8/12/10

ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE GROUP CLASS Fall 2010

With Rachel Bernsen

6-Monday evenings Sept 13 – Oct 25 (no class Oct 11)
6-7:15pm
Shoreline Center for Wholistic Health
35 Boston St. Guilford, CT

$240 fee includes one 45-minute private lesson (all private lessons will take place at my teaching studio in New Haven).


Over 100 years ago F.M. Alexander was searching for a way to resolve his recurring vocal problems.
Now, a study recently published in the British Medical Journal finds Alexander Technique more effective for treating back pain than other conventional or alternative therapies.

Benefits of the Technique include
-relief from pain
-stress reduction
-increased range of motion
-improved coordination and balance, and much more.

Join Rachel in a small, friendly group class environment. We’ll explore this work with group activities, hands-on demonstrations, and discussion. Walking, reaching, sitting, and standing can be transformed when we engage our mind, creating the opportunity for change.

Advanced registration required. Class limited to 8 students

For more info and to register: rachelbernsen@gmail.com or 917.531.4484

8/4/10

Pix from my teaching studio wall

I have a growing collection of photographs, newspaper clippings, and photocopies made from favorite books that hang on the inside of the door of my teaching studio. All are there because they inspire. Each photograph uniquely represents a quality of presence, vitality, and availability. Although suspended in time by virtue of being captured in a photograph, each subject is clearly moving in many different directions at once, going out and up into movement. It's exciting to see all those oppositions engaged. It's the dynamic quality we all know so well in our favorite athlete, dancer, infant...


Here are a few...clockwise from top: image of a baby from Michael Gelb's Body Learning; Rafael Nadal; Jim Rice(who played football in the early years)folding and expanding all at the same time.


Amazing fingers to toes connection in order to reach to catch that ball! Unknown baseball player



Image of baby from Michael Gelb's Body Learning
. Beautiful internal diagonal spiral connections from opposite feet to fingertips, top of head to heel.


Serena Williams, reaching through all her limbs and beautifully folding at her hip joints for a powerful return.


And of course Merce Cunningham. Here he has an infant like curiosity, his whole body follows his eyes. He's totally engaged.