ITG 2004 Trumpet Yoga

David Montgomery, Reporter

Rich Illman and Jo Martinie gave a very informative and interesting presentation on Yoga as it pertains to trumpet playing. Originating in India, Yoga includes a series of breathing exercises, postures, and movements that work to relieve tension, improve concentration, and create an improved overall sense of well being and health. It is important to let your body tell you how far to push it when practicing Yoga. If there is pain then you’ve gone too far and should back off.

Two central themes of the presentation were breath awareness and alignment. When practicing Yoga exercises one should always be aware of breathing and work to make it as consistent and effortless as possible. Slowly inhale and feel the belly expand and fill with air. On exhalation, one should feel the belly softly contract. Observe this feeling. Notice any tension and try to remove it. It’s important not to be critical of yourself, instead let it be a learning experience. Focusing on breathing helps to aid performance stress and nerves. Typically our breathing is too shallow when nervous which affects tone and technique but deep breathing helps combat this.

Alignment is another central focus. Illman and Martinie recommend taking off shoes because this allows us to “feel our feet” and “feel the connection with the floor and the earth.” To begin, close your eyes and sit naturally in a chair and simply notice how this feels. Then when comfortable push back into the seat and align your ankles, knees, and hips with one another. Notice if there is any tension and try to “breathe it away.” Visualize your spine from the tailbone to the base of the skull and crown of the head. Visualize bringing space between the vertebrae as if a string was stretching you from the top.

After explaining breathing and alignment, Illman and Martinie demonstrated several exercises that help relax and stretch the neck, jaw, and eyes. The neck exercises were particularly interesting because of their implications on tonguing and articulation. Tension in the neck often contributes to slow tonguing. Begin with a slow inhale while lifting the neck and exhale while lowering the neck. Next rotate the neck slowly side-to-side where the inhale is to the center and the exhale is to the side. One should rotate at the speed of the breath. Shoulder rolls are also effective in relieving stress in the neck and shoulders, where most trumpet players carry stress.

A series of postures followed with one in particular specifically pertaining to trumpet playing. The Mountain Pose is a standing posture where the base of the big and little toes and the heel of the foot are all grounded with weight evenly distributed. The pelvis should be in a neutral position where the muscles from the waist down push into the floor. Everything above the waist is tall, long, and relaxed. Because trumpet players often stand while performing, this position helps to relax the muscles and provides a grounded position which enables free breathing.

The session was interesting and informative. Many of the exercises such as breathing and alignment can be done anywhere such as in the car or while waiting in line. As teachers and performers most of us deal with stress on a day-to-day basis. These exercises allow us to center ourselves. Everyone at the session left feeling relaxed, inspired, and ready for the day’s demands.