My two focuses for the week have been my breathing and my wrists. I’m a piano player, so breathing isn’t the main focus for me when I play, but taking deep breaths is something that helps me concentrate, focus, and calm down. I often take a deep breath before beginning to practice or play. Correctly mapping the size and depth of my lungs has helped me feel more grounded every time I sit before the piano, and it feels like I’m breathing a little more deeply than before. I never realized my lungs extended towards my back, and somehow knowing that makes the breaths I take feel a little fuller.
My studio teacher coincidentally brought my attention to my wrists and their alignment during my lesson this week, so I’ve been trying to be aware of that as well. I’d never noticed how many unnecessary movements I made, and how that often put my wrist at an odd angle. Making sure my wrists are aligned with the rest of my arm is only the beginning. The awareness moves up my forearm to my elbows, and then my shoulders. Since freedom of movement is associated with freedom of expression, I’ve been trying to make especially sure I’m not holding any tension in my shoulders that might extend down through my arms. I’ve never moved my arms much when I’m playing, but apparently that’s something that’s encouraged. Keeping everything aligned and free is supposed to make a difference in my tone, and as I was practicing on Wednesday night, I thought I could hear a little bit of change. So, I’ll try to be more aware of my arms and how they move and see how it goes.
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