Sunday, August 28, 2011

How Do You Keep Yourself Sane?

Times are tough. As a working musician, they are even tougher. Sure, I can bite my nails and reduce the prices on all of my CDs and books on my website. But how do I keep myself sane? Hobbies and other interests. As much as I love playing the harp and performing, I need to do something else to keep my mind happy.

One thing I do is delve into spiritual practices. A self-hypnosis subliminal tape by Barry Konikov might do the job. Then there's meditation, chanting, journaling. I've been following the Siddha Yoga Path for almost 30 years, and I feel blessed to have a meditation teacher, my guru. To have a guru is to have a life coach for all things in life. And indeed, I need to remember this, because I get really scared when the phone doesn't ring with business.

And then exercise is so important. I sit on my butt playing the harp, and I sit on my butt typing away at the computer keyboard. Gotta get up and work out. My passion is martial arts, specifically karate. And in this realm, I am also blessed to have a wonderful teacher, my sensei Grandmaster Glenn Ristine. To me, the practice of karate is like physical chess--It's not just punching and kicking aimlessly. Grandmaster Ristine has taken me to the Shodan level (blackbelt level). Ha! And I'm a girl who does not have a flexible kid's body. And now, he has shepherded me into teaching "Self Defense Rescripted", a curriculum developed by Sensei Ristine and his sensei, Grandmaster Chris Thomas. (If you'd like to take my workshop in "Self Defense Rescripted", contact me through my website we can schedule a date that works for you and your friends).

So, you now have learned about some of my secret passions. Well, they aren't a secret anymore. What are yours? Certainly, you don't do your job 24/7. I'd love to hear about your emotional and physical releases...




5 comments:

Celtic Sprite said...

A very confident and original post indeed!... Nice to acknowledge you love meditation... me too... I always meditate early in the morning, and specially by the full moon, in this southern part of the world it is very difficult to earn your living as a musician, and rather being a celtic one!... so I got a real job to raise my family, but as you do I love network, since there I am able to spread my words regarding my celtic inheritance and music. My virtual homes are on Blogger and Facebook. I also love the art of bonsai, gardening and photography ... and presently I am into digital art which have always pleased me a lot and had no chance to start up!
so...now we know a bit more about each other isn't it?
Bliss and blessings

Christine Buffaloe said...

The way I keep myself sane is a couple of ways.
I knit....voraciously!
Walking/hiking. My husband and I walk 2 miles every day with our dogs and find hiking trails on the weekends.
Motorcycle riding. I ride when I can.
All of these things are sacred to me. On the weekends, it is "my time". Also, I knit with a group and that time is also sacred.

Christine Buffaloe
http://www.serenityva.com

Anne Roos said...

Yes, special time for ourselves is sacred time. No phones, no computers.

It's nice to hear what you do besides work and being online!

Chris--What are you knitting right now?

Eliseo--What's your "real job"?

Celtic Sprite said...

Thanx for asking kind Anne...I always have liked to teach music, but I have no patience for that! By the way I am mostly oriented to customer service, because I love to always be in contact with people, and assist them in the way I can help. Actually I am working with a local water provider company...

Anne Roos said...

You seem very customer service oriented, Eliseo :-)