Welcome to the first issue of The Well-Tempered Musician, the newsletter of the College of Musical Arts Wellness Group at Bowling Green State University. Also look for us in print around the CMA.
This month: combat winter blues, mix a tasty, healthy snack in less than 5 minutes, find out how Dr. Thomas Rosenkranz conquers stage fright with a sense of inner well-being, and more.
Winter Weather Wellness Tips
By Bri Michalko
o Eat a balanced diet
o Look for things that are in season like oranges which are full of vitamin C.
o Stay hydrated
o We tend to forget to drink enough water in the winter months because we don’t sweat as often. However, cold temperatures suck moisture from our bodies (hence the need for chapstick and hand cream in the winter).
o Say hello to the sun
o Many people suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder which causes depression and anxiety in the winter months. Take a break from practicing to get a few minutes of sunshine, which helps boost energy and dissipate symptoms.
o Kill germs
o WASH YOUR HANDS. ALL THE TIME.
o Bundle up and warm up
o If you haven’t noticed, Bowling Green
o Exercise
o Hit the gym or venture outdoors. Walking outside in the winter burns 50% more calories than in the summer because your body has to work harder to warm up.
For more seasonal health awareness, check out the CDC: www. cdc.gov/family/holiday/
Alexander Technique
By Sarah Puckett
What is it?
Certified teachers help students become aware of their bodies and the actions they may unconsciously take that cause unnecessary tension. Rather than rely on external manipulation like massage or physical therapy, Alexander Technique emphasizes internal change, directing (never forcing) the body to use the appropriate amount of effort and to avoid strain. These principles were founded by F.M. Alexander (1869-1955), an actor who solved his chronic performance-related laryngitis by teaching himself how to use his body with ease.
What can I expect at a first lesson?
The teacher will ask you to demonstrate some everyday movements like sitting in a chair. Then they help you find a sense of effortlessness in these movements both by verbally explaining and by placing their hands on your body. Often a teacher will have you lie on a table for part of the lesson, where they can continue to guide you. You won’t need to remove any clothing (except maybe your shoes).
How expensive is it?
The website alexandertechnique.com quotes average prices as around the same as a massage; a teacher in Toledo
Quick and Healthy Recipe
From Colleen O’Shea Jones
Chop an apple into bite size pieces. Sprinkle cinnamon, add walnuts, and put in microwave for one minute. Take apple mixture and fold into a bowl of Greek yogurt. Stir in honey if desired.
The Unexpected Benefits of Tea
By Hannah Reilly
Getting tired of your dependence on caffeine? Put the coffee down and have some tea! One cup of tea contains around half the amount of caffeine found in brewed coffee, and has many more health benefits.
Studies have shown that black, green, white, and oolong teas all contain antioxidants that may lower your risk of cancer and heart disease.
Decaffeinated herbal teas have more specific health benefits:
· Peppermint or regular mint tea will aid your digestion.
· Chamomile encourages the ever-elusive restful sleep!
· Lemon tea not only smells great but can help you de-stress at the end of the day as well as promote healthy skin.
· Rosemary teas can help relieve headaches (add a teaspoon of honey if you're not a fan of bitter teas!)
· For a natural concentration boost, try ginkgo biloba tea, which promotes memory and mental alertness by improving your circulation.
For more information: www.learn-about-tea.com/herbal-tea-benefits.html, www.healthcastle.com/tea.shtml
For more information: www.learn-about-tea.com/herbal-tea-benefits.html, www.healthcastle.com/tea.shtml
Meet a Professor:
Dr. Thomas Rosenkranz, piano
By Sarah Puckett
For four years, Dr. Rosenkranz has not eaten Wendy’s. He’s also given up coffee in favor of tea, usually green. Why the lifestyle change? More and more he’s been finding that everything—what he puts in his body, how he thinks about spirituality, and the way he plays Rzewski—is connected.“Music is supposed to embody your soul and your heart, and your body is what transmits that,” Rosenkranz says. When he doesn’t feel at his best physically, the music doesn’t feel as good. So he changed his diet and made exercise a priority. Some of the changes almost worked too well. “I don’t think my body can handle fast food anymore.”
A workshop he led last summer (and will resume in 2012) had students dancing across the floor in Bryan
A sense of natural momentum, both in body and mind, are absolutely necessary to perform marathon hour-long pieces, like Rzewski’s The People United Will Never Be Defeated, which was programmed on Rosenkranz’s recent solo recital. “I have to gauge my actions, he says. “If you’re tight at the beginning, you’re doomed.”
As important as physical stamina is mental focus. Playing in front of people can complicate that focus, because the audience is what makes us nervous. For Rosenkranz, this is when performing can be almost spiritual. “There’s a shelter inside music; if you can get inside the shelter, you can forget about the audience. Once you get into the music, you can ride it.”
This kind of mental clarity demands having good internal awareness. One of the first clues to who you are shows up in an unexpected place, according to Rosenkranz. “You can tell a lot about a person by how they walk,” he says. “Tony Arnold told me this—if people tend to focus on their brain, they’ll lead with their head; if someone is cocky or quasi-sexual, they might lead with their hips.” There’s no hiding; what happens internally, whether spiritual, psychological, or digestible, affects our bodies in how we move and carry ourselves. And making healthy choices for our bodies starts with thinking them. “Positive thinking is so damn important,” says Rosenkranz. “I think you can have anything you want if you just keep positive.”
