FluteAND Taking AIM
AIM (ऐं ) is a beautiful Sanskrit seed (bija) mantra associated with Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of arts, literature, music, and learning. It’s also an effective acronym for a grounding practice I call “Taking AIM.”
Some of you may be familiar with the classification “Type A” Personality. Don’t worry; that’s not what the A in AIM stands for. However, I’m sure you will agree that many flutists exhibit Type A traits - we are high-achievers and competitive in healthy and unhealthy ways. (Lohse et al, 2017) Do those attributes draw us to the instrument due to its melodic prowess at the top of the score, or are they cultivated by the high frequencies of the instrument itself? That could be an interesting study. Nevertheless, the expectation to always reach the top, whether imposed by self or others, can result in feelings of anxiety, inadequacy, and overwhelm. If you notice you are in one of these moments, regardless of your “type,” pause and take AIM.
What are you paying ATTENTION to? What are you noticing? As you take notice, let go of judgment as much as possible - just notice. Notice how you feel and take a moment to acknowledge that feeling. Feelings can be our internal radar system letting us know when something is in or out of alignment. (Gigerenzer, 2007) Notice your thoughts. Are they supportive or counterproductive? Notice your actions. What are you doing? Are you engaging or avoiding? Again, no judgment. Just notice. How is what you are paying attention to serving you? Could shifting your attention somewhere else serve you better?
What is your INTENTION? If you’re practicing, what is your desired and attainable outcome for the session? If you’re in a conversation, what is its purpose - to connect, resolve, or solve? Are your words and actions supporting that intention? Could redirecting be helpful? Does meeting your intention require you not “do” anything?
What is your MOTIVATION? Why are you engaging in the action or thought? For example, I’m writing this post right now intending to share a strategy for making more moments meaningful. When practicing flute, sometimes it’s to work out the nitty gritty notes, rhythms, and articulations in a work, and ultimately it’s to support creative self-expression. When I’m teaching, I intend to be present and support the goals of the individual student. When I’m cleaning my house, it’s to provide a healthy, organized, and artful space for living.
Admittedly, sometimes when I pause and practice taking AIM, I notice that my actions are not in alignment with my intention or my motivation - I’m paying attention to things that aren’t supportive, engaging in behaviors that don’t move me toward my desired outcome. I may be obsessively cleaning my home to avoid working on a complex piece, having a tough conversation, or completing a challenging task. I may be diving into a new project to avoid the difficult process of finishing the previous one. (I’ve labeled this “Productive Procrastination.” It’s useful until it isn’t.) Or, I may be entirely caught up in “achieving” because I believe that one more accolade will somehow make me “good enough.” (Not productive.) In such a case, my motivation, my “why,” has become irrelevant.
Pausing to take AIM gives me those few seconds to remember why I’m doing what I’m doing, where I can focus my attention, and how to act to get back into alignment. Being in alignment for me includes remembering that I have always been and will always be good enough to be loved, that play is as vital to creative expression as practice, and that an openness to learning through risk and vulnerability will deepen the richness of my life experiences.
IMPROVING YOUR AIM.
1. Consider taking AIM as a daily morning journaling practice. Write down what you want to pay attention to during the day - perhaps it’s noticing how you feel at various moments, or maybe it’s noticing your posture or thoughts. Write down your intention(s) for the day - this could be as simple as compiling your to-do list, planning to say something kind to a co-worker, or taking time for self-care. Write down your “why.” Remember your motivation. Remembering why can help you move through the seemingly mundane or eliminate the unnecessary.
2. In moments of overwhelm, pause, breathe, and cycle through the acronym without judgment - Where is my attention? What is my intention? What is my motivation? Use your intuition and redirect as needed and able.
3. Use the Sanskrit bija AIM as a mantra in your meditation practice. Sit in a comfortable seated position and, either verbally or mentally, slowly sound and repeat the mantra “Ahhh—AYEEE—MMM—breathe.” The meditation can last as little as one minute and up to 20 minutes.
I’m also reminded of Cupid and his bow. May your AIM eradicate ignorance and injustice through the arrow of love.
Beck, Guy L. Sonic Theology: Hinduism and Sacred Sound. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1993.
Gigerenzer. (2007). Gut feelings: the intelligence of the unconscious. Viking.
Lohse, Rohrmann, S., Richard, A., Bopp, M., & Faeh, D. (2017). Type A personality and mortality: Competitiveness but not speed is associated with increased risk. Atherosclerosis, 262, 19–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2017.04.016