I cannot think of a more honest and inspiring way to begin a study and practice session than with a meditation on gratitude…
Transcript of the above…
- Go to the piano… and sit as you normally would.
- Close your eyes… and take three deep breathes… all the way into your belly… slowly in through your nose… and slowly out through your pursed lips.
- With your eyes still closed… reach out with your hands and touch the keys… and realize what a privilege it is to have access to the remarkable instrument in front of you.
- With your eyes still closed… think about the music you love to play… and realize what a privilege it is to have access to such a rich inheritance.
- With your eyes still closed… realize what a privilege it is to have the time and freedom to make music part of your life.
- With your eyes still closed… realize what a privilege it is to have two working arms… and two working hands… and ten working fingers.
- Realize what a privilege it is to have… two good ears to hear… and two good eyes to see.
- With your eyes still closed, realize what a privilege it is to have the opportunity to share your love of music with others!
- Finally, drop your shoulders and breathe deeply… feel your whole body relax… and allow an easy smile to come to your face.
- Now we are ready to begin our work.
And so, let’s aspire to make this a routine practice every time we sit down to study-practice… until it becomes so automatic that it permeates who we are as human beings.