Don’t sit up straight! This may seem like an odd statement for me to make as a teacher of the Alexander Technique – a method known to help people with their posture. However, if you have read anything I’ve written about posture before it should not come as a surprise. In a previous blog post…
On January 4, 2021 my article, 12 Easy Ways to Relieve Stress in 2021, appeared in the Medium publication, Body Wisdom. Last year was probably one of the most stressful in modern history for the majority of people on this planet. So, instead of the 12 days of Christmas (which is behind us now anyway), or…
Use Your Triggers to Do Something Beneficial for You AND Your Nervous System I am excited to resume my conversations with Trauma Awareness activist, Shay Seaborne in which we talk about many and varied aspects of stress, trauma and neuroscience, and how the Alexander Technique has enabled her to put key concepts into practice in her…
What is an open heart? The Practice: Put no one out of your heart. Why? We all know people who are, ah, . . . challenging. It could be a critical parent, a bossy supervisor, a relative who has you walking on eggshells, a nice but flaky friend, a co-worker who just doesn’t like you,…
The idea of being conscious of your own breathing and just letting it happen seems like a paradox. This is the conundrum one of the participants in my recent Guided Constructive Rest session presented me with. And she wanted to know what to do about it. I know what she means. When I first tried…
Some years ago, I was doing some contractual work for a small company and found myself in an extremely stressful situation that went on for several months. I experienced weekly excruciatingly harsh feedback sessions from my employer. There’d be a nod to something I was doing well for a minute at the beginning, followed by…
Anxiety is a feeling we all know, and one we would rather not experience. Anxiety, however, is an important human function; it helps us protect ourselves, take action, and even connect with others. It alerts us to potential problems in the future so we can take measures to prevent them if at all possible. Anxiety…
Have you ever found yourself entangled in medical insurance bureaucracy? If so, you have an idea how stressful that can be, and how much anxiety it can provoke. Recently I had a mini prescription insurance drama which caused me to feel quite anxious – anxious that I wouldn’t get the daily thyroid medication I need…
A member of my study group walked out in the middle of the class. When she got back, we celebrated what she had done. What would happen if you did that at school, at work, or during a meeting? Do you think it would be celebrated? Probably not. In fact, you’d more than likely be…
For many years Shay had a sort of mantra she would use before she left the house. It went like this, “Phone, purse, keys!” and it’s self-explanatory that she used it to help make sure she didn’t forget these important items. Smart, right? Over the last few years, however, since she’s worked with me, she…