Holistic Bodywork for Performers: A Practical Guide - Softcover

Since Stanislavsky discovered yoga more than a hundred years ago, performers have employed an increasingly diverse range of holistic practices to help prepare their bodies and minds for the creative process. This book is an outstanding hands-on guide to some of the most important bodywork practices being used in theaters and training centers today, including yoga, tai chi, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, and Contact Improvisation. Alternative therapies like shiatsu and reflexology, which provide pathways to understanding the body's natural balancing and energy systems, are also introduced with accessible guidelines for safe use. The book includes introductions to the holistic practices, practical exercises, comparative analyses of systems and benefits, and guidelines for further exploration.

Janet Free and Nicky Ramsay have been lecturing and directing for many years on Drama undergraduate courses whilst pursuing their interest in bodywork. Between them they have professional qualifications in yoga, reflexology, shiatsu and massage, as well as many years of practical students of Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais and tai chi.