A Mantra For Musicians
by Jackie Saunders
Larry Tuttle plays the upright bass—an instrument infamous for its tendency to deform its players. Playing for almost 45 years, 54-year-old Tuttle routinely felt pain in his back and ended up on the chiropractor’s table every six months. It wasn’t until he began practicing yoga that he saw a difference in his playing and health. “It was a slow process trying to find the right teacher and studio,” says Tuttle. “I found a great place, and haven’t been to the chiropractor in five years.”
An absence of pain along with extra mobility and heightened awareness in his music playing were the initial benefits Tuttle found from his yoga practice.
Musicians, like Tuttle, often feel pain and tension in the upper back from sitting or standing in one pose for long periods of time. Each instrument can be harmful in its own way. Flute and violin players twist their bodies to one side, pianists tend to hunch, and drummers feel tension in the arms.
In order to combat these negative side effects, many musicians are using yoga as a way to counteract injuries, lessen performance anxiety, and gain better phrasing and focus. Mia Olson, flutist and Professor of Music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, first started practicing yoga as a form of exercise and soon discovered it improved her playing. “It started to help me physically, mentally, spiritually, and I began practicing meditation,” Olson says.
1. Preparation
Be aware of keeping a tall, straight spine regardless of whether you sit or stand. Keep shoulders relaxed, back, and down,
as the chest opens and lifts slightly. Imagine a string attached to the top of your head as you elongate the neck, and keep the chin parallel to the ground. Develop an awareness of your breathing throughout the exercises.
2. The Full Yogic Breath
Begin by exhaling fully, pulling the muscles of the abdomen in and up towards the spine. Relax the muscles of the abdomen and allow air to fill the belly, chest, and all the way up to the collarbone. Continue exhaling and inhaling
fully. Think about expanding the front, back, and sides of the body. Also think of slowing the breath down. If you need to reduce stress more, try to make exhalation take longer than inhalation.
3. Eagle Arms
This is one of the best poses for reducing upper back and shoulder tension. Inhale and extend arms in a “T” position with palms facing down. Exhale, with the right arm under the left arm, crossing at the elbows. Bend your elbows so that palms face outward. Draw your right hand towards your nose and wrap it around the left hand, with fingers pointing up and palms come close to touching. Breathe into the back of the body opening up the shoulders. Rotate elbows in circles in one direction, then the other to loosen the upper back. Then, inhale with elbows up and exhale with elbows down to feel the stretch in different places. Release the arms, shake it out. Repeat the whole sequence on other side.
4. Standing Yoga Mudra
Start with feet wide apart, toes parallel. Lift arms in front of you as you inhale, then push palms away on exhale, as you
draw your hands towards each other, clasping the hands behind your back. Elongate the spine, lifting through the crown of your head. You can stop here and get a nice stretch through the chest and shoulders. Continue with the next part of this stretch only if it feels comfortable. Lead with your chest as you exhale, bending forward at your waist with head coming down between your legs. Keep knees slightly bent, while drawing the arms up and back, feeling a nice stretch in the arms and shoulders. Hold for a few breaths and very slowly come up to standing. Whenever the head is below the chest, you should move slowly, as blood rushes to your head and you may become dizzy if you move fast.
5. Helicopter
This is an excellent exercise to let go of tension in the upper body. Start in a standing position with the feet a little wider than hip width apart. Keep knees slightly bent. Allow your arms to hang freely down by the side and turn the torso from side to side. As you move from side to side, the arms should flop back and forth like coat sleeves in the wind. Gradually come back to stillness after you feel that you have released some tension. Pause and notice how you feel.
