Who didn’t enter 2020 with ideas, plans, and hopes for how the year would go? New releases, rehearsals, summer tours, video shoots, maybe even a yoga class. We musicians devote our lives to creative endeavors that bring ideas into reality. We constantly work toward our future visions, and this year began brightly.
Well, as the old saying goes, “If you want the gods to laugh, tell them your plans.” Think back to discussing our 2020 visions in January. The superstitious might say our hubris set this crazy year in motion. Or, rather, stopped it in its tracks. By this measure, the gods have been belly-laughing since March.
A Practice Makes Perfect
In a year of wide-spread anxiety, depression, and overwhelm, I’ve leaned hard into my yoga practice. I’ve done this to settle the bubbling of my worries from the growing laundry list of cultural upheaval and personal uncertainty.
In a year when music and everything else moved online, I’ve found comfort in these ideas from the philosophy that underlies the yoga practice.
"We musicians devote our lives to creative endeavors that bring ideas into reality."
The Power of Story
The ancient yogis believed both inner peace and inner turmoil exist in the human capacity for imagination and storytelling.
- What story about the future are you entertaining?
- Is it helping you move forward or pulling you down?
As musicians, we devote our lives to the conscious use of creative thought. The ancient yogis advise us to notice when we’re in a negative groove, and redirect our thoughts in alignment with peace and wellness.
Change is Inevitable—Adaptability is a Skill
Like music, we, our thoughts, and the world around us are in a constant state of change. “Going with the flow” means being able and willing to adapt to change when parameters shift. The willingness to adapt connects to the question of why we are in the music business.
The answer to why is the rock-solid foundation beneath what the form of your career looks like. This is true regardless of which map you use for how to get there. Even when the what and how change, with your why as a North Star, you can adapt and navigate the tumultuous waves of 2020.
"Like music, we, our thoughts, and the world around us are in a constant state of change."
Discomfort is Different from Pain
Whether physical or psychological, pain demands immediate attention. By contrast, discomfort asks for a sense of curiosity. Research shows learning, discovery, and personal evolution occur beyond the boundaries of comfort.
Being comfortable with discomfort expands your idea of comfort. While uncomfortable on many levels, we can indeed grow and learn from this year if we allow ourselves. It takes curiosity, self-care, and deep breaths.
Experience the Now
Since time immemorial, humans have experienced anxiety and fear stemming from uncertainty. However, like music, life always moves forward. We play each note only at the precious moment of now.
In the experience of the now comes relief from overwhelm. Inevitably, times like these bring waves of anger and distress. When those feelings come, we can find relief in a deep breath. Listen for a bird call or the wind in the trees. Slowly exhale. Do it again, like a musical motif. And once more.
