Tanya Shoop's Blog

Welcome to my new page which is a blog of thoughts which will all be inspired by the Alexander Technique.

The eyes

Our eyes can hold tension, particularly when looking at a computer screen for long periods of time. One thing to help soften the eyes is to remember to use the peripheral vision from time to time. Every 20 minutes or so, look at something further away, out of the window if possible. Be aware of everything you can see - to the sides, above and below our "normal" way of looking at something. It won't all be sharp but it gives the eye muscles a break. Try to make sure your neck keeps free and doesn't stiffen or tighten as you look out.
23 June 2008

Olympic Gold for FM Alexander

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Great Britain's rowing coxless four team won gold. Two of these four had been having Alexander lessons. Rowers spend many hours training - lifting weights and rowing. The muscle shortening that can occur sometimes leads to injuries such as fractured ribs. They also pull their heads back when lifting weights which then interferes with the length and strength of their back. On the river, rowers' misuse can be very poor, with chronically collapsed spines through bending at the waist and tightening the abdominal muscles rather than pivoting forward using the hip joint. Colleagues, Caroline Chisholm and Patrick Pearson, spent many hours teaching 9 members of the rowing squad Alexander principles such as how to be more attuned to changes in muscle tone. They learned ways of relaxing in a thoughtful way which could then calm their immune system and discovered how to inhibit, or stop, harmful habits and reflexes, enabling them to make longer and more powerful strokes.
16 June 2008

How much do you know about the human body?

I've come across a great page on the BBC website where you can learn more about the body. It's interactive and you can drag and drop different bits of the body - eg bones, muscles,organs - onto a torso and see how well you know what goes where. Click here to discover more.
2 June 2008

New Article added from The Times

An article in the Times appeared a couple of weeks ago looking at how there is more to the Alexander Technique than bad backs and poor posture. Please click here to read more.
5 May 2008

What a lot of weather we're having

We seem to be having a lot of weather at the moment. With frequent rain showers and cold spells, the temptation can be to hunch our shoulders up, pull our arms around us and tuck our heads in. Does this make any difference to how cold or wet we get? Often not. But it does make a difference to our posture and tightness in the body.
1 May 2008

Up or Down

We tend to think downwards quite a lot. We may be lost in thought, looking at a computer screen, cooking or eating, reading or writing, or looking after children. Often, this thinking makes us "pull down" or collapse. As an experiment, try thinking about the space above your head. This is literally just a thought. Nothing to do. No need to tip the head back. Just a thought about the space above your head.
21 April 2008

"Should" versus "Could"

We use the word "should" a lot but I do not find it to be a very inspiring or empowering word. It seems a way of telling ourselves off or giving us yet another thing to do. But surely this just makes us a bit more tense and tightens our neck. I prefer "could". This is a lighter word, full of possibility. So when an Alexander pupil says something like "I should do more lying down", the idea of "I could lie down more" makes for a much more inviting prospect.
17 April 2008

© Tanya Shoop 2008