Yoga for Conductors

Each morning at 7:00 at the ACDA Eastern Division Conference in Providence Steven Russell taught a yoga class for singers and conductors.  Each day at dawn a good number of brave early risers greeted the sun as it rose over the Providence Journal Building across the street from the fifth floor Pre-Function Area of the Convention Center where they laid their mats.  Participants slowed and deepened the breath, loosened joints, stretched muscles, focused their attention, held poses so the large and minuscule muscles could strengthen and send signals to their bones to build.  They sweated and then relaxed. They focused attention with even more determination as hundreds of people gathered inches away for a free breakfast before the morning sessions. Those gathered on mats overcame the temptations from senses awash with the smells of coffee and danishes and the sounds of joviality and camaraderie. They then rolled up their mats and went on with the conference day with a renewed sense of calm and peace. The day’s litany of breaths was full and satisfying. If you’ve never done yoga before, this type of session at a convention is a perfect way to introduce your mind to the centering effects of yoga, your body to its potential for suppleness, and your soul to the joys of self-knowledge and self-awareness that reside in all of us.  Join Steven for a stretch at your computer right now.

 

(From “Yoga for Conductors and Singers,” presented by Steven A. Russell during the 2012 Eastern Division Conference)