One of the many thought-provoking pieces of advice that I was given by my Alexander Teacher, Lizzie Atkinson, was: Perfection is a stick to beat yourself up with If you look for a perfection, to be perfect in something, you may need to wait a lifetime or several lifetimes. So let’s give ourselves a break […]
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Alexander Technique in Education
There’s a fantastic short video about how the Alexander Technique works in education, whether normal schools or music or drama colleges. It’s beautifully shot and is very clear and informative. Well worth at least one look. Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOMlc0f0orA How does the Alexander Technique help students? It shows them how to: understand their reaction processes have a […]
Read moreBeing too sorry
When I am moving someone’s leg in an Alexander Technique lesson and I ask them to let me take the weight of their leg, quite a number of people apologise and say sorry for holding tension in their leg. Clearly they’ve not done anything wrong. But saying sorry is a strong habit. It’s quite a […]
Read moreHousework – the dreaded hoovering
Hoovering can be uncomfortable and can make your back ache. What can happen is that you stand fairly still and overuse the arms – pushing and pulling with your arms, making loads of effort. This leads to bending forward, often putting strain on the lower back. Here are some ideas to experiment with: Make the handle […]
Read moreMindfulness in the Morning
Are you on automatic pilot in the mornings? Do you have a morning routine, particularly on work days, that is completely mindless and habitual. Here are some things for you to think about: When cleaning your teeth, are you bent over the sink, arching your back? Are you gripping tightly onto the toothbrush? When shaving, […]
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