Day 6 of interesting ways to use the InterPlay Inspiration Deck.

We have a saying in InterPlay…Change your practice, Change your life or is it Change your life, Change your practice?

I think the meaning is the same. If you wish to change your life then you must change your practice because if you do not the practices that are not working will continue to not work and your life will not change. This is not rocket science, right?

The real question is: Why is it so hard to change your practice? Experts have written many books on this subject; google it and you will find many videos, articles, etc., or just read what my friend Practice has to offer you. (She is one of the principles of InterPlay brought to life in the InterPlay Inspiration Deck.)

When Practice gets a hold of you, watch out! She is a goddess and knows what is best for you. Practice believes in self-improvement through the power of daily affirmations and repetition. Every morning for six months, she bought a beautiful amber colored mat to her friend’s house to do Pilates because the friend wanted more strength and flexibility. Practice is committed and dedicated. She knows that to change your life, you just need to change your practice. And she is willing to take your hand and walk with you every step of the way.

Some of the things I have learned from Practice:

• get clear
• show up
• feel the fear
• get help
• walk the talk
• keep going
• affirm yourself

There is so much that could be said but as I stated earlier: this is not rocket science, so find your practice, stick with it, and you will change your life!

I promise.

From a journal entry dated 3rd September, 2009, April Point, Quadra Island, British Colombia, Canada

Here’s my crackpot theory:  people who in some way have “not been heard” are made most vulnerable by playing with creativity or performance techniques centered in the voice.  Even if I’m wrong about generalizing, my own personal experience bears this out.  And I’m inspired to reflect on this now because I’ve just completed my first workshop with Rhiannon at Hollyhock Retreat.

Making way for the trail at Hollyhock Resort

She’s an awesome teacher and performer (live and on CD).  I’m finding renewed passion in myself as I enter into these playful techniques that she has been formulating for years.

It only took me a few hours of the workshop to be feeling deeply.  My inner turmoil came to the surface when I was drafted into the role of beat-box in a quintet.  Beat-box vocal percussion has been an elusive form for me.  I’ve taken workshops in it, but have never been successful at making the techniques come to life in my mouth and vocal cords.

So, when it was my turn to be the “drummer”, I accepted the challenge.  When it was over, I judged that I’d done poorly and felt ashamed.  My impulse was to hide out and minimize the experience.

So I chose another direction.  I outed my shame to the group in the sharing time.

Sunrise at Hollyhock

Bringing shame out into the open (in a safe group of people anyway) is almost always a cleansing and cathartic experience for me — and this time was true to form.

In subsequent improvisations where I needed to be the drummer, I used variations on TaKeDiMi: a vocal form in which I am more capable and practiced.  (Thanks to Rhiannon and everyone else in that workshop community for creating the space for this to happen. There were many more examples of this sort of cracking open at Rhiannon’s workshop.  They were experienced by other memebers of our community of 16, so they are not mine to share. It’s enough to say that my experience was not an isolated happening.)

The fact that the singing involved is spontaneous (improvised) is important as you can imagine.  This is the song of the heart.  That call of longing from the core.  Vocal improvising cracks me open to my own yearning to be heard.  Singing greases the wheel of desire that’s been waiting to roll out.

This is part of what calls me to improvised music and creating “songs” from improvisations.

Playful blessings…