The Conductor as Yogi: Self-Care

“Self-care is never a selfish act — it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others.”

Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak

Self-care has always been at the core of ancient traditions which evolved to help us seek and maintain balance in body, mind, and spirit, such as yoga and meditation. But attending to one’s personal wellbeing amidst a busy and challenging life has risen in importance in our modern world, appearing everywhere from books, news features, and magazines to corporate HR programs and notable websites like Harvard Health and Johns Hopkins.

Yet many of us don’t practice self-care.  We push back on the idea because it seems self-ish or we think we can put it off until we have more time or money, our kids are grown, our choirs are rebuilt, or everything is “better.”  The flaw in this thinking is confusing self-care with self-treatment, the traditional (though thankfully, changing), Western worldview of health and wellness.

Self-care is a lifestyle, an approach to being well before there is a crisis.  Self-care reflects a preventive mindset, in contrast with a self-treatment, “fix-it-when-it-breaks” mindset.  Self-care is like keeping a car tuned up so it gets you safely and efficiently to the places you want to go, rather than letting it fall apart and then “treating it” with a lot of time, money, and headaches—all of which may have been avoided.

Ask yourself, If I attended regularly to my self-care, how could it impact my happiness, my work, my health, or my relationships?  Be honest.  When you are feeling stressed, uncared for, not balanced in whatever way (even just being dehydrated because you haven’t gulped any water all day), what does this look like on the podium or in a faculty meeting or with your family?  Are you cheerful, clear-minded, willing to hear multiple perspectives; do you take time explaining a musical idea to your ensemble? Or does your lack of self-care show up as impatience, victimhood, mental fog, anger, or defeat?

Self-care can be realized in many ways, from the most-doable daily practices (breathing well, eating better, moving regularly, laughing with a few trusted friends) to activities that require more planning (like vacations), to counseling or appointments with medical professionals—but it starts with recognizing that self-care is not a fad, or even an option, if we want to live, lead, and love well.  Taking this time, in advance of a crisis, moves us in the right direction on the wellbeing continuum and also teaches us other lessons:

Self-care strengthens our sense of agency.  It teaches us that we have more control over our destiny than we might have thought and gives us the confidence to make other changes to improve our personal and professional lives.  See how different you feel when you prioritize a morning walk or meditative activity and then head to your job.

Self-care is also others-care.  The people around us benefit from our clarity, strength, energy, and inspiration, qualities we find harder to live out when we are not attending to our own, fundamental needs.  Our singers and families will thank us for being our best self and modeling self-care for them, as well.

Self-care reminds us to respect ourselves.  If we don’t respect ourselves, how can we expect others to respect us?  Stop feeling guilty about blocking out time to go to the gym or a yoga class, or to actually prep something healthy for dinner and eat sitting down.

We all have an area in our life that can be improved by attending to our self-care.  These last three years have demanded a lot of “others-care” as we did everything possible to keep our families and choral programs well.  And while these needs will continue, it’s time to look inward, to balance self and others in the only way that makes sense for all.

“Anytime we can listen to true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.”

Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak

 Dr. Ramona Wis is the Mimi Rolland Endowed Professor in the Fine Arts, Professor of Music, and Director of Choral Activities at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois and the author of The Conductor as Leader:  Principles of Leadership Applied to Life on the Podium.  Dr. Wis is a 500-hour CYT (Certified Yoga Teacher) and a certified Brain Longevity® Specialist, a research-based certification on yoga and integrative medicine for brain health and healthy aging. Reach her at: or ramonawis.com.

 Check out:

Stephen Covey video, a strong visual metaphor on putting the most important things (“Big Rocks”) first

https://resources.franklincovey.com/the-8th-habit/big-rocks-stephen-r-covey

Harvard Health Self-Care Special Health Report

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/self-care

Johns Hopkins on Student Health and Well-Being

https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/chew/emotional-well-being/self-care/

Yoga Journal, “18 Reasons to Practice Self-Care”

https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/18-reasons-to-practice-self-care/

Everyday Health, “What Is Self-Care and Why Is It So Important For Your Health?”

https://www.everydayhealth.com/self-care/

Disclaimer:  This blog post is informational and is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or psychological conditions.  Always consult your medical practitioners who know you and your needs and can advise you accordingly.