The Mind Over Finger Podcast - 151 The Joy of Movement

Starting point is 00:00:00 You're listening to The Mind Over Finger Podcast, episode number 151. Welcome to The Mind Over Finger Podcast, discussions on mindful music making, efficient practice, optimal performance, and building a purposeful life and fulfilling career. I'm your host, violinist and certified performance and life coach for musicians, Dr. Renée-Paul Gaultier. Hi there, I hope you're having a fantastic day as you're tuning in to this episode. This is the last of our three episodes focusing on joy. And today we will focus on the joy of movement and how we can use our body to spark positive feelings prior to practicing. And I

Starting point is 00:00:51 want to share with you a fun and short routine that can help you do just that. Before, I have an invitation for you. If you're looking for the solution for your crippling performance anxiety, if you're wanting to start experiencing optimal performance, visit mindoverfinger.com slash PPP and jump in practicing for peak performance today. Like I just said, practicing for peak performance is the solution to performance anxiety. With my step-by-step approach to preparing for performance, you're going to learn how to channel and use your activation to unlock magic on stage and transform what used to be performance anxiety into something that works for you. With clear practicing methods, conditioning exercises, and the proper mindsets, confidence in performance

Starting point is 00:01:48 is 100% achievable. So don't wait. Start practicing for peak performance today at mindoverfinger.com. You're going to get video trainings that you can watch and implement at your own pace, clear and detailed step-by-step guidance through the preparation process, and live online support from me to help you through all of your stumbling blocks. Unshakable confidence is waiting for you at mindoverfinger.com. Click the link in the show notes and access it today. Okay, let's talk about the joy of movement. In episode 138 and 150, I talked about priming.

Starting point is 00:02:32 And that's something you've heard me talk about in many other episodes as well. And when we prime before we practice, we do the things that help us show up at our best in the practice room. And for many of us, that includes some type of movement. And I wanted to take a deeper dive into that specific aspect of priming because moving our body is extremely powerful in impacting every aspect of practicing from how we feel to how we think. Much more powerful than we think.

Starting point is 00:03:05 It's probably safe to assume that as musicians, we're all aware of the importance of getting the body ready in some way, shape, or form prior to practicing. We've heard of stretching. We've heard of long warm-ups. We all have our favorite ways of physically getting the machine started. For me, for example, a short yoga session is hugely helpful in making me feel great, stretch my muscles, and get the blood flowing. For some people, it could be some form of Alexander technique or fell in Christ exercise, a short walk or run, but I'm not sure we realize how truly impactful physical activation can be and what a game changer it could be. The more I learn about it and the more I experiment with it, the more I realize that it's such an underutilized

Starting point is 00:03:59 superpower. Ultimately, this can save us so much time, make practicing so much more comfortable physically, efficiently, mentally, and so much more enjoyable. So I hope that this episode can be the inspiration for you to try and experiment with different ways of getting your body activated and intentionally set your mood and energy for the work ahead. Thanks to my client, Emily, I was recently introduced to the work of Kelly McGonigal, who's an author, health psychologist, and lecturer at Stanford University. She's known for her work in the field of science help, which focuses on translating insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support health and well-being. Maybe you've read her 2015 book, The Upside of

Starting point is 00:04:49 Stress. I've definitely heard about it, but I never read it. So I guess that's going to be next on my list. But I finished a few weeks ago, her book, The Joy of Movement. So now you know where the inspiration for the title of this episode comes from. And even though I think many of us already have the awareness of how moving our body makes us feel, I think it's really important to have this reminder to utilize this incredible resource a lot more. As she states in the book, and I'm sure this comes as no surprise to you, movement can shift a person's mood. I'm going to quote her here as she explained that the most common explanations for why exercise makes us happy are far too simplistic. She writes,

Starting point is 00:05:34 the psychological effects of movement cannot be reduced to an endorphin rush. Physical activity influences many other brain chemicals, including those that give you energy, alleviate worry, and help you bond with others. It reduces inflammation in the brain, which over time can protect against depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Regular exercise also remodels the physical structure of your brain to make you more receptive to joy and social connection. These neurological changes rival those observed in the most cutting-edge treatment for both depression and addiction. The mind-altering effects of exercise are even embedded in your musculature. During physical activity, muscles secrete hormones into your bloodstream that make

Starting point is 00:06:22 your brain more resilient to stress. Scientists call them whole molecules. In addition to this, physical activity makes us happier because it stimulates our basic human instincts. Movement fulfills core human needs. It helps us connect, collaborate, and celebrate. And I could go on and on here and include a lot more of what she covers in the book, but I'm just going to go ahead and recommend that you pick it up. It's a really quick and easy read. In essence, it's been stated everywhere. Movement is good for us. A regular exercise or activity regimen is very important for our long-term health and to help with longevity, both physical and mental. Moving also helps us in the short term. So if you're looking for a little boost of energy, a little

Starting point is 00:07:13 something to jumpstart your brain and body, and especially your mood and motivation before you practice, movement is it. It prepares the body physically, it sharpens our senses, it helps us create the mind-body connection that will facilitate presence in our work, and it floods our nervous system with happy hormones. So if possible, schedule some time to include physical activity early on in your day prior to your first practice session. And I have something super fun for you to try. Remember, I mentioned at the beginning, a fun and short routine that is designed to help bring more joy in your day. This is actually the point of the whole episode. Here it is. Kelly McGonigal created an eight-minute joy workout that includes six movements to lift

Starting point is 00:08:05 our spirits based on the science of how we move our bodies when we're happy. So of course, I tried it. It did feel a little bit silly in the first time. And I definitely am nowhere near ready doing that in public anytime soon. Although that might come as I age, I find that I'm caring less and less about how I look in public. So you never know. Maybe I'll post my own version on YouTube at some point. But don't hold your breath just yet. But the point is, I tried it. And it really did boost my joy, my motivation, and my mental and physical energy and impacted the subsequent practice sessions in a really great way. It's a super fun one, and I hope you're going to try it. Of course, I'm going to have the link in the show notes for you. And let me tell you just a little

Starting point is 00:08:53 bit more about it. As Dr. McGonigal shares in the New York Times article where the workout is presented, researchers have identified several movements that are recognizable in many cultures as inspired by joy. Reaching your arms up, swaying from side to side, rhythmic movements such as bouncing to a beat or taking up more space. These physical actions don't just express a feeling of joy. Research shows they can also create it. When people in several small studies were instructed to perform these kinds of movements, they reported more positive emotions. This jaw workout lets us test these effects for ourselves. It leads us through six joy moves, reach, sway, bounce, shake, jump for joy, and one that she named celebrate that looks like tossing confetti in

Starting point is 00:09:50 the air. She based the moves on research and on the movements that produce the most joy in her classes among people of all ages and abilities. She recommends to do the moves in any way that feels good, as big or as small, and as fast or as slow as you would like. The video has a soundtrack aimed at enhancing positive emotions with up-tempo songs in a major key with a strong beat, but you can mute the video and play your go-to music that makes you happy as well. As I said, when I first looked at the video, I was not convinced, but after trying it, I'm telling you, it's really fun and it really did work for me. So I hope you check it out. Click the link in the show notes and I would definitely love to hear what it did for you. So try this this week. Put some time aside prior

Starting point is 00:10:47 to your first practice session for physical activity or movement. As Gretchen Rubin says, make it easy to do right and hard to go wrong. What is something that you would look forward to? What's something that would be very convenient for you? How do you want to feel and what type of movement would help you achieve that? A short walk, a run, a yoga sequence, weight lifting, cardio at the gym, a fitness class, tai chi, jump rope, and Professor McGonagall also has some suggestion of science-backed ways to improve your mood with exercise. Move outdoors in a park or anywhere that gives you a dose of nature. Move with other people in a class or a training group or casually with friends or family. Move to music either through traditional exercise like jogging

Starting point is 00:11:44 or cycling or anything that gets your body moving, like air guitar, drumming, or singing karaoke. Make movement fun through play or competition in any active game or sport. And of course, try the joy workout. Everything is possible and there are no wrong answers. So brainstorm a little bit and make a list of some easy possible options for you. And I will repeat one more time these questions that I think could help you figure out what type of movement would work for you. What is something that you would look forward to? What is something that would be very convenient for you? How do you want to feel and what type of movement would help you achieve that? So this is what I have for you this week. Use the power of movement to enhance your practice.

Starting point is 00:12:40 try the joy workout and let me know what happened much love going your way and i thank you guys so much for listening i hope you enjoyed this episode of the mind over finger podcast if this content was helpful for you please share with everyone you think could benefit from it. Take a screenshot, share on social media and tag me. I'm mindoverfinger everywhere. So reach out, send me a DM and let me know how this content helped you. Let's keep the conversation going. As always, I have all the information related to this episode in the show notes. You can find them via your podcast app or by visiting mindoverfinger.com where you can also find more free resources on efficient practice and performance preparation, links to sign up to my free workshops,

Starting point is 00:13:43 and information on how to work with me. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to receive your free guide to a productive mindful practice, transcripts from the Mind Over Finger podcast episodes delivered to your inbox every week, and more. Also, join the Mind Over Finger Facebook community, my private group, for access to my live videos and to exchange with a community of like-minded musicians. So make sure you're subscribed to the podcast. And if you have specific questions for me or my guests that you would like answered in an episode, share them with me using the link in the show notes or send me a DM on Instagram or Facebook. That's it for today. Again, thank you and à bientôt!

The Mind Over Finger Podcast - 151 The Joy of Movement

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