I’ve always had a soft spot for Lenny Henry. My family is from West Bromwich, just down the road from where Lenny grew up in Dudley and that accent always makes me feel a little homesick. Recently I discovered that he’s also a student of the Alexander Technique. Read the rest of this entry »

One:  take a look at your hands, palms then the back. Are your fingers curling in towards your palm?  Are you holding the mouse, even when you’re not holding the mouse? The muscles that bend and straighten your fingers aren’t in your hands at all. They’re in your forearm.  That’s why your forearm can ache after lots of computer work.  Think about it – the muscles are pretty chunky.  If we had to accommodate those in our hands, they’d be huge.  The muscles of the forearm become long slim tendons in the hand, and that’s how they move the fingers. Read the rest of this entry »

I love talking to people about the Alexander Technique.  But when I do, it makes me sad to hear about the pain and discomfort that many people are simply tolerating, because they aren’t aware that they can do something about it.  I met a woman this week who can’t go shopping because it’s too uncomfortable for her to stand, yet she can’t sit for more than 20 minutes either. She has constant back pain and two prolapsed discs. This lady runs her own company and is one of the many business-owners I’ve met who know they are in bad shape but feel they are too busy to put in the time to get sorted out. Read the rest of this entry »

Lionel Logue, the Australian speech therapist who features in the movie ‘The King’s Speech’, wasn’t the only man from ‘down under’ using unconventional methods to help people who stammered in 1930’s London. A certain F.M. Alexander, founder of the Alexander Technique, was there too. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s winter.  Days are short , nights are long.  So ignore the magazines telling you to join a gym and go on a diet.  You know you’ll have given up by February.  Instead why not work with nature, head back under the duvet and get plenty of restorative, refreshing, wonderful sleep. Come February you’ll be bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to enjoy the first signs of spring.

‘Yes thank you Sarah, I’m perfectly capable of sleeping without any input from you’, you may be thinking.  And I’m sure you are.  But do you sometimes wake with a crick in your neck?  Or a stiff lower back?  Or a tight jaw?  If so, read on.

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Ah, Santa. Dashing through the snow in his sleigh, reindeers in front, pressies in the back. An exemplary demonstration of the first top tip to avoid back pain this Christmas: Read the rest of this entry »

It’s snowing in London!  Icy pavements are treacherous for pedestrians.  So what can you do? Here are five practical tips to keep you on your feet. Read the rest of this entry »

A study in the US has shown significant benefits for surgeons who took Alexander Technique lessons.   Read the rest of this entry »

The title of a 1970 album by Funkadelic. Also a perfect description of the Alexander Technique. What a happy coincidence.   Read the rest of this entry »