KMFA Story Seeker Natalie Zeldin explores the behind-the-scene world of classical music to discover the stories that don't always make it into the spotlight, and may not get a standing ovation. This is the fifth article in her series. For more, see her last story on Music and the Aging Brain.

Seetha Shivaswamy embodies the Austin spirit—she is both musician and a yoga instructor. As a flutist, she performs around town, teaches as faculty of Austin Chamber Music Center and can be heard in lots of recordings, including the soundtrack for the Richard Linklater film, Bernie.  Raised in an Indian family, Seetha was exposed to yoga in her childhood from her father’s personal practice of breathing and meditation. When she was older, she began to explore yoga for herself, including studying Iyengar yoga in India.

Now, Seetha is making the world of music and yoga collide with her yoga sequences geared for musicians. Here, she talks about how yoga helps her prepare as a musician.

When did you first realize the connection between your yoga practice and musical performance?

I first realized it when I was recovering from an injury several years ago. I had to stop playing flute for a good 3-4 months as a result of poor posture--I had developed a nerve compression in the thoracic area. I had a lot of numbness and tingling and couldn’t even raise my arm. And I realized, “Oh my god, I need to be able to play my flute!” Yoga was really what has really helped me sustain my health, through the awareness of my posture.  I had always done yoga, but the injury was the catalyst for connecting yoga with my music.

How do you think this physical awareness of your posture helps you as a musician?

When we play an instrument, we engage every part of our body--especially with the flute because it’s so connected to the breath. I definitely have a greater awareness of my breath because of yoga. The breathing allows me to release tension from the body and create more resonance. This open resonance gives me a freedom of expression.

Why is physical awareness important for musicians?

I really feel that musicians are athletes. Even though we aren’t using large muscles, we use small muscles, and we are athletic the way we use them. I find myself in really long performances, rehearsals, and recording sessions, playing until we feel satisfied. As musicians, we are so passionate with what we do, that we become so ambitious that we push our bodies further than they want to go. Yoga allows us to build endurance to sustain our passion.

You have presented yoga classes specifically for musicians. What's different about these classes from regular yoga classes? What do you emphasize?

I’ve been working on a series called Poses for the Practice Room that addresses common musicians’ problems: repetitive stress, asymmetry while holding our instruments, and muscle fatigue. The way that we hold our instruments is not ergonomic. For example, cellists often have hip and back issues because they have to keep their hips open. A lot of instrumentalists have thoracic muscle compression--maybe from trying to get close to the music---so I talk about opening the shoulders a lot. I also work on restorative poses for fingers and hands in order to regain strength and mobility.

How do you prepare these classes?

I start with my personal experience as a flutist and a music teacher. I have a sequence that I do myself after I finish practicing. I also learn so much from my students about the different ways of carrying tension in our bodies. Many colleagues have also encouraged me to included certain focuses. That’s what has inspired me to create this particular sequence of poses.

For more information about Seetha or to stay updated on upcoming classes, visit her website here.