Music: an antidote to the vultures of doom

As we know, music gets into every crevice, can conjure a musty memory or feeling, or blow out the cobwebs of a disorienting nap.  So why don’t we tap in more often?

Here’s a simple 30 minute means of rebalancing this season, to resume enjoyment when the vultures of doom begin to circle:

Get centered, meaning, sit with your butt on a chair and feel gravity and your breath for a moment or two.  Make some wild faces to release the tension in your face muscles.

Then ask yourself this question:

What quality would balance and nourish me right now?

and this one:

These days, what quality am I most hungry for?

What is that quality like?  what color, texture, smells, sounds, activities, people, foods, inspire it in me?
Let images and impulses come.  Or freewrite it all down without editing or good spelling.

Then make yourself a playlist or cd entitled for that quality:  Buoyancy for example, Ease, Freshness.

Wake up to it, make a date with it while you’re getting dressed.  Whatever it takes to rebalance and nourish yourself.

Why bother?
1. Because it’s a nice first step to changing the world.
2. It’s cheaper than a new haircut.
3. It takes like, 10 minutes.

PS.  When choosing your music, make sure it isn’t a song that tugs you into the past or some dark emotional neighborhood.  As we know, music is a powerful beast, so get some new tunes from friends or itunes if need be.

Tell us!  What are your favorite tunes these day?  What qualities do they inspire for you?

What’s a good bonfire?

Good Bonfire is a reference to the book Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki. To paraphrase it for now, the message is

Whatever you do, burn yourself up completely in it, like a good bonfire.

In other words, leave no trace. In other words, don’t leave strings attached all over the place. For me traces would be: qualifiers, anxious explanations, apologies, nagging doubts, gossip, assessment. Usually, those traces take the form of fear, resentment, judgement.

E.g., the difference between singing, and singing while thinking about how your singing is going, what if you screw up, sound bad, get discovered…

What if how you do is none of your business? Instead, your mind could be on engaging the person, place or thing in front of you. And that’s it.

Be a good bonfire and have a great day.