Take a break from practicing and try a hot yoga class. Research has shown that yoga can reduce your performance anxiety and may make performing easier by increasing your relaxation and awareness. Even if it doesn't specifically make your music better, yoga is still a good stress reliever and source of low-impact exercise.
Performance Anxiety
At least two studies have found yoga helpful in reducing performance anxiety in musicians. A 2009 study published in the "Journal of Applied Psychophysiology Biofeedback" found that young musicians who attended Kripalu yoga or meditation classes weekly had less performance anxiety, as well as less general anxiety and depression, over time. Another study, published in the journal "Medical Science Monitor" in 2006, found that musicians in a prestigious fellowship program who joined a yoga group during the program had less performance anxiety than those who did not participate.
Performance Enhancement
In "Yoga Journal," Stephen Cope discusses a phenomenon known as "flow states," or states of extreme concentration and absorption. Many musicians appear to be in a flow state during complex performances; according to Cope's research, yoga can help you achieve these states during a performance by improving your attention to the task at hand and making you more present while also relaxing you.
Bikram Yoga
Bikram, or "hot yoga," is a sequence of poses practiced in a room heated to approximately 100 degrees. Unlike other types of yoga, there is little "flow" or vinyasa transition between poses; the heat of the room keeps your muscles warm, making flow unnecessary. Each pose is held for a length of time, then repeated once. Although there is little research on the specific benefits of bikram yoga for musicians, you would likely experience the same benefits as you might from other yoga practices.
Considerations
If you have an overuse injury or other physical condition, get a doctor's okay before beginning a yoga practice. Yoga uses muscles and joints that aren't used in other types of exercise; for example, a wrist injury might not affect running performance much, but it would prevent you from doing certain yoga poses. Bikram yoga classes are very hot and humid, so drink plenty of water during class and stop or slow down if you start to feel dizzy or exhausted.
References
- "Applied Psychophysiological Biofeedback"; Yoga ameliorates performance anxiety and mood disturbance in young professional musicians; Khalsa, S.B. et al; December 2009
- "Medical Science Monitor"; Effects of a Yoga Lifestyle Intervention on Performance-Related Characteristics of Musicians; Khalsa, S.B., Cope, S.; August 2006
- "Yoga Journal"; Play at Your Peak; Stephen Cope
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