Be. Here. Now.
I am backstage waiting to go on to play a show. There are about a dozen of us in the “green room” – dancers, singers, musicians, actors – all laughing, talking, touching up makeup and singing softly. There is a lot going on.
Then I notice my friend, Dan, sitting quietly off to the side, tucked away from the activity. He tells me later that part of his preparation before performing is to “visit a special place in my mind.”
He always warms up his instrument and tunes it, does some stretching, and takes a few minutes to go to his special place in his mind. It calms him and he feels more fully present when he performs. For him, the practice arose out of a stressful job situation. He was guided to use this technique to calm himself before the stressful meetings.
Direct The Awareness
A couple of nights later, I am at another performance. With just a few minutes before our wind ensemble performs, I bring my attention to the now. I bring my awareness to my hands and feel them holding my instrument, the metal cool against my skin and the pearl buttons smooth under my fingertips. I tune into my seat and feel my legs rest into the plastic folding chair. I look at Joe, the conductor, putting all my awareness on seeing him; to the point of blurring my peripheral vision a bit.
Finally, I bring awareness to the sheet music; looking at the notes and hearing the music playing in my head. Then Joe brings up his baton and my focus is with him and the music. Off we go!
There have been other times when playing a performance and my mind wanders as I silently count off 16 measures of rest, followed by another 24. “Who’s that in the front row and what are they doing?” “I’m hungry. I wonder what food will be at the after party.” “Oh, look at George’s hair, it’s sticking up all over the place.” Is it any wonder that I lose my place?!
The Difference That Focus Makes
But this night, the music and the conductor are the only places upon which my awareness rests. It makes such a difference! One thing I notice later is that my ability to recall individual moments of the performance is heightened. I feel as if I remember more.
Another thing I notice is that my playing is great. The band as a whole plays super fine, in tune and dynamically smart.
Daily meditation is influencing my ability to focus and direct my awareness in a positive way. I practice meditation and become more adept in some new skills like directing my awareness.
5 Suggestions for Staying in the Now
The next performance you have or other potentially stressful situation, try one of these methods to gain some serenity.
- Dan’s special place – In your mind, go to a place that holds positive experiences for you. Recreate in great detail the sights, sounds, and feelings of your special place. Visit for a few minutes every day so it becomes easier and easier to attain your peace.
- Direct your awareness – Put your focus on one thing at a time in your present surroundings. your chair, the sidewalk, the grass, one person nearby, notice what your hands are touching, or your legs, or back.
- Taps – When you find yourself skipping ahead to the future or waxing nostalgically to the past, tap yourself. This will be your cue to return to the present. More about tapping.
- Nature Walks – Spend time outdoors. Listen and experience Nature in her fullness. More about Nature walks.
- Like A Child - Look at your surroundings as if you’ve never seen them before. Experience it as if for the first time. 8 Ways to be present. Check #6.
I often use one of these Be. Here. Now. techniques when writing my ezine. The more I can focus on the present task, the more fluid the activity becomes and my productivity soars.
Being in the moment and staying present to myself builds memory, aids later recall, and brings serenity.
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I’m performing Ingolf Dahl’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble in less than 2 weeks and in these last few weeks, I have been practicing like mad. But more than that, the increased practicing has been a catalyst to my creativity.