Further thoughts on body/mind/flute:
I think the issue of 'paying attention' goes way beyond considerations of
injury...that's only one outcome of not paying attention. The ability to
blow from the total openness of one's being is directly related to the state
of the body/mind/flute relationship, encompassing posture, breathing
style,body tension, intention, love, focus, whether one sits, stands or
kneels. Whether the flute is ergonomically correct for the player
(irrespective of it's quality) etc.
Isn't it curious that these elements are not discussed in detail, after all
they are so pertinant to the shakuhachi experience. For instance I've
watched students struggling with very good flutes because their hands were
so tense. We all are subject to 'flutitis', that dreadful disease that many
share, the desperate yearning for a 'better' flute, based on the fear that
"my flute isn't good enough". Looking around at the Shakuhachi Camp for
instance, it's clear that we could improve the sound of our flutes
enormously with some intelligent individual body/mind awareness training.
This might yield greater satisfaction over the long term than buying a more
expensive flute. It requires a special skill to clearly 'see' into a
player's way of being with the flute and to point out that the individual's
body sways on the meri notes or that a posture is holding tension in the
neck, as well as the aspects of body/mind that are working well for the
player. In the Western classical music world there is a cadre of teachers
who have this awareness, based on long experience with injury and player's
psychology. In our Japanese music world I'm sure our teachers have this
awareness too but it hasn't , until now, been much of a teaching focus.
Perhaps it simply requires separate consideration as an important topic in
it's own right.
Best to you,
David Sawyer
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