Deep Breathing helps get you in touch with your emotions and more into the flow. It also relaxes you and slows down the intellectual process which is what we want. A student once remarked after I encouraged her to focus on her breathing while she was playing that she “can’t breathe and think at the same time.” EXACTLY! Improvising is more about letting go while playing than thinking about what to do and how to do it, so when you first sit down at the piano, before playing a note… take 3 slow deep breaths. Inhaling slowly and deeply, exhaling slowly and completely, 3 times. Do the same while you are playing; slow deep breaths will help you to relax, get into the flow and enjoy playing much, much more.