What to do After a Long, Busy Schedule? - Mini Collab with Piano :)

Always full days? Too busy with activities or sports? Too many errands?

This is what happens: When you work a lot for one day, usually time isn’t given for the relaxation of stretching.

This is a mistake.

I learned something. I’ve been playing the piano since a month after I turned 8 years old. I didn’t learn hand skills properly and for the next 6 years I carried hands that held tension, not relaxation with me. I had trouble with octave jumps. There was tension in my trills. Teacher after teacher, I never felt that I would find a good piano teacher. When I finally found an amazing teacher, my skills changed. Suddenly, in seconds it felt like I just had “godly” piano hands. 9 months later, my hands felt so relaxed when playing the piano. I noticed I play twice as well now. Faster pieces required precise movement of the hands, and doing more complicated pieces made it easier to go faster. Not because it was a good level for me, but because the relaxation of my hands allowed me to do more.

So, exactly how did I get relaxed hands? First, my teacher made me drop my arm and made it feel as if I had no arm. Same thing with my wrist: It shouldn’t be too relaxed, but it also shouldn’t be too firm. Later, I completed scale exercises that made my hands relaxed. Dropping my wrist as I went up the piano with the right technique made it difficult.

I noticed that stretching and piano are very similar in context, and I made that connection which was fascinating! Although you aren’t stretching your fingers for piano, both have different ways of showcasing how something “busy” can turn into a problem. Plus, both end up having tension. Luckily, my problem was fixable but ended up costing my time to piano.

Okay, Manali…So what exactly should I do?

Thinking of an easier way to relax muscles was almost as if I were playing the piano. If you’ve had badly tensed muscles for a long period of time (such as years), it may be a good choice if you can go to a massage center. To be honest though, you are really saving a lot of money in the long run if you choose to relax your muscles and body earlier. You won’t need to bother going to a massage center then.

To begin, simply just breathe in and out. This not only fuels your body with oxygen, but it also fuels the muscles too! “Each inhalation fills the lungs with oxygen-rich air that fuels every bodily function, from your pumping heart to your flexing muscles and everything in between” (Harvard Health - Breather).

To add on, tense up the muscles and then release them. According to Harvard Health, they found a way to cure insomnia. “One way to quiet a racing mind or relax a tense body is a technique called progressive muscle relaxation. It involves gradually tensing and relaxing your muscles, beginning with your feet and working your way up your body.” In fact, doing these steps below is also good for a healthy brain. Apply the same logistics here. Tense your shoulders and release them. If your calves are tense, do the same there. Gradually lay down, start closing your eyes and make your body feel heavy. Think about it like this: I should be able to lift up your arm and the arm should feel really heavy. This step is often the hardest (it sure was for me) but with continued practice, it will not be difficult to do anymore after a while. Finally slowly easing yourself back, do stretches that follow your desire. Be sure to include poses with lengthening (touching your toes) and strengthening (deep lunge with back arching and arms in the air). This assists heavily on the balance between both mobility and capability.

Don’t forget to apply my free mobility 1-1 sessions to maximize the potential for your body. Thanks!

Citations: 

---. “Take a Breather - Harvard Health.” Harvard Health, Dec. 2021, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/take-a-breather.

Solan, Matthew. “Try This: Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Sleep.” Harvard Health, 1 Dec. 2023, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/try-this-progressive-muscle-relaxation-for-sleep.