In the lessons I teach, we’re looking at how you can see your body and mind together, holistically. To train or retrain movement patterns as a whole integrated system.  Why is this useful? It’s easy to focus on the individual parts when you want an easy “fix” for body parts that are troubling you.  In reality, all … More The Value of Somatic work for posture

One of my individual clients was confused about what we were doing in lessons. She was used to a physio model where you’re given exercises and do repetitions a set amount of times per day. With clear instructions as to which muscles are being strengthened. So what we were doing felt very different. I was … More Ready to upgrade your Cutting Style? How can a whole Mind-Body Perspective Help?

Our dictionaries say its the absence of disease. But what if that isn’t enough? Moshe Feldenkrais talked about health as our ability to act and move towards our goals:  That “health is the ability to realise our avowed and unavowed dreams.” What do you think of when you think of Itzak Perlman? If you have heard of … More What is health?

This week sees my 86th Dad’s birthday. He’s one of the oldest ever Alters – from our family at least. (If I’ve got that wrong, I’m sure he’ll let me know when I see him tomorrow.) The picture was at his 80th. There were 80 candles – it was pretty warm! Max, the restaurant owner … More Ageing gracefully

This week I was at the Royal Academy of Music teaching a workshop on Reducing Stage Anxiety to the undergraduates in the Performance department.  I threw them in at the deep end, and asked them to perform, in order that they could observe in each other what each did physically in manifesting nervousness on stage. … More Awareness: Your Superpower (part 2)

I was reading a Masters dissertation on Dorothy DeLay this week. She was a famous violin pedagogue. She taught Hilary Hahn, Itzak Perlman, Midori, Simon Fischer, and a veritable who’s who of the great names in the violin canon of the last 60 years. I mention it as it brought up the work of Bandler, the creator of NLP. … More Awareness: Your Superpower

What if it’s not really useful to breathe into the belly? What most people mean when they tell you to breathe into the belly is diaphragmatic breathing- a version of it, to access the lengthening of the lungs as well as outward expansion. What most people mean by breathing into the belly is diaphragmatic breathing. … More Belly breathing: A hidden cause of back pain?

When I talk to clients and students about where they hold their tension, many talk about the jaw. That it feels tight, or uncomfortable. How much space do you have in your jaw? If you have jaw tension, you’ll often feel it in the area in front of the ears. It’s where the ‘fork’ of … More How much space do you have in your jaw?

What is interoception? It’s your body’s ability to sense and perceive its internal sensations. These include basic needs/sensations such as hunger, thirst, pain, heart rate. But also includes your thoughts and emotions- everything we feel on the inside.  Why is it important? It plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis, the body’s balance and stability. … More Interoception

In the 21st century, we still don’t understand our bellies. We’re taught to pull in the belly. Hold it, keep it under control. To make it flat.Or with the current fashion for core strength, to pull in the belly and the back at the same time. Which is very useful if you’re lifting something heavy, … More How Free is Your Belly?