Last week I blogged about the curriculum I created for young musicians at Trinity Laban conservatoire. This week, I’ve been collating their reflections on their last year’s study of the the Alexander Technique with me. The young people I work with range from 11 to 19 years old. It’s always fascinating to see these students’ …
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Term is coming to an end soon at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London where I teach young people the Alexander Technique. The curriculum I have devised for them is fun, varied, practical and multi-media, using poetry, literature, images and videos (this Charlie Chaplin clip is brilliant, for example). The students come in pairs and they …
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This week, The Economist reported on how myopia (short-sightedness) is now ubiquitous in East Asia. For example, one study of male high-school leavers in Seoul found that 97% were short-sighted. For decades, the scientific orthodoxy was that myopia was genetic, but it has become impossible to ignore its sharp increase in countries such as Singapore, …
The Alexander Technique is often known for the way it reduces unnecessary muscular tension, the way it changes postural and movement habits, and how it is an effective solution for back, neck and other musculoskeletal pain. All of this is true. And yet it is also to miss the point. The essence of the Alexander …
Oliver Burkeman, well-known for his critiques of psychology and the self-help industry, published a new book last year entitled Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. Whereas time management techniques tend to present ways of being more efficient, Burkeman steps out of that narrative to an extent, and in a recent discussion suggested instead that …
We need a change in society where … we’re not surprised when someone wants to talk to us about something other than medicines [for chronic pain] Dr Benjamin Ellis, leading pain expert This week, a survey commissioned by the BBC revealed that one in four UK adults are living with chronic pain (chronic pain is …
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A research study published in 2016 provides clear evidence that the Alexander Technique is beneficial for people suffering from knee osteoarthritis. On average, following 20 lessons in the Alexander Technique, participants experienced a significant reduction in knee pain and a significant improvement in functioning. What’s more, these changes were long-lasting, being evident 15 months later. …
A couple of months ago, New Scientist magazine published a feature which challenged the idea that there is a link between posture and pain. ‘If you worry that slouching is causing you long-term discomfort, think again’, wrote the author. The article examined the large body of research that has failed to find a connection between …
Continue reading “Posture and pain linked? It’s complicated.”
Last month I had the privilege of introducing the Alexander Technique online to an international group of pianists. They were all training to be Suzuki method piano teachers on the prestigious course run in Cambridge by Jenny Macmillan. Here’s what Jenny had to say about my introduction to the Alexander Technique: Henry’s presentation was interesting …
Many people are familiar with William Hurt, the American actor who sadly passed away last month. Not so many people know, however, that Hurt, along with many actors – Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen and Alan Rickman to name a few – was a huge fan of the Alexander Technique. Not only that, but …
