Non-Lying. Truthfulness.

Speaking our truth to ourselves is just as important to being truthful in our society. Honestly, I speak my truth too much sometimes, to the point where it gets me in trouble! Being truthful may not mean being perfect, but it means we own our mistakes and we learn and grow from them.

Too often I am seeing online interactions where people are misinformed or under-informed and trying to share "truth" - but what is truth? From the perspective of science around the coronavirus, the truth is always changing because we are learning more and discovering how things work. People who may be less literate are seeing the changes in scientific theories and saying "they're lying. Science is lying" but think about how we grow and evolve as adults: When I'm six years old I may say, "I hate broccoli. I'm NEVER going to eat broccoli" but as a 32 year old woman, I love to roast broccoli and squeeze a little lemon on top. Does that make me a liar because something has changed? I've learned more about cooking broccoli and the health benefits of broccoli because I know that's what's good for me. Now I enjoy it. 

Truths DO change, facts will evolve, but it's our job as reasonable adults to understand our biases and be realistic. 

Speaking the truth to ourselves, however, is difficult. Sometimes we are interrupted by our own egos. Part of truthfulness is embracing where you are in any particular moment. When it comes to learning a new song, a new skill, or developing your vocal technique, you must recognize and accept that you must approach things from a learner's perspective.  You are constantly learning, growing and evolving. Sometimes you must tell yourself the truth that you're not yet ready to sing a certain role, maybe your ankles aren't strong enough for pointe shoes, maybe your body is not ready to pop up into a wheel pose. Understand your truth and where you are, so that you can take the steps you need to prepare for what you want. I've taken many steps before I was ready, but I've also held myself back thinking I was not ready yet. It's a careful balancing act, and the only way to make it through is to understand your own truth. 

You don't need to be a yoga expert or professional performer to know that for some people, stage fright is VERY real and very scary. As singers, we have to be able to do our best work in front of large audiences and in front of our peers and company leaders in the case of auditions. Without overcoming stage fright and performance anxiety, we lessen our chances of success. Performance anxiety doesn't just happen to performers - it can be any task where we are expected to lead or speak, including yoga teaching, or maybe even attending a yoga class for the first time! 

Science tells us that yoga is good for anxiety, but what what parts of yoga are going to help us lose our sense of fear when we have to perform in front of people? 

First, a little about Anxiety: 
Anxiety’s Effect on the Body
From Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, by Robert M. Sapolsky:

1. Chronic stress and anxiety leads to long-term health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, and more due to increased levels of the hormone cortisol. 
2. Adrenaline, another hormone, surges through our bodies when we are under duress. This was developed as survival technique to escape the saber-toothed tigers and other predators of primates in the early development of homo-sapiens. Now this adrenaline remains in our bodies but no longer comes from running away from lions. It surges when we have disagreements at work, when we are stuck in traffic, when we are worried about money. Adrenaline stays in our bloodstreams for longer periods of time, causing long-term effects on our overall health. 
3. In short, Stress Makes Us Sick.

How do we STOP being stressed?
As singers, Dr. Christopher Arneson has some overall great tactics for preparing for performances and auditions. When we can prepare for a performance or audition well in advance, we have more control. When we feel in control, we often experience a much better outcome when we sing/perform/speak. 

Performance Anxiety Reduction Techniques
from Dr. Christopher Arneson, DMA - Read the full article in the NATS Journal of Singing

• Accept Your Fear (acknowledge the risks of what you’re doing.)
• Understand Your Fear (what you do is not life-threatening… it’s O.K.)
• Silence Negative Inner Voices (Self-talk should be positive)
• Get Rid of Excuses (Don’t sabotage yourself, stay organized & prepare)
• Eliminate Self-Destructive Behavior (We are our own worst enemies)
• Don’t Fear Criticism (Constructive criticisms can help us to grow!)
• Don’t Be “Unsure” (Fake it ‘til you make it… Self-confidence is key.)
• Recall and Prepare (Audiate and visualize. You have studied, you know it!)
• Release Physical Tension (Try your meditation script, relaxation is a technique, just like singing or playing!)
• Refuse to Focus on Nervousness (Bring some object that calms you)

Notice when you DO begin to feel anxious about upcoming events...
You may not be nervous until the day before. It may be a month of anxiety. Notice your fear, acknowledge it, write it down or talk it out with a friend and remind yourself that positive thinking will improve the outcome. Try to end your day on a positive note, word or thought. 

Decrease Negative Self-Talk & Begin Positive Visualization

• When we tell ourselves we “can’t” do something, we most likely will lose our ability to do that thing. 
• Tell yourself you are able and ready to do this!
• Visualize yourself doing it perfectly and having a positive outcome. Visualize/internally audiate all music silently, in your head, before walking into the space. 
• When you imagine yourself doing it well, you are more likely to have that positive outcome. 

If at all possible...

• Give yourself a pre-event meditation schedule. 
• Write a script if needed to bring yourself into relaxation before an audition/recital/speech.
  • Include “clue words” to release tension’
  • If there is no quiet space, try a short & brisk walk (have “mood music” if you can stand it). 

Other activities to try out:

1. Yoga Asana ( but don’t try to do a full PowerYoga Vinyasa class for the first time on the day of your show)
2. Guided meditation exercises to have a regular routine that gets you to your stress-free zone.
3. Relaxation activities that instantly bring you back to a positive state of mind: painting, sketching, swimming, long walks in nature. 

Types of Relaxation - Make Health Happen by Erik Pepper

• Deep Relaxation
  • When the muscles are profoundly relaxed we can lower heart rate, slow breathing, normalize digestion, and lower blood pressure.
  • Entering a state of deep muscle relaxation occurs best with meditation exercises, during massage or yoga, or in quiet spaces. 
• Differential Relaxation
  • Catch yourself tensing, and try to release tension (i.e. when singing or driving and you catch the jaw or shoulder tense: try to make a conscious effort to release). Practicing this during yoga can not only improve your yoga poses but also teach you when to let go in your everyday life. 
• Generalized Relaxation
  • Just as we condition ourselves to stop at a red light, we can begin to have almost unconscious triggers to RELEASE tension, rather than form it. (Often a small object, like a necklace, or a type of scent of a perfume can be all you need - things to take in an audition/wear onstage - lucky underwear???)

Where does Yoga fit into this concept? How will yoga help singers? 
The answer to this lies far beyond practicing yoga poses at the gym. 

Yoga's origins state that a yogi should live by 10 main principles - yes, it's a little like the 10 Commandments. If you live your life according to these "Dos" and "Don'ts" you will be on a path to contentment. 
 ​
The Yamas and Niyamas teach us that we have to take care of ourselves while also finding ways to be positive influences on our environment and community in order to reach a Blissful state of living.  As singers, we can be informed by these philosophies to improve our singing life and be better members of our singing community. 

Yamas: "Don'ts"

1. Ahimsa - Non-Harming, non-violence aka. No negative self-talk, and no negative judgment of others
2. Satya - Non-lying. Truth-seeking. Also, having a realistic idea about where you are in your abilities.
3. Asteya - Non-stealing. Credit where credit is due. (Hey - no illegal photocopies, kids!)
4. Brachmacharya - Non- &^%$-ing? Originally this was translated from Sanskrit as celibacy, but now it's really more about moderation. I personally feel like this is the idea that we shouldn't take advantage of others. Perhaps that's part of non-stealing, too. Not wasting people's time (hello, submitting overpriced applications to YAPs you are definitely not ready for... who does it serve? Not you, not the panel, maybe their bank account...). 
5. Aparigraha - Non-greedy/Non-Coveting. Sopranos, I hear you... And this may be difficult for many... it's hard to not covet every role on the stage, not to want that spotlight, but I'll tell you what: not every role is meant for you. Let go of greed or covetousness for the greater good. 

Niyamas: "Dos"

1. Saucha - Purity & Cleanliness. Easy one for singers, right - don't smoke! Keep your body clean. Drink lots of clean, pure water. But also keeping our thoughts kind and pure. 
2. Santosha - Contentment. Find joy in the journey, not the destination. Enjoy the moment.
3. Tapas - Self Discipline. When we over-indulge in junk food the night before a show, we become sluggish. If we under-eat or under-sleep or lose the balance between work and play we are not serving ourselves or others. When we over-practice and injure ourselves (yoga OR singing!) this doesn't serve us. Moderation is an important lesson. 
4. Svadhaya - Self-study and continuing to learn & grow. 
5. Ishvara - Surrender. Surrender to higher power, God, the Universe. The realization that you/we are not the sun, the world doesn't revolve around us. Give up some control sometimes. 

Taking all of these principles into account, where do you think you could grow more? Where do the Yamas and Niyamas align with preparing for a performance as Dr. Arneson's rules lay out? Do you think you could allow yourself to let go of some control and find joy in the process rather than the product? 

If you are truly experiencing anxiety beyond stage fright and home treatments such as improving sleep, practicing yoga & meditation, and regular exercise are NOT working, find professional help with a psychologist ot medical doctor. There is no shame in taking care of your mental well-being. 

Available Resources:
“Performance Anxiety: A 21st Century Perspective” in the NATS Journal of Singing by Dr. Christopher Arneson, DMA (2010).
Make Health Happen by Erik Peper, Katherine H. Gibney, & Catherine F. Holt (2002). 
Musician’s Yoga by Mia Olson (2009). 
Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky (2004).
The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner (2012).
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America
​Yamas and Niyamas

Purity. Cleanliness. Clearness. 

Does this mean we have to use EVEN MORE hand sanitizer? Gosh... my skin is already so dry from months of using it probably too frequently. Covid-19 has turned us all into extreme cleaners - using bleach and peroxide and 70%-plus alcohol on every one of our belongings and throughout our houses. But have we cleaned up our own lives? 

Can purity be a real thing? Of course cleanliness and tidying is a real part of our lives. But can a person be purely pure? I have some trouble with this concept. No matter what we do, we affect other parts of the world, our lives. But in yoga, we always strive to be better than we are. Are we taking care of ourselves and our spaces in which we live? 

What parts of your life do you feel you could tidy up or clean? Maybe your closet is full of unworn clothes: maybe some could go to a women's shelter or non-profit trying to help people find work? Is your garden full of weeds because your life is too busy to do the outdoor work? Maybe you need to find time for yourself AND your garden. 

What about your calendar? How cluttered is that? 

Before Covid-19 shut everything down, my calendar was always full with very little room for myself. I realized self-care is part of ahimsa - non-violence, not harming myself. But is our daily thinking overly full? How can we tidy up our lives in order to give ourselves space to think, to clear our head-space? 

Saucha is not just purity of body. It's not all about eating nothing but kale and shaving our head... it's about clearing the cobwebs in our lives so we can think pure thoughts. It's about making sure we are organized in a way that allows us to better serve others. It helps us stay connected to our inner well-being in order to live a more emotionally full life and finding contentment, the ultimate goal of our yoga practice. 

Sources: 
​How Tidying Up can improve our Mental Health
Ways Cleaning Can Alleviate Stress
Emily Ley (creator of Simplified Planners) Grace Not Perfection

Non-Violence, or Non-Harming is a foundational principle in the yogic life. 

This concept is the beginning of the 8-Limbed Path to a Yogic Life. The Yamas & Niyamas, or principles by which one lives, are meant to help us make good decisions and live a healthy life, a life of kindness, and give back to the communities in which we live. Ahimsa, meaning non-harming, is the first branch and arguably the most important of the 5 Yamas. Ahimsa is not thinking violent thoughts, commit harming actions, or do damaging things. Ahimsa can influence more than just the way we treat others when face to face, but can be the way we are influenced to make purchases, what foods we eat, and ultimately, the way we contribute to society as a whole. 

There is so much hurt and violence in the world, without more people living a kinder, less-violent way of life we will not have a future. I personally believe ahimsa can mean how we treat the earth: whatever you do has a consequence. It can mean how we support (or NOT support) social justice or racial equality. It can mean how we take care of ourselves & our future selves like saving for retirement or getting preventative medical care. 

Naturally, it is hard to live in the modern world and absolutely not harm anything. Everything we eat, watch, do has an impact on the world. And we mustn't forget that acting with compassion and non-harming will also apply to ourselves. Taking care of your own heart, mind, and body is one of the ways you can show up for yourself and give yourself the energy and the mental clarity to help larger global issues. You can't help anyone if you are ill. 

Some of the areas in which we can live more deeply into ahimsa are:

• Social justice:
  
  • Trying our best not to appropriate cultures, including the Indian heritage of Yoga.
    
  • Respecting others
    
  • Standing up to injustice
  • Supporting businesses owned by BIPOC
• Diets and food choices:
  
  • How the shipping and processing of goods contributes to global warming
    
  • How the people who work in these industries are treated
    
  • How the food we eat nourishes our own bodies
    
• Fashion choices:
  
  • Becoming aware of climate impact from the textile industry
    
  • Saying no to companies who use inequitable labor, going back to our mission of social justice
  • How the stores we shop in contribute to our local communities by giving back

Check out the various sources below to learn about Social Justice & Yoga, Food Education, and Sustainable Fashion. While these are not the only areas where we can improve, they are simple changes to make with a large impact on our global life and improving your life, and will help to "Become the Change you with to see in the World." - Gandhi

Article: How Howard Thurman met Gandhi

Article: Yoga, Equality, and Social Justice by Dianne Bondy

Quiz: NY Times – How Does Your Diet Contribute to Global Warming

Read some Food Education Books by Michael Pollan

Fashion Footprint Calculator from ThredUp

​Find your Local Goodwill Store

Visit an Out of the Closet Thrift Store and help fund HIV/AIDS testing & housing in your community.