When you feel like a turtle…

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 are safe. Are you near loud rumbling low pitched noises? Try and get somewhere quiet, or even turn on some melodic vocal music – or sing. If you can have a friendly face-to-face conversation that might be the best thing, but if there’s no one around, take a minute to look at pictures of baby animals. All of this will help cue your nervous system towards a sense of safety. Feeling safe facilitates a release in the neck and throat muscles, allowing the head to easily extend away from the body.

With the Alexander Technique, you learn to work with your mind to coax your body into ease. You also learn to recognize and cope with the environmental triggers that cause tension.

#polyvagaltheory #alexandertechnique

photo credit: Photo by Cedric Fox on Unsplash

Elyse Shafarman

Speaking from the Bones

Body Project Blog ~ Where Thought is the Active Ingredient, by Elyse Shafarman, MA, Certified Alexander Technique Teacher

I wrote this for one of my MFA Acting students, but I think it’s relevant for all of us:

Speaking from the Bones

Before speaking, pause for a moment. Allow your chest and belly to soften, and find the support of your bones. If sitting, you could move in the chair a bit to feel your sit bones. If standing become aware of the skin contact of your feet with the floor. Try and get balanced evenly between both sit bones, or evenly between heel and toe and both feet. If standing let your knee (on the dominant leg) soften inward. If the knees lock out this will cut of your support from the floor, but it’s mostly the dominant knee that needs a little inward softening. It might feel knock-need.

Remind yourself that the resonance in your voice comes from your bones, not the muscles of your throat, and direct your neck to be easy, your head to float. Trust that the sound vibrations will resonate in the bones of your face and the throat and chest and shoulders can stay loose.

Even a little pause here and there will help maintain your energy and freedom

Want to sing with more freedom? Move with less effort?


Sounding the Depths of the Organs

Sunday, December 4, 10am-1pm
The second workshop in this series

Explore the qualities of your organs and how they support the authentic expression of your voice!

The Singing Body
Embodied Voice & the Alexander Technique
with Francesca Genco & Elyse Shafarman

Sundays, 10am-1pm
November 6, December 4 & January 15
Jeffery Bihr Studio in Rockridge (a few minutes’ walk from BART)
  • Learn to support your voice from a place of ease, power & relaxation.
  • Enjoy skilled hands-on guidance.
  • Learn songs & how to sing them from an embodied state.
  • Discover how the Alexander Technique engages choice over habit.
Topics include:
November 6 ~ Respiratory diaphragm & breathing
December 4 ~ Organs as resonators & supporters
January 15 ~ Muscles of the pelvis, abdomen & vocal folds

Cost is $75 for single workshop, $200 for the series (save $25).
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Contact elyse@bodyproject.us to register.
Feel free to share this invite with a friend!

Francesca Genco, MA is a singer and sound healer, yoga instructor, bodyworker and interdisciplinary arts teacher. Her singing was featured in Ryan Amon’s score for Elysium, Neill Blomkamp’s science fiction film starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster released in August 2013. She is the founder of Song of the Body, which offers classes, workshops and retreats in embodied voice, sound healing, yoga and creative expression. Her classes and private sessions are based in creating an intimate relationship with the body as we learn to listen and respond to its natural intelligence and resonance.

Elyse Shafarman holds a Master’s Degree in Physiological Psychology and Alexander Technique Teacher Certification from Frank Ottiwell (2003). Elyse is on the faculty of American Conservatory Theater’s MFA program and Berkeley Rep School of Theatre. She maintains a private practice in San Francisco and Berkeley. Her background as a modern dancer and professional training in psychology, yoga, and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction influence her work.