Some of you may aware of tension in their torso, (which is made of the many bones of the ribcage). but many have forgotten what having a comfortable, supple ribcage feels like. A flexible chest allows healthy movement through your whole body, and improves your ability to breathe. Your ribs are designed for flexibility. With 12 pairs, … More Why should you care about freedom in your ribs?
Part of the week, I work in a school teaching violin to 5-11 year olds. The 5 year olds have a bit of trouble with zips. Especially double zips. In September they can’t do it themselves, they don’t often try, and yet by January, it’s a different story. Some of them need a little help … More Making the Easy Elegant
Shoulder problems are one of the common reasons people come to see me. The shoulder joint is a work of art. It’s fixed to the skeleton via the collar bones at the front. And has a large range of fascia and muscles attaching it at the back, sides and front. It’s massive range of movement … More Exploring the Shoulders
This year I’m doing some additional training looking at the early years of child development. In order to inform my work with adults and children. It’s interesting how stages missed out in early childhood show up in our movement habits and even the way we look. One of my colleague’s children is at the moment … More Power of the Pelvis – Part 2
The Pelvis is your motor centre. And directly connected to the low back. A connection that is often missed out in our picture of the back. Which results in trying to rethink back problems without including the pelvis. Something that is unlikely to be successful for anyone. Even in the first weeks of life, a … More Power of the Pelvis
Human’s opposable thumbs are thought to have developed c.2 million years ago during the Homo Habilis time of our evolution. They may have been used for food gathering, and most certainly contributed to the development and use of tools. Our Chimpanzee cousins have opposable toes as well as thumbs, which makes them much better at … More Musicians’ Fingers and Thumbs
You are your primary Instrument… Whether that’s a Strad or a factory violin is up to how you use what you have! All of our technique, whatever we play or sing, boils down on movement: we move ourselves to create music. The less effort and tension we use, the better, and more efficiently, we can bring across to … More Feldenkrais Method for Musicians – Why do it?
When we learn about the body, if we do in school, it’s not always that we learn about the nervous system. We can think of our nervous system as our communication system between the brain and the body. Like an old fashioned telephone exchange. The nerves communicate with electrical signal, which can travel up to … More Our nervous system
This week is Mental Health Week, something important to me. As someone who has worked hard to become mentally healthy, and now teaches ways to be healthier to others, I wanted to write a little about anxiety. Last week, I played the violin for an event at my synagogue. Those of you who know me, … More Looking at Anxiety
On Friday I had a shocking email. My Paypal account was being closed. No reason given. I couldn’t pay out, or receive income. And the sum of money that built up over the last few months had been frozen up for up to 180 days. Four whole months.The email came in the early evening, just … More Staying calm under pressure
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