5 Tips for Overcoming a Playing-Related Injury, #5: You Are Not (Just) Your Playing

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Early on in my injury, when people suggested I try out a hobby to keep me occupied during my recovery, I wanted to tell them to shove it. They weren't telling me I would never recover, or that I couldn't be a violist anymore, they just didn't want me to suffer any more than necessary. Unfortunately, for the first two years, I just couldn't find the heart to follow their advice. I spent a good chunk of every day joylessly standing in front of the mirror practicing the simplest movements on the viola, willing my brain to fix itself, because doing less felt like risking a slower recovery. In truth, it probably slowed me down, because my brain rarely got a break. What it really needed to heal was appropriate amounts of good information—accurate proprioception and healthy movement patterns—and then to be left alone to repair itself.

Two years in, on a whim, I rediscovered Spanish, and started bingeing TV series, podcasts, books, and articles in lieu of excess practice. And it may just be a coincidence, but my rate of recovery increased exponentially. And I'm not the only one. Another former dystonia sufferer I know credits her recovery in part to Iyengar yoga: it not only helped retune her brain and nervous system, it gave her a powerful focus for learning, identity, and growth when she felt completely lost that sustains her to this day.

But the benefits of finding out who you are at a deeper level than your musical identity go beyond recovery. They remind us of the unassailable worth and dignity inherent in being human, regardless of how much or little our brains and bodies are able to do in this moment. And that knowing is a source of strength, grace, and genuine power that will stay with you long after your injury is behind you.

Regardless of what type of injury you're dealing with and where you are on your path, I believe in your ability to heal what must be healed, learn what must be learned, and become more of who you were brought here to be. I see you. Don't give up on yourself.