Questioning my practice

What is the experience of my DP? Mind and Body?

My practice is extremely introverted. When I play a look at my fingers and if if I don't need to look then I close my eyes. The act of playing a guitar usually requires me to bend over slightly and hold it pretty tightly to my body so that I'm really cradling it in my arms. Its also very physically demanding of my arms and my hands so theres that aspect of adrenaline and endorphins coming into play. I never play the same thing twice, and I never play anything I know. It's improve. It's impressions. It's basically just me apllying my sense of creativity and organization to my world though my hands and my ears any way I chose. It's easy not to think in words because I'n not hearing words and I'm not playing words and I'm not feeling words. There is just the guitar and always the guitar. The room and the persons in it do not matter in the least. When I get really into it I start tapping my foot and rocking back and forth and humming with the music. Thats the best.

How do you reach the mind body state of your DP?
I sit down and I play. The act of playing forces me into the state within a few minutes whether I like it or not. If I'm really distracted then my finger's won't move. Its as simple as that. The process of tuning and fixing the strings usually helps as well, but it's all the same in the end. The only thing i would say I do is pretend the clock doesn't exist. If I feel pressured by time I'll never be able to play and won't get anything out of the practice. Sometimes I've even late to things because I play too long. But I prefer it that way.

How do you bring yourself back to the present?
I continue playing. I used to stop playing but I realize not that when i stop and the music goes away it just gives my mind more room to wander. If I keep moving my fingers and gently bring my mind back I'll become interested in the sound I'm making and jump right back in the saddle. The less I stop the easier it is.

Where do you practice? What environment?
I practice in my dorm room. It's sall and suffy and the couch is uncomfortable but it all goes away when I play. I think it helps to be in a familiar place because I know there's nothing interesting around me to be a distraction

What physical qualities do you associate with the practice?
The wood of the guitar and the steel of the strings is the first thing. Tension is a big one, both in the strings and my hands. Fingernails, callouses, picks, sweat. The sound is very important. The guitar is a form of resistance at which i can hurl all my energy. This is what makes the experience for me.

What other senses do you engage?
Hearing and touch are the most important and they are equally important. I usually close my eyes to sight is really not much aof a factor. Taste is completely ignored. However, there is a distinct smell to my guitar and I'm always very aware of it. So naturally I become aware of the smells of my room on any given day as well.