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Violinist Relies on Yoga

Paloma Chavez

Matthew JonesFor Welsh violinist Matthew Jones, producing a single note used to be a painful act. At the age of 22, having completed one term at London’s prestigious Royal College of Music, he suffered a Repetitive Strain Injury (RTI) to his right wrist that worsened into tendonitis, seriously threatening his career as a violinist.

Prior to joining the Royal College, Matthew contemplated a career in mathematics. However, playing the violin had always been a hidden passion of his, and he finally opted to pursue a career in music. Having made that decision, he found himself faced with a daunting challenge when he was diagnosed with severe tendonitis.
“I had been playing on instinct and talent and while it got me so far it also tied my body in knots”, reflected Matthew in a recent Wales Online interview. Determined to continue on his chosen musical path and frustrated with futile visits to various specialists, Matthew decided to seek out other solutions for recovery. His pursuit led him try Kundalini yoga and, after only a few sessions, he realized that it was a very effective way of relieving the pain and tension of tendonitis. By incorporating the Alexander Technique and Kundalini yoga into his violin practice, he was able to resume his chosen career. “It quite literally saved my career because specialists had told me I would never play professionally.”

Matthew has since trained to become a teacher of the Alexander Technique and Kundalini yoga. He teaches violin master classes throughout Europe and advises musicians on how to take a whole-health approach to their work.

Matthew recently made his debut at Carnegie Hall and is scheduled to be the artist in residence at the 2008 Vale of Glamorgan Festival in Wales from September 6 to 12.

Check out an article on Wales Online for more information on Matthew and the Vale of Glamorgan Festival.

[tags]Matthew Jones, violinist saved by yoga,  Kundalini yoga, Wales violinist[/tags]

3 Responses to “Violinist Relies on Yoga”

  1. Bill Vroom says:

    The Alexander Technique helped me a lot with my violin playing – haven’t tried yoga yet. You can learn more about the Technique at their website, http://alexandertechnique.com

  2. Paloma Chavez says:

    Thanks Bill for the information on the Alexander Technique. I too have had the opportunity to experience several classes in Los Angeles. Although I am not a musician it did connect me to my breath and voice. This in turn put me in the right frame of mind for my creative writing. And now yoga has become for me an extension of that work on a regular basis.

    Blessings!

  3. Heeter says:

    Hey, just reading…thought I’d show theres interest!

    ~Steve…

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