The lynchpin of my work rests on two crucial factors; awareness of one’s body in all aspects of life and ‘whole body consciousness.’  The way a musician uses his/her body in everyday life is reflected in all aspects of  technique and musicality.  It is not possible to have a solid body/instrument technique without daily body awareness.  As you read this, do a quick body scan-notice your feet, legs and how you’re sitting in your chair.  Then bring awareness to your spine and neck-just notice what you notice.  How about your shoulders, your jaw, your eyes?  Notice the parts of your body that feel comfortable in the chair; maybe your back supported by the chair; maybe the backs of your legs on the seat;  your feet on the ground.  If you have a few minutes, continue to focus on these ‘grounded’ places and breathe in for a slow count of 4 and out for a slow count of 4.  Notice how the grounded or comfortable places feel.

Whole body consciousness means an understanding of the relationship between, for instance, the feet and neck or the lower and upper back. The pain you feel in your wrist may well come from weak abdominals, fallen arches or a compressed chest.  It is not enough to fix the part of the body that is tight or painful- healing can only occur with whole body integration.