It starts with....
A long time student of mine and I have playful banter. It’s a hoot and a half! We have a ball and get a lot done at the same time - the combination I constantly seek with any student or client. Through years of this dynamic he has blossomed and we have a rhythm as a learning team. Something I can now say to him with no explanation are these three words:
It starts with….
No need to finish the sentence. He immediately smiles and then sits up, feet hips width and flat on the ground, hips square to the piano, and his wrists enter the sweet spot blend of activated and peaceful.
“It starts with” means everything he does at the piano is affected by the way he sits down. The way he sets himself up decides if he plays at his potential. “It starts with” applies to his physical and mental foundation. What is he thinking and what he is believing are the bedrock for his mind and heart. It all starts with how he shows up and this lays groundwork for himself to succeed or sometimes, to not succeed.
I’ve recently been hearing an echo in my life of “It starts with…”.
I’m in yoga teacher training and an eight week yoga philosophy class. Both are opportunities for me to dive deeper into my personal practice, gain knowledge, tools and skills, and be able to share these with myself, my students and clients.
The yoga teacher training I chose is very Bhakti heavy. Not surprisingly, this is the loving devotion and artistic expression genre of yoga! I just love it. I’m learning Sanskrit, chants, and ragas (scales).
What I’m noticing is that all of the chants I am learning are in the key of C.
I wondered why.
I am also learning about the cakras. The cakras are the seven energy points in the body. These are circular energies that swirl starting at the bottom of your spine, up through the middle of your body, and ending at the crown of your head. Each one builds on the other to create a flow and balance through your body. I was fascinated to learn that each cakra vibrates at a certain pitch.
The root cakra, the foundation, the first cakra is at the base of the spine. It represents safety, trust, peace, being grounded. It’s what every other cakra is built on. The mantras that appear with the root cakra are “I am safe”, “I am grounded” and “I trust myself”.
The root cakra vibrates at the pitch of C.
When I sat down at the piano at age four, what was the first note I learned? Middle C.
What is the first note every student learns on piano? Middle C.
At age 12 when I sat down with my horn, what was the first note I learned? Horn pitch C.
C C C C is echoing throughout all facets of my life.
These are all beginnings. These are foundations. These are intentions in action. These are “it starts with”.
Written differently, this sound echoes into mindfulness. Mindfulness is what you “see”. It’s what and how we choose to look at in ourselves. Do we see our minds, our hearts, our playing? Only until we see ourselves fully and acknowledge our current reality, can we move forward to transformation. Do we see the person we’re speaking to and Only until we see each other and the world around us, can we engage in truth.
“See” is the first step, the foundation, it’s the beginning. “It starts with.”
This resounding C beckons Connection. It’s radiating a deep connection between seemingly separate parts of my life. Weaving a musical hug to all. The importance of foundations, the importance of sound anchoring us to our foundation as humans, the importance of deeply seeing, and the importance for “It starts with” in all of us.
Everything is connected.
We are all connected.
It’s this connection that everything “starts with”.
It starts with a simple C, a simple see. A beginning, a foundation, a connection to ourselves and others that we all need. From there we know who we are. From there we know who we want to be. From there we make art. From there we live empathy. From there we access our power.
Everything I’ve learned and am learning through music, mindfulness, yoga and just being human is what Mindful Music is made of. It’s a colorful quilt of all of the above, it’s “it starts with”, it’s connection.
Whether it’s creating sounds, teaching a piano lesson, coaching a client through a mindfulness path, even writing a blog, everything I do is in service of this colorful quilt. It’s to teach, connect and inspire others in self love so they can fully live.
How does “it starts with” show up in your life?
Are there sounds or music that makes you feel safe and supported? A foundation? What is your C?
When you look at yourself, your thoughts, your beliefs, what do you see?
If this resonates with you, feel free to connect with me and share! I would love to hear from you.
My Nourish Bundle is a great “it starts with” for all teachers and e-learning supporters 🙂 . It’s a plethora of mindfulness supports and structures, at special price for you for the month of November only. Access it here.
And, if you’d like to experience foundations, ways of seeing and living through 1:1 mindfulness coaching, book your free call with me here.
Resounding C.
Resounding See.
It starts with….we.
In connection and community for a better world,
Adrienne ⭐️
