Last year it was Gareth Malone.  This year my new TV hero is Dr Chris van Tulleken.  If you didn’t catch the two episodes of The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs when they were broadcast on 15 and 22 September (9pm, BBC1), do watch them on your i-player.  The programmes’ premise is that we are a nation of pointless pill-poppers.  Our GPs are all too ready to prescribe painkillers and anti-depressants.  However not only do these drugs not work, they do us harm – both in terms of their side-effects and the perpetuation of a culture of passive reliance on medication. In these two excellent programmes, Dr Chris convincingly demonstrates that regular exercise is a far more effective treatment.  He offers his guinea pigs ‘a miracle cure’ which will, in addition, improve mood, reduce the risk of all kinds of cancers, and is side-effect free.  ‘What’s the catch?’ asks Michael, who has high blood pressure. Dr Chris: ‘There is no catch!”  But there is.  These seriously unwell people need to do something for themselves.  All of which resonates with my experience teaching the Alexander Technique: the students who are motivated to take responsibility for themselves, and to apply the Technique beyond their lessons (rather than relying on their Alexander Teacher to ‘fix’ them) are the ones that get the most benefit from the work.

Episode 1
Episode 2

Congratulations to Sue Laurie, whose book 'Touching Lives: Memoirs of An Alexander Technique Teacher working with the RSC and National Theatre' launches at the NT tomorrow. Sue has just celebrated her 80th birthday and what she has achieved – and is still achieving – in the theatre world is phenomenal.  Her pupils include Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch and Sir Lenny Henry. The book will retail at £14.99 but is available at a pre-publication price of £11.99 plus p&p up until tomorrow (14th September 2016) using this link:  HITE - pre order copy of Touching Lives by Sue Laurie