Today I'm just sharing a poem. This came to me on my one and only visit to Esalen Institute. Four hours in the hot tub under the stars melted my edges and I felt one with the Universe. The stars agreed.

Starsong at Esalen

The stars are singing
There are so many
And they are so close
Because they want me
To hear them singing

"We are all connected
We are starlight and lovelight
We are all the same

"All of us are stars
Singing in the same sky
With our light and our love
Reaching between to connect us all

"Sometimes we forget we are stars
We forget to let our light shine

"We are here to remember
To learn to shine in this form
In this life"

They are singing tonight
Loudly enough to wake a human
Out of slumber
Into stardom.

©2009 all rights reserved by Dana Ben-Yehuda

They're the words a girl loves to hear: "Have you gotten taller?" "You've lost weight!" Such were the unsolicited comments I received when I visited the United States from my home in Israel recently, where, for the last three months, I had been practicing the Alexander Technique (AT)—a movement re-education program that involves hands-on adjustments to improve posture and coordination.

While yoga, Pilates and other posture-enhancing methods have swept the U.S. in recent years, AT has enjoyed a thriving presence under the radar. Its hubs include London, New York, San Francisco and Israel, which boasts one of the highest numbers of AT teachers per capita (300). Stateside, there are an estimated 800 certified teachers and tens of thousands of students.

Oscar-winning actress Hillary Swank was one of those students while preparing for her 2001 role as an 18th-century French countess in The Affair of the Necklace. "Jean Louis [her AT instructor] taught me that an aristocrat didn't just sit down in a chair," Swank famously told the The New York Times. "She floated down. And she floated up and down stairs. She certainly didn't climb them, for that implies effort." AT also counts Lady Judi Dench, Paul McCartney and Sting among its famous fans.

According to Dana Ben-Yehuda, media spokesperson for the American Society of the Alexander Technique (AmSAT)—and, perhaps fittingly, the daughter of an Israeli father—in the U.S. the Alexander Technique is popular among two categories of people. "Singers, actors and musicians use the technique to enhance their performances," she explains. In fact, the father of AT, Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955), was an Australian actor who developed the method to help him overcome chronic laryngitis.

The other category comprises people who are in pain and looking to AT for relief. After all, most health experts agree that good posture and proper muscle relaxation go a long way toward preventing back pain, the fifth most frequent reason for all physician visits in the U.S.

Dr. Howard L. Rosner, medical director of The Pain Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, says that the number one complaint of the patients he sees is lower back pain, and he recommends the Alexander Technique, along with other forms of physical therapy, to treat muscular-skeletal pain. "The Alexander Technique can retrain people to use their bodies more constructively," he says. "It can impact neck pain, low back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome."

Most AT instructors devote the first few lessons to helping patients let go of unnecessary muscular tension. As my teacher, Aviva Shapira, gently pulled my head and neck up in order to lengthen my spine, she explained to me that by the time we are adults, most of us have developed poor posture patterns wherein all kinds of muscles contract and stiffen just so we can hold ourselves upright. This way of holding ourselves feels natural to us, but it is actually unhealthy and can lead to stiffness and chronic pain. Shapira also had me lie on a padded masseuse table, where she proceeded to manipulate my head, neck, back and limbs into their proper positions. Afterward, as I lifted myself from the table, I could already sense a change in the way I was holding myself.

Practicing the Alexander Technique has left me with the beautiful—yet admittedly frustrating—insight that our bad habits are not readily apparent to us. Each of us is equipped with a kinesthetic sense that allows us to assess where our body is in space, as well as the effort needed to move it. However, bad habits distort this sense: a person with poor posture may not be aware of it because being hunched over feels natural. With guidance and practice, we can learn to correct our posture, though such change accumulates so gradually that we may not perceive it ourselves at first.

Still, as my recent trip to the U.S. proved, someone who hasn't seen you in a while is likely to notice. For me, I particularly appreciated the comments that I looked thinner—especially since the number on the scale hadn't actually changed!

To learn more about the Alexander Technique, visit the American Society for the Alexander Technique Web site, www.alexandertech.org.

Simona Fuma is the Israel Editor for World Jewish Digest.

Issue Date: January 2007, Posted On: 12/28/2006

This article is also available at my AltMD blog.

One of my friends asked me how I got my dogs to let me brush their teeth.

This may not appear to have anything to do with Alexander Technique, and of course, in a direct sense, it doesn't. But I would never have had the patience to do this without the skill of patience that I acquired through my Alexander training. It helped me get my dogs trained in such a friendly way that they leap into their bed eagerly awaiting a good tooth-brushing.

A friend of mine gave me pointers. They involved not end-gaining and lots of patience.

First, I let my puppy sniff the doggy toothpaste from my finger. I bought poultry flavored dog toothpaste; that helped a lot.

He sniffed once or twice and then licked it off my finger.

That was that! I put everything away while he looked around for more.

Then, one day, I put some dog toothpaste on a toothbrush.

I let Rafi lick the toothpaste off the toothbrush. I did this for a few days, just a minute or less at a time. Pretty soon he was ready to eat the toothbrush.

Then, over a few more days, I slowly started to brush his teeth. I'd just do one quadrant and then let it go. He got used to it and I didn't force the cleaning. The point was to have him be comfortable with my fingers and a toothbrush in his mouth.

Over time, I slowly would brush a tooth more thoroughly. The toothpaste is enzymatic, so just putting it on the teeth also helps clean them. After awhile, I could brush all the teeth in one sitting.

The funny thing about patience is that it took a huge amount in the beginning, but now it doesn't take any at all. It helps that my dogs leap into their bed when they see me get out the doggy toothpaste! It also helps that my dogs taught me to go slowly and practice what I've learned - Applied Alexander®.

Media/journalists: Dana Ben-Yehuda is the Media Spokesperson for the American Society for the Alexander Technique. Contact her at dbenyehuda(at)comcast(dot)net

Wishing you a happy day!

Dana

Bottom Line's Daily Health News
February 8, 2009

In This Issue...

100-Year-Old Solution to Back Pain

Alexander Technique Body Movement Method Works Better than Other Therapies for Back Pain, Even a Year Later

Special from Bottom Line's Daily Health News
February 9, 2009

If you suffer from chronic back pain, you may want to consider a century-old, non-invasive, drug-free treatment method called the Alexander technique, which reeducates people on how to support and move their bodies. Recently an English study involving 579 patients with back pain put the Alexander technique to the test and demonstrated that it was effective and provided sustainable relief.

THE STUDY

Researchers established four groups of patients -- one took six Alexander technique lessons... another took 24 lessons... a third group had massage therapy only... and the fourth group had what the study team called "normal care." (Normal care was defined as care that would be offered by a general practitioner, and could include pain medications, non-mandatory referral to physiotherapy, etc.) All four groups were further divided in half, with one half walking briskly for 30 minutes a day and the others not exercising at all. Participants answered questionnaires about pain and function improvement at three months and one year. Results: The two Alexander technique groups reported significantly reduced back pain and improved functioning, including after 12 months, while there was little change in the massage and normal care groups. Among those who took just six lessons but who also did brisk walking, improvement was almost as great as those who took 24 lessons but did not exercise.

To find out more about the Alexander technique, I called Hope Gillerman, who has taught classes at physical rehabilitation centers and had a private practice in New York City for more than 25 years. Methods like acupuncture can offer immediate pain relief, notes Gillerman, but people with back pain also need a long-term, self-healing regimen -- and that is what the Alexander technique is. Most back pain comes from incorrect posture, poor body mechanics and excessive muscle tension, which increases when people are fatigued, angry, upset or in one position for a long time. Under duress, tension automatically builds in the back of the neck and the shoulders, pulling the heavy head downward into the spine, which causes compression. The fact that the pain becomes chronic further exacerbates all of these problems, Gillerman points out... since pain is upsetting and stops people from doing things and moving as they normally would, people develop more harmful habits. The Alexander technique can be effective because it addresses and helps to correct not only the cause of the injury, but also those harmful habits brought on by the pain.

HOW IT WORKS

At the heart of the Alexander technique is learning to keep the spine erect and properly supported. Gillerman explains that most people are unstable and "collapsed" through their torso, and hold and move their limbs in a rigid and stiff pattern. Without proper muscular support, the spine compresses, harming joints and tissues.

Here are three ways Gillerman helps her students envision what to do...

• For further illustration of what proper posture and body mechanics looks like, Gillerman points to elite runners -- their torsos don't move but their legs and arms move constantly, in a powerful yet flowing fashion.

• To help students better understand the degree of tension they need for proper back support, she has them tightly grip a spoon. They then release their grip slowly until they can comfortably hold the spoon... but not loose enough to let it slip from their grasp. "We teach students how to achieve that amount of tension in their back," she says.

HELPFUL TIPS

Regular exercise fits well with lessons in the Alexander technique, but the kind most people do at the gym, working on one muscle at a time, may not be effective. Abdominal strength is key, but workouts should include the muscles in the back and legs, not just pelvic muscles, Gillerman says. Crunches, for example, train the abdominal muscles to flex the torso -- this is useful when you get out of bed in the morning, but does not train the abdominal muscle to keep the spine lengthened. Instead she says, people should exercise to train their muscles to lift and stabilize the spine, not crunch. Vigorous walking, with arms swinging, abdominals pulled in, is great for this and is an excellent way to practice the new body mechanics students learn through the Alexander technique.

Gillerman says that many students find Alexander technique lessons so pleasurable and relaxing, they take them for months or even years -- but the real purpose of the technique is as a tool for change. People often feel better after just one lesson, but it is important to take a full introductory course of about 10 lessons over two to three months. Those who need yet more pain relief should take an additional six months of lessons. The technique works by changing neuromuscular patterns -- the bad habits you have formed -- and that takes time. "In the beginning students don't feel like themselves because we take away their familiar habits," says Gillerman. "When students get to the place that the old habits are the ones that feel wrong, they are ready to self-regulate."

Gillerman suggests doing at-home exercises to help make the subtle adjustments that correct posture and change habits and reinforce new self-care techniques. Here is one to try that may soothe your back pain...

• Lie down on your back on a mat or carpet, with your head resting on a telephone book.
• Bend your knees, bringing your feet close to your hips.
• Place your hands on your rib cage, elbows pointing out to the sides of your body.
• Notice your breathing. Practice making your exhalation longer than your inhalation.
• Visualize images that help you release muscle tension -- for instance, your back melting into the floor... or the crown of your head sliding away from the shoulders. These are excellent ways to help correct the common problem of letting your skull sink into your neck.
• Do 10 to 15 minutes every day, or more often if you need to relax.

You can find a qualified Alexander technique trainer by going to the American Society for the Alexander Technique (http://www.alexandertech.org/). Costs vary greatly according to where you live and lessons are generally from 30 minutes to one hour. Though insurance does not cover these, Gillerman says that employee flexible spending accounts can be used to pay for them.

Source(s):

Author: Hope Gillerman, a certified teacher of the Alexander technique, and founder and creator, H. Gillerman Organics, New York. hgillermanorganics.com.

Required Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The information is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers. The publisher does not advise or recommend to its readers treatment or action with regard to matters relating to their health or well-being other than to suggest that readers consult appropriate health-care professionals in such matters. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The information and opinions provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of publication, based on the best judgment available to the authors. However, readers who rely on information in this publication to replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult with health-care professionals, assume all risks of such conduct. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

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Here's news about MRI scans and low back pain.

Tara Parker-Pope reported on interesting information about low back pain, X-rays and MRIs. In her article, she reports that many people who have back pain undergo diagnostic tests that are not helpful. Sometimes, as a result of these tests, people undergo treatment that may not be necessary. It can be expensive as well as painful.

Ms. Parker-Pope cites a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. This study showed that 2 out of 3 people scanned with MRI showed evidence of disk problems. It concluded: Given the high prevalence of these findings and of back pain, the discovery by MRI of bulges or protrusions in people with low back pain may frequently be coincidental. Indeed; the people scanned were not in pain.

Ms. Parker-Pope also writes about another study, this one, published in The Lancet.

The report states in part: “Analysis of results from the 6 included studies shows that lumbar imaging for low back pain without features suggestive of a serious underlying condition does not, on average, improve clinical outcomes. This finding particularly applies to patients with acute or subacute, non-specific low back pain evaluated in primary care settings.”

At the same time, most people suffer with back pain at some point in time. According to Tara Parker-Pope’s article, that number is roughly two-thirds of us.

What is a person to do?

A study published in the British Medical Journal on Aug. 19, 2008, shows 86% reduction in number of days in pain per month following 24 lessons in the Alexander Technique. Patients went from 21 days of pain per month down to 3 days of pain.

Check it out: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/aug19_2/a884