trumpettrax

Just curious to know if anyone does yoga stretching and excercise in conjunction with their trumpet playing. What do you do and how does it help? I've heard a lot about this and just wondered.

Thanks,

trax

Manny Laureano

Very briefly, the benefits of yoga are several. I had a very educational hour and an a half with a Hatha yoga teacher whom I met quite by chance (Yeah, right... if there's one thing I've learned it's that there are no accidents) and we discussed and did breathing exercises that helped make me even more aware of how much your lungs can take in and expel. Proper yoga breathing takes focus and awareness to get the maximum benefit from it. That's big for us as performers. Focusing on filling your lungs as you hear the "song" in what you have to play at that very moment is big for us. It helps keep us in the present.

My suggestion is if you're interested don't get a book and try to learn that way. Get to a good, experienced instructor.

ML

Liad Bar-EL

That's good advice Manny for everyone.

My question is why did you choose Yoga as an exercise? I studied and practiced yoga while studying at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. The particular yoga that I was practicing was called Hatha Yoga which is the physical not the "spiritual" type of Yoga. All the Yoga types require concentration in isolating the muscles, etc. All in all, I did not find Yoga to help my trumpet playing not even one bit.

Presently, I am studying and practicing Pilates and swimming. Both of these together help my trumpet playing a whole lot more than Yoga ever did.

Liad Bar-EL

gregc

I studied Yoga in college. At the time, I joined because I noticed there were no males in that class. Woo - hoo............... not long after, I began martial art studies. That Yoga sure came in handy. As Manny says, "there are no accidents'~

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Greg Condemi

Vulgano Brother

I am ambivalent about Yoga because:

I know too many violists who are “into” Yoga stress the spiritual side of Yoga.

If I wanted to learn to stick my head up my posterior I would have studied conducting, voice, or orchestral management.

On the other hand, approached with a Vulgano Brother attitude, it is a great way to work on what are called the core muscles, is good for flexibility, and a great place to meet chicks.

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ecarroll

Markus Stockhausen gave an early morning yoga class last summer at Chosen Vale that was attended by every single participant (amazing, as was the class).

By the way, I've never met a more graceful and erect man (or know a better trumpeter and musician). Is there a connection? Yes, I'm certain that there is.

Knuckles dragging the floor,
EC

Alex Yates

When I have a bit of time, I would love to delve further into this as I think yoga helps us a great deal and on many levels. It is also a very efficient way to accomplish many things simultaneously - just like we aspire to do when we practice. There are also so many choices of what kind of yoga one could chose to study for specific benefits (just as there are trumpet methods). If you want a killer body aesthetically, to strengthen your physique, increase your lung capacity, heal parts of your body, heal your soul, cleanse your mind, or any benefit in between, there is a branch of yoga to suit one's needs. (I have just come off a whirlwind month and have some catching up to do, so I will keep it brief.) While Yoga may not seem to instantly fix a problem or cure what ails you, it quickly creates an acute sense of body awareness and mind focus. In the long-run, the body benefits from the spreading of "good, healthy" chemicals through the body from the exercises (asanas) being done consistently over time. In my opinion, this is all extremely beneficial for us on and off the trumpet.

BTW, "yoga" is not a religion in any form. It is more of a life guide and a philosophy when studying the advanced branches. Hinduism is the religion most often associated with the practice of yoga, but they are by no means inseparable.

Liad Bar-EL

Nice post Alex!

I do not understand your last statement. Did you mean that Yoga and Hinduism ARE separable so that one can study/practice Yoga without incorporating Hinduism with it or are they inseparable so that one has to use Hinduism in order to study/practice Yoga?

Welcome back from where every you were at.

Liad Bar-EL

Alex Yates

Hello Liad! Thanks for the warm "welcome back". September has been a whirlwind month for me, so I apologize for the unexpected hiatus. I have been out and about bonding with my new trumpet babies.

In my statement I meant that Yoga and Hinduism are indeed separable. One does not need to study or practice Hinduism to study yoga. However, many Hindus do practice yoga as part of their overall spiritual life regimen.

tpter1

When I do yoga excercises (on the occasion that I have the time to do them), I find (especially if I have a series of days that I can devote) that my posture improves, I play more relaxed and "open", and as a result my breathing is easier. So it has positive effects on things like endurance, too. There are some excercises you can do that are intended to facilitate articulations, as well, but I've not had a long enough stretch of time to see noticable growth from that yet. The key is (as with anything else) consistent application.

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"Roses have thorns; shining waters mud. Clouds and eclipses stain the moon and the sun; and history reeks of the wrongs we have done. After today, after today, consider me gone."- Sting