Music for the mind, body and soul

PEOPLE gathered at Lake Esmond last Wednesday were treated to half-an-hour of meditative cello in an ambient natural landscape.

Professional yogi, music tutor and cellist Lucy Price held her first Music and Mindfulness session, treating the gathering to a series of breathing exercises and an atmospheric string performance.

The project was formed during lockdown last year, and Price said the idea of marrying her two passions had been “bubbling away” for some time.

“From such a young age, we’re taught that our ears are for listening and our eyes are for seeing,” she said.

“But I want to explore whether we can listen with the whole body, and have a bit more of an embodied experience of listening.”

With no concerts to prepare for during lockdown, Price started incorporating her meditative practices into her music, paying attention to her breathing and the instrument’s vibrations while performing.

“I noticed all of these things made me a lot more present when I was playing,” she said.

“I thought I’d like to offer this experience for the listener as well by combining meditation to get them to have a different experience with music.”

A cellist of 20 years, Price first picked up the instrument after hearing The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns from his 1886 suite The Carnival of the Animals.

Since then, she’s has toured internationally both solo and with ensembles.

Her passion for yoga first formed over six years ago when she started practicing it during her studies at the Australian National Academy of Music.

A qualified yoga instructor as well, Price recently received her advanced diploma of yoga teaching at the Australian Yoga Academy, and her yin yoga training under the tutelage of yogi Karina Smith.

Price said the goal of the sessions is to give her audience a greater sense of their surroundings and an awareness of the present moment.

“One person came up to me the other day and said that her senses were heightened as a result of the session,” she said.

“With the energy of the group, it’s like we’re creating together in the moment.

“People are really excited about it and saying how much it’s needed at this time.”

Music and Mindfulness will serve as a teaser for a future performance titled Bach to Breath, which will be held both live and online and comprise similar elements with a focus on pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The sessions will continue each week depending on the weather, and Price will regularly change the day and time to make the experience regularly accessible to as many people as possible.

They will remain held at Lake Esmond for the time being, and those interested in attending can subscribe to Price’s newsletter for more information.