There is a rhythm inherent to all of life,
A rhythm we can see in the waxing and waning of the moon,
In the ebb and flow of the tide,
And in the patterns of night and day and of the seasons.
Where there is expansion,
There is contraction.
What goes up must come down,
But for the performer it can be challenging to come down from the high of a show,
Even when we are exhausted.
Resisting the inevitable down after a show only creates more exhaustion,
Frustration and suffering.
On the other hand,
Creating a wind-down ritual helps you ride the wave of declining energy after a show and can lead you into rest and regeneration.
If you practice your ritual with consistency,
You will learn to access it easily and you will begin to look forward to it just as you look forward to performing.
It feels so good to embrace restoration,
And it is an essential part of caring for yourself as a performer as you will not be able to sustain the demands of a high-level performance if you are not embracing rest on a regular basis.
If you have a vocal cool-down practice after your performances or any professional obligations,
Do those first and then find a quiet space as soon as you are able.
For many performers,
It is helpful to process what happened on stage.
This often happens naturally in conversation when we are touring with other musicians,
But regardless,
I recommend you spend a few minutes journaling alone as part of your wind-down ritual.
Make yourself a cup of tea and sit down with your notebook.
Journaling about your show gives you the chance to review how it went,
Make notes while the details are fresh in your mind,
And then let it go.
It will be easier for you to go to sleep knowing that you will address anything that needs attention tomorrow.
Are there things to work on,
Correct,
Or practice?
Write those down so that you can take care of them tomorrow.
Are there things to release,
Things that happened that were out of your control?
Practice releasing them.
It gets easier and easier the more you do it.
Are there things to celebrate and feel good about?
Journal about how wonderful it feels to have a great performance.
When you are finished writing,
You can close your notebook and know that there is nothing else for you to do today but to give yourself over to rest.
First thing,
Find your breath.
Remember that it is always there for you,
Waiting for you to drop in and connect with your body.
Practice the natural rhythm of your inhale and exhale and how that rhythm can soothe and relax you.
Second thing,
Find this moment.
The show is over.
The event,
The meet and greet,
The socializing,
The packing up is over.
All you have now is this moment.
This moment is precious.
This moment is powerful.
By using your breath to bring your awareness fully into this moment,
You give your body and your mind an opportunity to recharge.
You have worked hard and you have earned this rest.
Find yourself in a favorite space in nature,
Somewhere that nourishes you,
A place that feels safe,
Comforting and healing.
Give yourself a patch of soft grass or a cozy blanket to lie on and let yourself drop deeper into your breath.
You can add anything to this space that you would like to see,
Hear or feel.
Notice any sounds of nature happening around you,
The steady crash of waves on the shore as the tide goes out or the gentle evening songs of the birds and the trees as dusk settles in the forest.
Notice the feel of a cool breeze on your cheek as the sun slowly drops down.
This is a place that you can return to anytime you need to rest and restore,
No matter where you are.
This is a place you can go to be led gently and easily into sleep from a state of gratitude and peace.
What a gift it is to be a vocalist and to sing for others.
What a gift to stand on stage and be vulnerable and strong all at once,
To share ourselves with others through music.
Let yourself hold this awareness for a few moments.
Let yourself feel gratitude for the gift of singing.
Think for a moment about the miracle of your voice.
Two small bands of muscle and tissue that produce an infinite range of sounds that send your unique expression out into the world.
Sounds that contain all of the emotions that you have experienced,
The fullness of the life you have lived.
Let yourself feel gratitude for your strong,
Expressive voice.
If there were moments in your performance that you felt particularly good about,
That were joyful and fulfilling and powerful for you,
Let yourself feel gratitude for the gift of those moments.
If there were moments in your performance that did not feel good and you find thoughts of worry or frustration or disappointment are coming up for you,
Remember that you wrote these things down to be addressed tomorrow and that your mind is free to let go of them now.
You can release them with gratitude because they are showing you where you can improve and sometimes where you can take better care of yourself.
Let yourself feel gratitude for the opportunity to keep learning and growing.
Now think of all the people who support you in your singing,
Without whom you would not be able to stand on stage and do what you love to do.
Musicians in your band,
Audio engineers,
Family members,
Partners,
Friends,
And any people who work for you in your career.
Let yourself feel gratitude for all these people.
Now tune back into your body and notice how it feels.
Notice how gratitude feels in your body.
Notice how it feels to let go and surrender to this moment.
Notice the beautiful place of rest you have created and let the rhythm of your breathing lead you gently and easily into sleep.
Woohoo.
You
