantly, each note should be played as if it is an individual “gem” and should be given full attention.
Make sure that whatever you play has as much flow as possible. Don’t play the next note until you’re finished with the one before it.
Take it easy on yourself. If you get distracted and make a mistake, no problem! Take a deep breath and just play it again.
