A Wellness Handbook for the Performing Artist

Celebrity, fame, wealth, the big time—for many people, these are some of the images conjured by thoughts of a career as a professional performing artist. But for the hundreds of thousands of active professional performing artists in the United States, “the big time” matters far less than “all the time.” In other words, your health needs as a performer—using your body, voice, and emotions in your work—far outweigh mainstream recommendations for optimal health.

In A Wellness Handbook for the Performing Artist: The Performer’s Essential Guide to Staying Healthy in Body, Mind, and Spirit, Alena Gerst examines issues that go beyond the importance of training or navigating the business of performing. It is the first book to prioritize the performer’s well-being, your ultimate key to a long and satisfying career.

Alena Gerst is a psychotherapist specializing in the mind-body connection. A longstanding member of Actors Equity Association and the Performing Arts Medicine Association, she has a keen understanding of the unique demands performers face each day. She is an avid student of yoga and lives in New York City with her husband, daughter, and dog.