The Franklin Method was devised by Eric Franklin, originally as a way of helping dancers correct misalignments in their body, and improve their performance in terms of strength, flexibility and fluidity of movement.

The exercises are fun, creative, and use imagery to inform the sub-conscious brain, which pays dividends in terms of acquiring new postural patterns.

Franklin Method starts from the tenet, "Balanced Mobility brings Stability". Good posture is paramount - muscles should be balanced around the central axis, the spine, as low and as close to the spine, with as little tension, as the individual's structure allows. For example, how are you sitting as you are reading this? Is your head and spine upright? (Helium ballon in the head) Are your shoulders released? (Dropping down your back like runny honey) Is your low back open and free from tension? (Sacrum docked evenly like a boat in the harbour provided by the Ilia - or pelvic halves- if it's uneven there will be tension) Is your pelvic floor strong and relaxed? ( It needs to support all your abdominal organs without getting tense, and it's tone should be even throughout - you could think of it as a calm, cool, pond, as a trampoline, as having a glowing light - what works for you?). Are your knees, ankles and toes relaxed? (think of sand pouring out of them).

Did you know that awareness of your organs can improve their function and your mobility (place your hands in front of and behind your liver for a few minutes and appreciate what it does for you! and then move around it, side bending and flexing and extending your spine. Feel the difference before and after)
When you walk are you aware that your spine should spiral, that your jaw ahould be relaxed, that your pelvis is multi-jointed, that your shoulders and arms should swing, and all with as little energy put into tensing your body as possible.

Franklin Method also uses small balls and long therabands to relax muscles and strengthen them. Many of my clients take their balls with them on planes, on holiday, to the theatre, to release tight backs, shoulders, necks, to keep the circulation going in the feet and lots more.

For more lessons and workshops in Franklin Technique, get in touch with me, smzeqiri@yahoo.co.uk (possible workshop topics include how the jaw affects tension in the rest of the body, the spine, the pelvic floor). Look at Eric Franklin's excellent books, Relax Your Neck and Liberate Your Shoulders, and Pelvic Power (www.amazon.co.uk) or go to the English homepage at www.franklin-methode.ch