During the 1990s, alternative medicine came into its own as a treatment option to be seriously considered. Formerly relegated to the new age section of the bookstore, publications on the mind/body connection and Eastern philosophy became national bestsellers, and authors such as Deepak Chopra became household names. Now in the 21st century, insurance companies are beginning to cover treatments based on ancient methods of healing. Fitness centers all over the country are now offering classes in everything from yoga to T’ai Chi. In short, a plethora of alternative body therapies are being rediscovered and redefined. While this article is in no way meant to be an exhaustive or comprehensive study, it will explore some of these therapies and their relevance for singers as a means of reducing stress, relieving pain, and enhancing performance.
Perhaps the method most readily accepted by the vocal community is the Alexander Technique. Alexander teachers serve on the faculties of Juilliard, Northwestern, and the Royal Academy of Music, to name a few. Even popular singers such as Sting and Paul McCartney have become Alexander adherents. The hands-on technique was developed by Australian Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955), a Shakespearean actor who suffered from vocal fatigue. After finding no help from traditional medicine, Alexander eventually devised a solution of his own. During ten years of study and observation, he found that his poor postural habits and movement patterns, specifically those involving his head and neck, contributed to his chronic laryngitis. By developing a system to reeducate his body and establish an alignment that was conducive to healthy, free vocalism, he created what is now known as the Alexander Technique. One of the main emphases of the technique is lengthening the spine and fighting the ‘downward pull’ of gravity. Because the larynx, or voicebox, is encased in the head/neck axis, the importance of proper head and neck alignment cannot be overstated. As a voice teacher, I have seen many students suffer from pressed phonation and minimized vocal range due to neck tension and/or misalignment. Alexander lessons, however, do not simply teach upright posture out of context. More importantly, singers engage in their art during the lessons so that the teacher can show them how to develop new postural patterns while the student is in the act of singing. By creating postural balance and functional efficiency, the Alexander Technique becomes a powerful tool for relieving excess tension and thereby maximizing performance.
A similar body therapy with a slightly different approach is the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education. It was originated by Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984) a Russian renaissance man with a doctorate in science from the Sorbonne, not to mention a black belt in judo. The Feldenkrais Method is based on repeating exercises involving everyday actions such as sitting or standing. These lessons, or ATMs (Awareness Through Movement) retrain the body to create new physical habits, which in turn prevent pain or discomfort during the heightened stress of the performance setting. Like the Alexander Technique, the Feldenkrais Method has been embraced by a good number of musicians. For instance, the Tanglewood Music Center added a practitioner to its program, whom former Artistic Director Leon Fleisher later warmly endorsed on a Feldenkrais website. According to Feldenkrais himself, the Method establishes healthy body movement particularly helpful in overcoming the pain of joint disorders such as TMJ or Temporo-mandibular Joint Syndrome, which can prove to be a severely limiting or even debilitating condition for singers. The Feldenkrais Method has also attracted interest of some in the chiropractic community, granting it perhaps some more legitimacy in the eyes of more traditional health therapies.
Apparently pianist Leon Fleisher, a Feldenkrais follower, has also been an advocate of Rolfing, according to another endorsement on the Rolf Institute’s website. Rolfing is a modality created by biophysicist Dr. Ida P. Rolf (1896-1979) Defined by Rolf as “structural integration,” Rolfing uses deep tissue massage to alleviate muscular rigidity and achieve ideal alignment. Not for the faint of heart, the Rolfing process manipulates the body at the fascial or connective tissue layer instead of focusing on the spine or the musculature. The first president of the Rolf Institute, Joseph Heller, (b. 1940) developed his own body therapy called Hellerwork, combining the deep-tissue massage of Rolfing with movement reeducation and the verbal release of emotions. This final component should be of particular interest to singers, who hopefully have experienced the endorphin high of emotional release through vocalism. If not, Heller’s system of releasing physical tension and freeing the voice through the Hellerwork Sequence might prove enlightening. The 11-step sequence begins with Inspiration and Alignment and continues to help control and surrender the “guts” by connecting breath patterns to your emotions or “gut feelings.” According to Heller’s view, shallow breathing would not only be unhealthy, it would make for unconvincing, unconnected expression.
The connection of body or breath and brain is a primary element of yoga. From the Sanskrit word for union, yoga is a mind/body practice originating in ancient India which involves movement through various physical postures or poses called asana. After the first yoga fad in the 1960s, the practice has recently been repopularized in part by celebrity devotees including Madonna and (here he is again) Sting. Contrary to some popular myths, one does not need to practice Hinduism in order to benefit from yoga, nor does one need the prodigious flexibility of a Cirque de Soleil performer. There are many different branches of yoga, each emphasizing particular elements of the practice. The Ashtanga and Bikram systems require more intense physical exertion while the Iyengar focuses on alignment. Kundalini yoga, brought to the U.S. by Sikh Yogi Bhajan in 1969, centers its practice on the breath, developing pranayama or breath control and vitalizing breath energy and respiratory health. On a personal note, I have found the benefits of yoga practice to be manifold. The stretching, spine-lengthening poses leave me feeling an inch taller, while the calm, deep inspiration soothes my nerves on a performance day (providing a welcome alternative to medical solutions such as beta blockers), and centers my breath in the abdominal region.
Emphasizing inward movement of the abdominal muscles, Pilates is a blending of yoga and nautilus that has become the latest fitness craze among Hollywood types. Created by Joseph Pilates (1880-1968), a German who settled in New York City, the system initially won the support of famed choreographers George Balanchine and Martha Graham as a means of rehabilitating their injured dancers. While very beneficial in strengthening the spine and creating long, lean lines in the body, Pilates may create problems for singers who are unable to separate its emphasis on drawing in the abdominals (“the powerhouse”) from the abdominal expansion advocated by most school of vocal production.
Another popular fitness methodology is T’ai Chi Chuan, an ancient Chinese form of energy cultivation. Traced back to a thirteenth century, the practice of T’ai Chi utilizes slow gentle movements promote strength, balance, and vitality or chi. The prevalence of continuous circular movement and the interplay of opposing forces (yin and yang) can have some powerful correlations to the singer’s breath cycle and the technique of appoggio.
Massage Therapy has been a widely accepted practice for many years, proven to raise performance levels in athletes and dancers. Apparently, renowned vocal pedagogue Barbara Doscher (1922-1996) swore by a weekly massage. Of interest to singers are two different modalities involving not traditional massage but gentle touch stemming from physical therapy: the Trager Approach and the Rosen Method. Another Renaissance man, Milton Trager (1909-1997) was a boxer, acrobat, physical therapist, and physician. Endorsed by singer Linda Ronstadt, his therapy comprises two major elements. The first is tablework known as Psychophysical Integration. It features non-invasive rocking manipulations to release limiting muscular patterns. But the Trager Approach also includes the use of mind-body exercises called Mentastics designed to reinforce the benefits of the bodywork between sessions. Like Trager, Marion Rosen (b. 1914) also received training as a physical therapist, completing her studies at the Mayo Clinic. In addition, she studied psychotherapy under a disciple of Carl Jung. Her system was codified as the Rosen Method, and utilizes touch to release physical and emotional tension. Of special relevance to singers is the method’s focus on the diaphragm as the primary indicator of emotional connectedness and, when constricted, the instigator of muscular tension.
Also employing light touch is the system of bodywork known as Reiki. Named after the Japanese word for “universal life energy,” Reiki is a hands-on method of channeling and balancing the body’s energy. It was developed by Mikao Usui (1864-1926) and brought to California in 1970. In a healing session, a Reiki master attempts to align the energy pathways of the body known as chakras. This esoteric and subtle “energy science” is perhaps the most intangible of the modalities discussed here since energy fields or auras are certainly not discernible to the naked eye of the average individual (except perhaps Menotti’s Baba). Finally, another method addressing energy meridians is Reflexology. Derived from related practices such as acupuncture and acupressure, reflexology can be traced to ancient Egypt but was defined in more recent times by physiotherapist Eunice Ingham. The system’s “zone therapy” entails the manipulation of reflex points on the feet which stimulate corresponding zones in the body. Like Reiki, reflexology’s more abstract, immaterial nature makes it less readily accepted but no less intriguing for future consideration.
A mixture of new and newly revisited alternative body therapies have emerged, including many others not discussed here (Aromatherapy, Bowen Therapy, Holotropic Breathwork, Polarity Therapy, Osteopathy, Applied Kinesiology etc.). As mentioned previously, this article is not meant to explore all of these modalities but is intended to introduce some which may be of relevance to singers. This overview is a starting point from which to personalize your needs in balancing the singer’s challenge: achieving technical fluidity and integrated artistry in the midst of physical tension and/or emotional stress. Whatever methods you employ, the goal of alternative body therapy is to maintain a holistic harmony, so that a sound mind and body can be manifested in a sound voice.
RESOURCES FOR FURTHER READING:
De Alcantara, Pedro. Indirect Procedures: A Musician’s Guide to the Alexander Technique.
Farhi, Donna. The Breathing Book.
Levine, Andrew S. and Valerie J. The Bodywork and Massage Sourcebook
Pierce, Margaret and Martin. Yoga for Your Life: A Practice Manual of Breath and Movement for Every Body.
RELEVANT WEBSITES
www.alexandertechnique.com/singers Read Sandra Head’s article, ‘Singing, Singers, and the Alexander Technique.’
www.feldenkrais.com Feldenkrais Guild of North America. Try a free online lesson.
www.hellerwork.com Hellerwork International. Check out the client’s handbook.
www.reflexology.net International Academy of Advanced Reflexology. Look at the Original Telepo Foot Chart.
www.reiki.org International Center for Reiki Training. Listen to the audio message or subscribe to the free newsletter.
www.rolf.org Rolf Institute
www.rosenmethod.org Rosen Institute
www.trager.com Trager Institute
www.yogazone.com Find out when to catch the daily cable television show on WebMD (The Health Network).
