While we cannot control what we see or hear, we can control our attention.
What exactly is happening around you at this very moment? Take a moment to survey your surroundings. Take note of the specific objects you see in your field of vision. What do you hear? If the room is quiet, do you hear the hum of an air conditioning or heating system? Are there any smells? What textures do you feel beneath your fingertips? Now take a moment to check your inner environment. What physical sensations do you feel? What thoughts or emotions are present?
The skill of observation is central to the practice of mindfulness. How often do we move through a space without really noticing the environment around us? It’s incredibly easy to lose track of our surroundings in the midst of a busy day, with plenty of distractions that demand our attention. Our habit of running from task to task, barely coming up for air, often contributes to the stress in our lives rather than helping to dispel it through our accomplishments. There will forever be another task, but there will never be another moment exactly like this one.
I describe observation as a skill because it is just that. We are not born with most skills, but they can be developed through practice (sound familiar?). In the practice of mindfulness, the skill of observation is more than just a glance around the room. It requires us to purposefully direct our attention to the present moment. While we cannot control what we see or hear, we can control our attention.
In the Practice Room
How often do you observe yourself in the practice room without simultaneously analyzing and/or evaluating yourself? It’s a tall order for most musicians. While we are usually (mostly) paying attention during practice sessions, there is often an extra layer of self-analysis and qualitative judgement. Add in a few more layers of self-doubt, self-criticism, and fear of rejection, and we have a volatile cocktail that can really hinder our progress.
Analysis and evaluation, of course, are necessary. But take five minutes in the practice room to try this:
Simply sit or stand comfortably and take stock of your surroundings: sights, sounds, smells, touch, etc.
Next, take stock of your inner state, both physical and mental. Are you feeling confident? Nervous? Distracted? Stressed? So be it.
Take three or more deep breaths in and out, paying close attention to the feeling and grounding yourself in your attention to your breath.
Play or sing a simple exercise — one that doesn’t require too much of you technically. It could be a warmup exercise, an etude, or part of a piece of music. While playing, direct all of your attention to observing both the physical sensations you are experiencing and the sound you are hearing.
Whatever you notice in your playing while closely observing it, so be it. If something about your playing pleased you, excellent—but don’t cling to it. If something went wrong in some way, don’t push it away. Just allow yourself to only observe for a few moments. When I do this, I find that words will float through my mind, like “dark,” “sharp,” or sometimes, if I’m really distracted, “lunch!” So be it. The goal is to let those words and thoughts keep on floating past your mental field of vision. Cling to nothing, and push nothing away.
The practice of mindfulness is … well, a practice. It is not a serene, zen-like state of being where your mind is magically free of negative thoughts. When you are in the practice room, intent on observing, but your attention wanders, you notice it, and you bring yourself back to observing—that is the practice. And it does take practice.
**The information here is adapted from DBT Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition, by Marsha M. Linehan
**For a non-musical practice in observation download and try the “10-Minute Walking Meditation” episode of The Mindful Podcast.