Twice now I’ve tried to get some “headspace,” but can’t seem to find the room. IT WASN’T until I attempted the meditation exercises that I connected the dots as to why bell practice, yoga, and writing are a few of my favorite activities. It’s during those times my mind quiets. I’m at one with the world.
The idea was to do 10 minutes of meditation for 10 days. Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk and now co-founder of the online meditation program, leads what is to be a daily exercise. His British accent helps make the exercise feel somewhat exotic as he instructs participants to let go in an effort to calm the mind and body.
Over two weeks’ time I completed five days of the exercises. Pretty pathetic.
But even in that short time I could see the value of trying to clear the mind of all the chatter going on in my head. An intense focus helps block out the noise.
Which helps me realize why I like to participate in my church’s hand bell choir so much. Participation doesn’t require anything more than being able to count, and with measures containing at the most six beats, I’m up to that. But if the mind wanders, you’re toast — the rest of the choir has kept on playing. That may sound like pressure, but you’d be surprised how often up and down the line people will say, “where are we?” We all know it takes a while to get in the zone.
Practices are scheduled for an hour on purpose. It takes us 20 minutes or so to visit and let the chronic stragglers show up. It takes another 10 minutes for us all to leave the day behind and direct our focus on the music, leaving us a good 30 minutes to be productive.
At practice’s end I feel positively relaxed and rejuvenated. If I had worries going in, they’ve been buried in a Cynthia Dobrinski rendition.
Of course, the camaraderie of the group should not be dismissed for its abilities to put one in a good mood. There’s nothing like friends, plus the fact we consider ourselves a team. If one bell falls short, the others are there to carry on almost seamlessly.
Next step, breathing.
Susan Lynn
