This author has not written his bio yet.
But we are proud to say that Elyse Shafarman contributed 142 entries already.
After work in Berkeley, I went for walk in the hills and listened to Reggie Ray’s Dharma Talk, “A Knock On The Door,” which is pretty awesome in and of itself, but even more so when I realized that Edward Albee’s play, The Zoo Story, which I saw yesterday at A.C.T.’s Sky Festival, is a […]
Thinking the following “Directions” developed by F.M. Alexander will help you find more ease and spinal length. Let me neck be free (smooth, long, soft) Let my jaw be free (space between back molars, lips soft) To let my head pivot forward and up (as if nodding yes) To let my spine lengthen and my […]
“The world is like the residue left from the telling of a story…” A bit of philosophical text to contemplate while practicing yoga on a sunny winter morning in San Francisco. Once upon a time, I had a boyfriend who would linger at the end of a movie through all the credits. He was in […]
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 […]
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 – 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 […]
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 […]
I had a pack of almonds. The next moment, empty pack and no almonds. I was the only one at the scene of the crime, so all evidence pointed to me as the eater. But if you’d asked me, I would have denied it. Presumably, those 18 grams of fat were lurking somewhere in my […]
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 […]
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