"What you practise grows stronger"
Mindfulness Singing Mentor
Mindfulness Teacher
Hi there and welcome.
I have been a freelance opera singer and teacher for over 20 years and for the past 8 years I’ve also been a practitioner of mindfulness. I became a mindfulness teacher myself in 2021 and although my mindfulness clients come from all walks of life and are of all ages, due to my unique skill set, I have quickly began to specialize in mentoring singers through mindfulness; bringing purpose and focus to their singing and helping to cultivate awareness of their internal narratives.
My own story with mindfulness started eight years ago when a friend suggested that it could be a good tool for me to use as a means of dealing with the stress of my job. What stress? At that point in my life I was exactly where I wanted to be in my career, flying all over the world, often replacing people at very short notice in incredibly demanding roles with next to no rehearsal. I’d miss a flight to China and instead rebook the next day only to arrive after the 14 hour trip to then sleep in the boot of a taxi on the way to the hotel to get changed before going to the concert venue and singing that evening.
Where was the stress? I loved my life and was very capable of doing my career to an exacting, high standard. I was functioning very well on a mixture of pure adrenaline, focus, discipline and sheer determination so what was my friend talking about? Just because we ‘can’ however, does not mean that we ‘should’. Living constantly in ‘fight or flight’ mode is not sustainable long term to optimise good mental or physical well-being. So I gave mindfulness a try, albeit with a healthy dose of scepticism as to whether or not it could actually have any long term, sustainable effect on my life.
In the beginning I practised one on one with my teacher every two weeks online and I agreed to commit to a daily practice of 15-20 minutes of guided meditation. My daily practice seemed to, more often that not, take the form of a 15 minute catnap but since I had never previously been able to take a nap in the day my teacher reassured me that if that was what my body needed, to just go with it. After about two months I began noticing that I felt a little calmer and had somehow less spontaneous emotional reactivity to events that before could have lead to feelings of stress or anxiety. Around the 4-5 month mark whilst singing in Milan, I was taking a lesson with my teacher, talking about something that had happened in a rehearsal and I suddenly realised that I seemed to be able to take a step back from the situation. I was able to create a bit of space between myself my thoughts and emotions. It was almost like I was sitting in a cinema, watching the events unfolding on the screen but I could let them unfold without becoming emotionally involved in the drama. Around the six month mark, I began to notice that I was much clearer in my intentions, both in my professional and private life; what did I want to achieve ? What were my long and short term goals? I began becoming more and more clear about my choices, my ability to influence my reality and ultimately, my happiness.
“The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”
― Albert Einstein
I still can be triggered and I still have my very normal moments of fear and anxiety but I am now conscious when these thoughts and feelings arrive and I now have the tools to manage them if and when they do. A common misconception of mindfulness is that one of its aims is to not feel emotions, to not think negative thoughts or experience negative experiences. Actually the aim is to bring deliberate, non judgmental awareness to the present moment whatever maybe arising. To create conscious awareness of the present moment and all it entails. I can definitely testify that from my own experience of mindfulness practice I am better equipped at peacefully and consciously detonating the emotional time bombs of my ruminating mind. I now take so much more happiness from the little, every day moments in my life. I am so much kinder and forgiving to myself and yet I can still achieve everything I would want to in terms of my life and career goals whilst just being a great deal happier, focused and calmer along the way.
Mindfulness Singing Mentor
Mindfulness Singing Mentor
As a professional freelance opera singer, singing teacher and mindfulness mentor, I am passionate about combining these three skills to enable each singer to achieve what it is they would most like to achieve from their singing journey. We do this through mindfulness practices, self enquiry, mindfulness in singing and mentoring. “What you practise grows stronger” So let’s start becoming aware of what your mind is really practising. In a business that so often leaves singers feeling in place of judgment from others, mindfulness can help you notice your internal dialogue and create your own narrative. As we begin to investigate our thoughts we can begin to notice any negative self talk which has an effect on or minds and bodies even on a cellular level and since our body is our instrument, mindful awareness can have a very real , tangible impact on it. Mindfulness can also be a very effective means of calming audition and performance anxiety. These sessions can be done either in person or online , individually or in a group/masterclass setting. Clients include YSP Salzburg Festspiel
Individual Mindfulness
Offering tailor made, one-to-one sessions with my clients I work both in person and on Zoom. These sessions generally last one hour unless specified otherwise and usually we would meet once every 1 to 2 weeks as agreed upon, with materials provided for you to practice daily with guided meditations in between these sessions. The first session would involve us meeting and getting a clearer understanding of how you feel mindfulness maybe able to help you. We would then move forward by making a plan accordingly. As we work together towards mindfully bringing your awareness, without judgment, to the present moment through various meditations. We would also explore what may be coming up for you in practice.
Group classes and courses
I also offer group mindfulness classes and workshops both in person and online. Perhaps you have a group of friends or like minded individuals who wish to explore mindfulness together. Or maybe you work or train together and feel mindfulness in a group could be a rewarding and enriching experience to share. We can work together to decide your goals and wishes for your mindfulness journey and then tailor make my service to your needs. Whether a one off masterclass or a monthly get together let’s explore how purposefully bringing you attention to the present moment can alter your perception of life together and in doing so , help to achieve a greater sense of happiness and fulfillment .
