Intensive with Dena

One week down of the 4-week intensive with Dena! I did it - actually made it to all 6 days' classes - some didn't!! Wasn't sure I would be able to cope with the intensity - I think it's actually the first time I've been to 6 days' worth of classes in a week. Except for workshops of course ... But they are just a week - will have to see how I go over a 4 week period! I was, however, very glad to hear that Sunday was a moon day, so 2 days off this time!

Dena said to me that she was glad to have a month to 'work on' me!! Ha ha - she'll need it I think! Jokes aside, I'm really glad to have this chance to deepen my yoga practice. I know I've been doing more / putting more effort in since I've moved, but this is definitely another step!

We've been doing various breathing / pranayama 'exercises' at the start of each day ... That and the things Dena has been saying to me (which all yoga teachers say to me, and even my mother ... !!!) about sitting up, straightening my back ("think of it as a big push-up bra"!!) - well, they all apply to singing too - singing teacher is another person saying the same things! ! Interesting how different parts of my life have such strong links!! Hopefully it'll all go in properly at some point!!!

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Part of the music family

Went to a really lovely lunch in Tweed Heads with various friends on the weekend. We were all told to bring our singing voice/instruments, so I knew it was going to be a musical afternoon! A couple of the people invited were professional musicians who I've seen perform in front of 5,000+ people, the rest of us were (just) people who like to sing!

And after a yummy curry lunch people started singing and playing different songs - mostly that they'd written themselves. Some were a bit shy, but it was lovely to see them blossom when they took the plunge and started singing/playing. I sang a couple of the songs that I'm singing at my music teacher's soiree on Thursday night ... One of them is a duet I'm singing with someone else so I sang that one to a recording I had on my phone of the two of us rehearsing it - otherwise it'd have been missing half the song! We finished up by all singing (and dancing!) along with some Aretha Franklin videos on YouTube ... Such a fun day, although my voice is still feeling the effects of that high Aretha Franklin singing 2 days later! (No photos being shared because some there specifically didn't want photos on the interwebs!)

And I'm so pleased that I seem to be able to sing in public now without too much embarrassment ... At least with friends anyway! How I'll feel at the soiree is another question - but I have certainly moved a long way from the initial panicked response when I was 'told' I'd be singing a couple of songs, solo! My friend K who's the professional singer told me her strategy for getting over stage fright (which I was astonished to hear she did experience!) was to think of herself as a warrior going into battle. And of course once she starts singing it's all okay - just the going out and starting being the problem sometimes! So I will definitely bear that in mind!!

That night when I was in bed I realised that I could think of myself as being part of the 'music' world now ... It certainly consumes a lot of my every day ... Felt really nice! Mind you, don't anyone think I'm imagining I am or ever will be a professional in this field. But an extremely enthusiastic amateur, yes!!


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