The Conductor as Yogi: Ordinary (Extraordinary) Wisdom

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”

Henry David Thoreau

I don’t know how often we think of ourselves as “wise.”  That word seems reserved for the sages, the super seniors with long beards or gentle voices and twinkling eyes, sharing mic-drop pearls that stop us in our tracks.

Yet, if we become aware, we might find that we have moments of wisdom each day.  Flashes of insight, recognizing that this “thing” we are doing or experience we are having or words we just said or actions we took are special.  That they reflect an understanding that comes with living life, developing our craft and relationships, and perhaps most important, learning to let go so that we can receive the wisdom needed in the moment.

The essence of wisdom is not singular—it is relational, practical.  An understanding that comes when we connect what we learn in one situation, through curiosity, hard work, and humility, and apply it to another.  That is the “aha” moment of wisdom, the release of the struggle bringing us into the light of simplicity.

Yoga practitioners know this well.  What we learn on the mat is not really “for” the mat; it is for our life in this world, the mundane and the profound, the taking-the-kids-to-soccer-practice and the how-do-we-grasp-this-challenging piece of music.  Yoga teaches us to be still and to be aware, so we can connect the detail of having our knee aligned with our toes in Warrior II to the subtle de-emphasis of unimportant syllables at the end of a gorgeous musical phrase.

You might experience moments of wisdom in nature.  Seeing the buds emerging on the trees like the growth of your ensemble in the process of preparing for a concert; weathering the “rain and storms” that produce the most robust and colorful of flowers  . . . or beautiful, informed, expressive performances by wide-eyed 5^th graders or professionals who sometimes forget that the reason we sing is not really for applause.

Wisdom is not reserved for the chosen few, nor is it only “of the mind.” The wisdom of our body, our senses, is powerful and intuitive.  Wisdom can be triggered by our own spiritual walk, our philosophy of a well-lived life, or perhaps (and not the least), the arts themselves.  Tomes have been written about the meaning of art, the impact of aesthetics, and the human hard-wiring that is art.  Can we look at the music and the singers we are leading with fresh eyes—the sounds, the text, and the people in the room—and open ourselves to the wisdom that comes from connecting the raw materials of beauty and love and craft?

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.