Stretch and Recovery for
busy artists.
Free 30-minute virtual sessions every weekend: guided breathing, body awareness, and recovery stretches led by Thomas, Doctor of Physical Therapy and former musician.
What happens in each session
Every session is 30 minutes and follows the same format: breathwork first, then guided body awareness, and therapeutic stretches.
4 minutes of guided breathwork to shift your nervous system into rest-and-digest mode before we move.
We tune into where tension is in our body then move through full body stretches.
Opening the session with breath
The first 4 minutes of every session are dedicated to coherent breathing, a simple, evidence-based technique that activates the "rest and digest" nervous system and brings your body into a state of calm readiness.
What it does
At 5 breaths per minute, the heart, lungs, and circulation enter a state of coherence. Blood flow to the brain increases, heart rate variability improves, blood pressure drops, and the body's stress response is gently switched off. For professionals who arrive still tense and worn out, this 4-minute reset makes everything that follows more effective.
This breathing practice is drawn from the work of James Nestor, as presented in his book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art (Riverhead Books, 2020). We credit his work as the basis for this opening practice and encourage participants to explore the book for a deeper understanding of the science.
Areas we focus on
Artists carry tension and strain in their body from instrumental playing, static postures, repetitive motions, and professional demands.
| Neck and Upper Back | Focused work in rounded posture leads to unhelpful tension and strained breathing. It is important to release the neck and thorax. |
| Shoulders and Arms | Upper extremities are where we often find neural tension which inhibits performance and increases injury risk. We release the shoulder girdle and arm line. |
| Forearms and Wrists | Often overloaded area for artistic work. We address them to help with recovery. |
| Lower Back and Hips | Sustained sitting and asymmetrical postures stress the spine and hips. We will decompress and re-nourish these joints while stretching tight muscles. |
| Knees and Feet | Restricted lower extremities can tense up nerves and impact mobility. We address restricted musculature to allow ease in walking and make standing more comfortable. |
Thomas, founder of LBG Studio PLLC, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and former violinist/violist. He brings both clinical expertise as a physio and the perspective of a former musician to every session.
His practice is based in Evanston, IL. He specializes in working with artists in the performing and illustrative field. These sessions are his way of building a community of health-conscious artists, one small, achievable goal at a time.
Reserve your free spot
Sessions run every weekend via Zoom, open to all individuals. No experience needed, just show up.
Your privacy matters!
Everyone joins with camera off by default. Turn it on only if you choose to. You are welcome to use a first name, a nickname, or simply join as "Attendee."
Share this QR code with a friend who can benefit — it goes directly to sign up!