The Dilemma Heart versus Mind.

Are we living puppets? A most often we approach music in a way known to us in the modern world the mechanical way.

The way we like clockwork wake up on Mondays and go to our work; like robots , and then on the weekends we are again robots on the 'unwind process' ; ah i have to relax go to dinner with so and so, or so and so is coming; what should i cook; eat drink and be merry kind of.

Our relaxation is also programmed like our sleep and work. Let us imagine a world or life without work chains and / or chores how would that be?

Just wait and think for a moment.

Let us take a journey to our musical learning. You want to learn an instrument, no need but knowing it will add on to your skills which you can then tell your brother/ sister friends hey... i play the guitar or saxophone!

Enroll in a class; buy the instrument; land up at 5.30 for a half hour class in the music school premises and off by 6 pm. You have books which have neatly written scores of music nicely graded from 1st ; 2nd etc..

We want to learn an instrument, , buy an instrument. We are taught how to tune, we look at you tube videos for guidance and lo behold we start producing some sound.

Wow!

What a mechanical process.

if we for once discard the mechanical side of our brain and give vent to our hearts concern and voice how nice it would be..?

Logic is necessary most necessary for survival. This is what prompts you to get up in the morning Some days your heart might say i just dont want to get up you say keep quiet heart i got to earn my living ok?

Just like a task we do on Monday we get up, brush our teeth, shower and go for work. Yes, the mechanical part of our brain is very important. It allows us to plan, coaxes us to go for work even if your heart says hey.. i dont want to go .. the brain propels you to go , so that you can pay your bills and move along society And get on with your life.

The truth is both are necessary for our well being. Just knowing the balance when to use which one is the key to inner happiness.

Rejuvenates your life with music

For music to feel the passion in you, we need to close our mechanical self and wander a bit. Love , emotions, feelings, moods, agony , despair we need to let our hearts take over for a while and tell your mechanical brain to back off . Easier said than done.

So close your eyes and picture your favourite natural visuals, a tree standing quiet, nature in terms of a small stream flowing, the birds chirping their words in your ear; as you take a walk.

What do you see? with your closed eyes. ? You see each time you try a different image and new dimensions of the marvels that feed your heart.

So also with music. Let it flow, let your heart go irrational ! Let the flow of ideas, imagination, colours , sounds surround your heart , and in that you will find the truth about music

How do Swaras (Notes) Merge with Every Breath.

If you are a wind instrument musicican you will understand that every breath is unique and different, each person is unique in his interpretation of swars or sounds

Infinite bliss of breath as it makes it it way with its slow movements into each of our cells of our body nourishing it with much needed oxygen ; and each breath gives us a fresh lease of life for 10 seconds till the next one reaches your lungs.

Bringing out in exhalation all the physical impurities yet a small gap of time elapses between the two inhalation and exhalation when time stands still for the body in limbo, Just for a few moments there is no actual activity,

Then the process starts all over again to be repeated over and over again till the end of our life.

It evokes the beauty and splendour in us, recognising the fact of the perpeutity of life and existance.

Then the process starts all over again and again to be repeated till the end of time and life.

If there is no breath there is no life. So important is our breath. Please dont take this for granted and give it due importance as a sustainer of life!

Each breath evokes in us the beauty and splendour in us, recognising the fact of perpeutity of life and existance.

Playing flute is a learnable process.

Yes granted the flute just like any instrument does need some mechanical assistance at least when you start learning;

Think about it. As you play; of course it is important initially to do a bit of mechanical learning, how should i hold the flute for example, where should i blow, in which way, how can i move my fingers to play the diffferent sounds.

But once basics are understood it is high time to slowly discard this logical part and allow our hearts to take over and dream as we blow into the bansuri of all the moods one goes through our daily lives. Anxiety, sadness, happiness, solitude, excitment, meditative elements etc.

This discipline will of course differ from the path you have chosen, Western Music, Celtic, Carnatic, Zen music, or Buddhist chants etc.. to name a few streams of sound.

We go through these moods every day every minute; yet when we learn to play we dare not dream of these moods .. why?

Because we are trained to "learn" mechanically not let our selves flow.. We are afraid as we have not done this before .

The heart so full of love is irrational, so we are afraid to stray away from the logical no risk path we know of .

Yet it is most important to also realise that the heart or the softer side of you has an equally important role to play; taking you through the moods, happiness, anxiety, admiration of beauty, love, smiles, laughs, and / or notice that small little tree you pass every day on your right as you wait for the signal to go green.

Yes the heart is often or mostly irrational , defies the logical part of your brain, yet both are equally co existent for us to live nicely in balance..

How music differs from noise?

To learn music is to create sounds that make sense or non sense; for those who are wind instruments all the more merrier as you are close to the inhalation and exhalation process of our bodies.

It is time to shred ; put aside one's mechanical self and indulge in our hearts way!

Imagine the most beautiful things you have seen in life, feel the passion , energy lying within you unleashed with the breath which is by itself the most powerful revealer of your body!

You will be surprised what the heart and soul have in store for you!

Try it , you will be a diffferent self.

Now let us implement what holds true…

So keep aside the mechanical side and let the heart feel out ... Close your eyes and imagine the wonderful sights you have registered in our lives, or at least one of them, a sunset perhaps with the crimson colors of the sun on the skies yonder.. each time you try to visualise it ; there are differences ; just like no one person is same as the other.

W|ithin the images will be hidden all moods of anxiety, happiness, fear, love, rejections, excitment to name a few of them. Look at each of them with your closed eyes and in front of you lies the whole existance from birth to demise....

But once on the path it is most necessary to bid good bye to the mechanical side of one's brain and let the heart and soul reign supreme.

Dream of beauty, joy and happiness and music will encompass your life with everlasting peace to your inner self.

• Does this sound feasible?
• Does this seem unrealistic?
• Vague?
• Funny?

Write to me with your experiences and thoughts ; and would love to stirke up a simple conversation

Have a wonderful time filled with joy!!!

You are reading the blog of Deep Ganguly. Deep teaches the bansuri for beginners. You can take the online online classes, or attend in-class at Mississaugaclasses, or attend in-class at Mississauga, Canada. You can also get flutes, from beginners to concert level' from Deep. Or you can book for events.