To fire up your creativity, commitment, courage and intuition:

Move your body before you practice - swing arms, Pilates, Qi Gong 9https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggBquoSEmhA&t=63s),
​jumping jacks...brain gym, power poses (Amy Cuddy)....engage deep pelvic floor, wiggle your toes, breathe through your nose...get the blood moving to your brain! Go to your body first - the mind is a tricky bastard.

Ping Pong is ultimate game for brain health and concentration! Wild Blueberries, the ultimate food. If you're ruminating - grab and apple and go for a walk. (Dr. Amen)

Mindfulness meditation will also help with commitment and concentration...noticing without judgement what's happening in this moment - allowing choice!

Singing will up your vibration levels, expanding what you sense, the insights & inspiration you may receive (ie musical intuition). I love the meditation where you breathe in cold air through your lips and exhale "OM".

Singing increases awareness of internal and external resonance and coordinates your support. Sing before you play...sing the phrases....

Laughter releases tension and "held" emotions... it builds psychological resiliency and is so similar to the support we require to play - so watch a funny you tube before you practice - or Laughter Yoga - a little giggle is just the "technique" required to vibrate on a short note - i.e., "
bringing life to the sound"....let your inner child out!

Write down and voice what you notice - it empowers and validates your experiences. It fuels courage, choice and confidence. "I am enough".

These activities fire up your creativity, imagination and intuition...creating new neuro-pathways.... releasing dopamine and oxytocin - all will keep you practicing, in love with the flute and bonded to music!

Our Will power is limited. Creativity and intuition is infinite and always (!!) available. 

PIFR has played a significant role in my career and personal life. I am a 50 year old woman from a small(ish) city in the prairies of Canada. Who knew one day I’d meet and work with so many interesting and inspiring musicians! That I would hear so many wonderful stories from WIBB - while driving us around on Pender Island!

What has transpired in my musical life so far is truly humbling and powerful at the same time. Join us - you won’t regret it!

• as an orchestral flutist employee - with greater awareness of who I am as an artist, the continued experiences, curiosity and research around leadership took on some comfort and ease. As well as the confidence to have the courageous conversations with management, musicians, conductors, board members in order to invite change - less “us” and “them”, more connections are built and what unfolds is out of my hands - surprising and exciting.

 

• As a teacher - the psycho-physical approach which Lorna and Gaby present at PIFR has taken on a life of its own in my teaching and practicing. I have attended over 90 hours of their Masterclasses and technique classes and I’m still surprised by what I don’t know yet! 

 

• as a performer - Wibb’s colours, phrasing, stories, language and use of other artistic forms encourage me to trust my own creative voice - in all its forms.

 

• as a workshop facilitator - what shows up in my personal and professional life during the year is investigated, researched and presented at PIFR. Fitness & Flow for Fluters, Glutes for Flutes, Mindful Musician, Finding Centre....QiGong, brain gym, power poses, pilates...aromatherapy, right brain drawing, dancing...leadership, self care, compassionate communication. Its all relevant to my expansion as a creative artist and its integrated, demonstrated and experienced at PIFR.

 

• career choice to become Life Coach: PIFR 2017 was the first year I presented the morning workshop series - after I had completed my Life Coach training. I felt vulnerable and strong at the same time.  I found that what we had co-created at PIFR kept me safe enough to soar and trust my wings. I’m so excited for this years’ morning workshop series - through the lens of David Richo’s “5 A’s of love“ we explore our relationship to self, flute, others and music: attention, accepting, appreciation, affection, allowing. 

 

• as an employer and small business owner - I have not found complete Zen around this - yet!  It is my growing edge. What I learn, I pass on. From tax exemptions and claims to asking for assistance...to knowing whom to hire - insuring that core values are aligned. One simply cannot negotiate core values.

Every year is different - there have been many "return" participants over the years - the record is 5 years!....where we come back to what we thought we understood and discover a deeper truth. (Barry Gellespie). 

So how did mindfulness play a role in performances this season? I paid attention to the question which decided to visit - what is the role of compartmentalizing when performing? Discerning the difference between compartmentalizing for a moment, by choice ....OR by accident  - in order to distract and run from pain.

A little background - through my passion as a Life Coach I've been reading, integrating and reflecting on the connection between mindfulness practice and the courage to be vulnerable and authentic...to show up and be seen (Brene Brown).  To take 100% responsibility for my thoughts, feelings and actions...to recover & repair when I make mistakes!!! To be brave and sit in the discomfort of vulnerability and turn toward painful emotions - knowing they will roll through me, providing insight and wisdom. Knowing that I have support while in that process. To be loving and kind when I'm disappointed in myself or others.To be deeply attuned to my purpose and core values...and to the essence underneath us all.

To show up to be seen in my personal and professional life. 

Last week at CPO was amazing for me - I experienced ease and joy while playing, listening, counting - all at the same time ....sprinkled on top were creative hits  of colour and dynamics...stories of hope, forgiveness and acceptance...attuned to colleagues and able to connect/anticipate from the "knowing place". Felt 35, on fire and at ease...was in Flow. Its been awhile - so I decided to investigate...

So here I am giggling at another paradox (of course)! How to be deeply attuned to Self and "tune it out" in order to perform well? To be IN the question - what do I need to be aware of right now to perform well?

I and many colleagues have performed with the flu, migraines, burning physical pain...through break ups and divorce, bullying, worry about children, disappointment, death of loved ones...

I make an authentic choice - I must have the skill of deep focus (mindfulness) in order to perform well, so I put "life" in a box (with a pretty, sparkly bow) set it aside..."for now". When I'm off stage, I look at it, process it and let it settle in & integrate before taking Kind Loving Action...toward myself and others. These "life" experiences  expand my Artistic soul and once integrated, bring authenticity, depth and empathic character development to performances.

Sometimes I'm not as aware of the deep internal, psycho-physical response as I'd like... the sheer volume on stage at times....of being too close to a colleague...can't see, can't hear... many times I find out that I'm annoyed "too late"...a snap, a sarcastic remark...then its about humility, apology and recovery in the moment - and a sense of humour! 

If I'm the middle of hot flash and the flute is slipping off my face - my fingers swollen with the heat and sluggish...the panic and grasping ensues....I need my awareness (and Lorna's voice) to get me back on track while in the performance - to make a joke, let it go - no stories!!! and get back to the moment...knowing that it will pass. Resilience & Recovery!

The Loving, kind feeling of my authentic voice has a sensation to it deep in the belly, a spaciousness around the back of my heart and a tingle down my spine...my internal response to authenticity with grace (unmerited gifts). Loving kind Action is a slow smile, an authentic compliment, compassionate, connecting choices, an eye-eye exchange.

In my experience, the external response to my authentic voice has varied from rejoicing, to acceptance, to full on resistance. My challenge is to accept, with grace, what is...not fixing or convincing...but with resilience, with patience (not "impatience stretched to its limit") and faith.

In the meantime, its all about self care. We can only be truly generous when our own well is filled - we give away the overflow. I cocoon, read, journal, draw, nurture a coffee, light a candle or incense, walk outside, play with the dogs, call a friend...anything with water and epsom salts....let it wash away....and the empowered choice to practice mindfulness and the flute :)

If you wish to explore this further in your own life with me as your Life & Music Coach, I offer a 20 minute free consultation.