Breath, Rhythm, and Music: New Workshop Combines Them to Improve Well-Being
Breath, Rhythm, and Music: New Workshop Combines Them to Improve Well-Being
Breath, Rhythm, and Music: New Workshop Combines Them to Improve Well-Being
Imagine yourself as a computer. Your body is the device’s hardware, and your mind is the software. Laptops have charging blocks—so what is the thing that charges our bodies?
According to Igor Iwanek, a College of Fine Arts lecturer in music and music theory, breath is the body and mind’s most important power station. In addition to being a versatile musician (he’s steeped in both Western and Indian Classical music), Iwanek is an internationally certified Yoga of Sound instructor, educating audiences around the world about how rhythm and music influence our well-being.
Last fall, Iwanek (CFA’15) launched Breath, Rhythm & Music for Your Wellbeing, a workshop for members of the BU community. The workshop, sponsored by Student Wellbeing, the College of Fine Arts, the Arts Initiative, the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, and the BU Center for the Study of Asia, held most Tuesdays at the Thurman Center, soon proved a hit. The program recently announced new workshops for the spring semester.
At each session, Iwanek and live musicians lead 15 to 20 people through what’s called Rhythmic Breath Control (RBC). The practice involves using the rhythms of north Indian classical music to guide your breath. The goal is to improve cognitive performance, overcome consuming thoughts, and recreate the relaxation of deep sleep.
“When we work with conscious rhythmic breath, we are building a charging station for our mind as well as for our human body,” Iwanek says.
“I cannot control what is coming my way, but I can control how or whether I react to it,” he says. “And if I have that buffer between the negativity that comes my way and my need to react to it, then I’m golden.”
“We hope participants walk away learning a new skill or fact about how our breath can enhance our well-being in different situations, and also get a taste of Indian music and instrumentation,” says Pedro Falci (COM’11, Wheelock’15), managing director of Student Wellbeing.
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