It’s time for me to finally admit something that I’ve known for a few years, but never had the confidence to say out loud: I’m into birds. That’s right, I enjoy birdwatching, or as the real birdwatchers call it, “birding.” I may never be comfortable actually uttering the word “birding” without either real or air quotes, but I am into birds.
It started out as a simple curiosity. Because I have a dog, I spend a lot of time walking outside, and my dog loves walking on trails. Prior to having the dog I hadn’t hiked much since my family’s yearly vacations to the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia during my childhood. But as an adult I began to notice my surroundings more, especially during those moments that I stopped walking and stood still (this happens often for various dog-business-related reasons). During those moments of stillness, my eyes were constantly drawn to the parts of the scene around me that were moving.
Later, after embarking on some training in mindfulness practices, it struck me that birdwatching is, at least in my opinion, one of the ultimate mindfulness activities. First, it places you in nature, which is already a calming setting, away from the usual distractions. Next, in order to track a bird with your eyes and ears, you must be still. Only when you are still are you able to lock in on the movement of birds in the trees around you. And finally, birds are a captivating focal point. Their movements are unpredictable–a bird that you can see clearly one moment could be gone the next. Tracking a bird engages both your eyes and your ears, and requires your full attention, which means that you are fully in the present moment.
Although I am very much invested in the ideas and practices of mindfulness, I have never connected to the traditional idea of meditation. I have tried the version of meditation that involves sitting alone in a room and focusing on my breath, and have certainly found some value in it. But walking outside, and birdwatching specifically, are my ideal forms of meditation. I find birds fascinating to watch, and I experience a great deal of peace and mental clarity when I take time to study my surroundings and follow the birds I see and hear.
What I have learned is that watching birds does not have to be a formal activity, requiring lots of specialized gear and a book to log sightings of different bird species. I mean, I do have an app … but that’s as far as I’m willing to go right now. Birdwatching can also be taking a moment to look out the window, or to look up from your phone while walking outside, and observe what what you see and hear moving around and above you. Those moments–when you are locking your attention onto one thing and staying in the moment with it–are moments of mindfulness. You’re not thinking about my next task, or your last practice session, or your upcoming recital, or whatever stresses are pushing on you at the moment. You’re just watching a bird move from tree to tree and branch to branch.
In the Practice Room
Birdwatching is almost impossible in a practice room. First of all, if there is a bird in your practice room, there is probably some issue that needs to be brought to the attention of the facilities manager. But often, birdwatching is not even possible from a practice room. The ones that tuba players usually use are windowless basement cubicles as far away as possible from other music classes and lessons.
If you are lucky enough to have a window in the place where you practice, though, take a few moments to look out of it every once in a while (it sounds obvious, but it isn’t always!). I bought a bird feeder to put on my balcony at home, and it provides a great visual and mental break when I’m practicing there. If you do not have a window in the place where you practice, then please be aware that not having access to natural light and fresh air could very well be contributing to your stress as much as your missed notes! In the same way that a smoker would go outside for a smoke break every few hours, we could all benefit from a “scenery break” here and there during a practice session. Taking five minutes to use trees, birds, or whatever else you see outside as a focal point instead of your music can contribute to a healthy perspective both inside and outside the practice room.
If it’s not birdwatching for you, it will be something else. But I encourage you to find that form of meditation that allows you to focus on only one thing and remain in the moment with it. It will give you a mental break from the thousand things that simultaneously demand your focus all day long. But it will also help you to hone your ability to maintain attention and awareness–skills which, incidentally, are also very useful in the performance of music.