This author has yet to write their bio.Meanwhile lets just say that we are proud Elyse Shafarman contributed a whooping 132 entries.
Practice the Alexander Technique pause to prevent touching your face. Research* shows that people touch their face 23 times per hour. The most common reasons for face touching are: A desire to focus A desire to self soothe An itch. See if you can identify the urge and use your mind to STOP. Stopping does not […]
I’m not sure why I thought it would be ok to teach after a dental extraction. Mind over matter only goes so far. Why do I think it’s a good idea to push my own body through pain and exhaustion when I am constantly counseling my Alexander Technique students to listen to the body, find […]
Here’s a Reembody Method sequence that I used to help a duck-footed (feet turned out) saxophonist with sore feet and low back pain. If you have similar issues while standing, you might try it too. But what is the Reembody Method, you might ask? It’s a new somatic modality that looks at how our inborn tendency […]
The Alexander Technique, A Skill for Life, by Pedro de Alcantara is one of the best introductory books on the technique. It’s a bit shorter and deeper than most starter books. Students have found used copies on eBay. If you’ve already covered the basics, here are two books that might be enlightening. 2. An Examined […]
A bizarre evening. Transferring at MacArthur back to SF a tall red headed woman and I looked a few beats too long at each other. Something about her caught my eye. She looked like someone I knew but had since misplaced all identifying details. Later, I went to sit at SF Insight, something I rarely […]
When students used to say to my teacher Frank Ottiwell, “I carry a lot of tension in my shoulders.” He would say, “Well, why don’t you put it down?” With the Alexander Technique, we look at posture as a reflection of habits and behaviors, not as an inherent feature of genetics or identity. Over time, […]
Turtles pull their heads in to their bodies when they are scared. Do you do the same thing? Notice the triggers, and then invite a sense of ease in your neck, so your head can can lengthen away from your body. If you are finding this hard, look around you and make sure that you […]
Dear Friends, I’d love to see you at my next Alexander Technique workshop at Berkeley Rep on Saturday July 13, 1-4 pm $65. Get ready to feel light and free. Learn skills to release tension to improve movement and mood! Content is appropriate for actors and non-actors alike. Info here Other news: I’m giving a public workshop […]
I’ve been taking Rhythm & Motion (RM) dance classes for about 18 months, and feel like I’ve stumbled into one of the best kept secrets of San Francisco. Who knew that there was a large community of people, who for the last 40 years have been brave enough to plunge into dance classes where the […]
A friend said, “My shoulders are tight. Suggestions for release?” Often we can’t articulate where and how we feel the holding. Luckily our hands are often much smarter than our minds. Try and describe what you feel with a gesture. Perhaps your fist crumples into a tight ball describing the pain between your shoulder blades. […]
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