Applied Alexander Technique Blog

Hello friends,

Remember, I promised to tell you how I might apply this thinking in the body to real life? I will tell you about my experience with the dentist....and undoing tension in my neck.

A year or two ago, I had to have a root canal and was literally getting uptight and tight-necked about it. I decided to try and apply the Alexander Technique to my thoughts about the dentist.

I started by doing the same thing I ask all my students to do: "First, we stop." Just Stop - Pause - and notice where I am and what's going on with me.

Then I began undoing the tension in my neck. You can do it along with me....we can do it, step-by-step.

Want to try? We'll start with something simple and expand to the neck.

Continue reading " A Visit to the Dentist without Pain - Neck or Otherwise " »

Hello again...this is a nice habit we are creating. We stop and have a chat and stop to breathe for a moment or two.

I often meditate on the mental image of a rose, but even better, is to put a real rose in a glass of water and study it.

Look at it closely, till you can see the texture of the petals. Breathe in deeply; does the fragrance smell sweet? Spicy? Look at the gradations of color in the rose. How open is it?

Look at the stem and notice the leaves. Are the edges spiky or smooth? How big are the thorns? Does it have teeny-tiny little hairs that are thin thorns, or smooth skin and big, bold, honest thorns that are large enough to see before you impale yourself upon them?

Breathe in the fragrance of your rose for a minute or two. Even if you do it in your imagination, tell me, now how do you feel?

The same thing can happen with pure thought in the body. The Alexander Technique is a good way to learn this skill and apply it to benefit your well-being.

What fascinates me is where this skill may be applied in life. How can we use it to improve our relationships? How may it enhance the quality of our lives?

See you again tomorrow....let's see where this may go.....

And does it make your mouth water just thinking about it?

I love smoked salmon...the good stuff; Nova. Belly lox. Put that on a freshly backed (boiled - not steamed) bagel with some good Philly and I'm in heaven. Just the thought of it makes my mouth water.

Don't get me started on the steamed, baked donuts they call bagels today. I want the real thing, dropped into a vat of boiling water, then set to rise, and baked. Hard, dense, chewy, and delicious.

But I digress.

The point is, a simple thought can cause a reaction in the body. Just mention freshly brewed coffee and I'm ready to hop over to Starbucks.

Let's talk about this some more....how about tomorrow? We'll chat over a cup o' Joe.

Hello friends,

It is a cool, gray and rainy day. It is getting lighter since we passed the solstice and I'm enjoying the lengthening days. One day I would love to visit Stonehenge and celebrate the end of darkening days and the beginning of the return of the sun. Have you ever been? I would love to hear from you.

Along those lines, here are a few sites with cheerful themes:

San Jose Heritage Rose Garden...here is their "Wall of Roses" page. Take a look and breathe in the beauty of these roses for a few moments. See if you don't feel better, no matter the weather!

And always, the ocean....remember, it is sunny and warm somewhere.....my favorite is Hawai'i.

Here is a list of blogs that offer information supporting wellness. Applied Alexander® is among them....browse through and see what else you may find!

Hello friends,

I wanted to share a little story with you.

It was almost Christmas Eve. I was down like the day; gray, cold and without a single ray of sunshine.

To my surprise a box with flowers stood upside-down at my front door. I was sad and the box was light. How strange that in a dark hour of feeling empty, a flowerpot arrived that was also bare.

It was filled flatly with gray-green moss; there was nothing to see.

I read the card. My dear friend, Stacy, sent me a flower - only it is yet to grow. She sent just a bare pot – or so it seems – with gray-green moss on top and no weight to the plant.

Continue reading " A Return to Happiness " »