Entries by Elyse Shafarman

avoid ‘text-neck’

Researchers in the UK used computer analysis to show that texting while walking causes hunched posture, loss of balance, and an inability to walk in a straight line. Heh! I’m sure you didn’t need science to tell you that. Anyone who texts is familiar with the ‘forward and down’ head posture. This posture can add […]

Spotted – Actor Lupita Nyong’o trained in Alexander Technique

What’s the mark of an actor trained in the Alexander Technique? Onstage, you don’t see the Alexander Technique.  What you do see is a fully and effortlessly realized character. Actors who learn the Alexander Technique learn how to prevent their personal habits of speech and movement from leaking into their characters. But offstage, you might […]

Spotted – Actors with Alexander Technique Training in OITNB

Spotted – Episode 8 – Orange is the New Black, the amazing Danielle Brooks (aka Taystee Jefferson) and her side kick Samira Wiley (aka Poussey) do not pull their heads back when they stand up. The classic tell that they’ve had Alexander Technique lessons. I knew it! But, how else would I know? Actors with […]

Mindless Eating

I will comment, that as much as I enjoy Mindful eating, I’m also a big fan of Brian Wansink’s Mindless Eating…. Wansink does not give eating advice based on ideals of mindful-awareness, health or even nutrition. Wansink researches actual eating behavior. The outcome of Wansink’s research is a series of small, ingenious environmental adjustments you […]

two feet one breath

Stopping is the best antidote to stress. Stop to think, to look, to listen, and to reflect. Stop and have a helpful thought like, “I don’t need to tense my neck muscles so much while texting.” Stopping is the bedrock of the Alexander Technique. Stopping is also the basis of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. It’s […]