Riyaz - A guide to mindful practice
Begin by sitting comfortably. On the ground if possible, on a chair if necessary. Create a quiet space around you - close the windows, silence distractions, and keep a glass of water nearby. Starting with a blank canvas is of utmost importance!
Start by playing the tanpura on a good speaker. Close your eyes and listen. Do not play yet. Simply allow the harmonics settle your mind and guide your breath. In this moment, the tanpura is your anchor; it shows you the pitch, the space, and the silence that leads you to still mind space!
Turn your attention to your breath. Your lungs are the true instrument, the flute only their extension. Fill them gently and fully, and exhale with care. Breath without attention is noise; breath with focus becomes music!
Now, it’s time to begin with the Swarit - Sa! This is the beginning for your Sadhana! Take a deep breath, lift the flute, and blow with care. Observe the angle, the tone, the duration. A small change in how you hold or blow can shift the sound from airy to rounded, from thin to full. Experiment until you find what feels natural, what feels like home.
Spend time on long notes. Their purpose is not endurance but clarity. Keep your focus moving between the tanpura’s sound and your own tone. Some days you may practice for an hour, other days only a few minutes. The measure is not time but whether your breath has calmed and your sound has grown clear.
After long notes and breath work, step into the raga. Whichever raga you choose, begin with its single notes. Long notes alone are not enough. Carefully use Kan Swars to tap into the Mahol of the Raag! Jumping directly into phrases without focusing on individual notes should be avoided.
When you approach a raga, begin gently. Begin with practicing the Chalan i.e. characteristic phrases. Do not rush to ornamentation. First, respect its structure. Spend time learning and mastering each and every phrase until it becomes part of your muscle memory.
Once familiar, take a single phrase and start exploring various ways to play the same phrase. Keep looking ways to play the phrase by tweaking the laya, pauses and ornamentations! The only way to find something new in a Raag is through repetition! It’s like patiently churning out butter from buttermilk!
With compositions and bandish, always sing before you play. It is important to sing and internalize the composition before improvising it on your instrument. Repeat until the composition feels polished, until it carries its intended mood. Explore the composition in different speeds, test where it blooms best, and only then move toward improvisation.
Once you are comfortable with the composition, practice it with the Tabla. Do not let excitement pull your rhythm forward. Steadiness is strength. Practicing along with the taal is crucial to understand the Uthaan and divisions of the composition to help you in improvisation.
Make sure you practice the Uthaan of the mukhda over and over to understand the exact beat from which the composition begins. Most students miss this step and struggle with coming back to the Bandish while playing in faster speed!
After this you can start by playing simple phrases of the chalan in the Taal and find ways to come back to the Bandish/Gat. It is important to take simple phrases to get used to the Uthaan. Same can be done with Taans. Always start with small phrases, not longer than one or two Aavartans. Limiting yourself to one rhythmic cycle will help you come up with new ideas while getting used to the Taal!
In the end, your daily Riyaz is not about how much you cover, but about how deeply you connect with your breath, your sound, and the Raag itself. Every note is an opportunity to refine, every phrase a step to grow. Approach your practice with patience and don’t forget to enjoy the journey!
Happy Learning!
