How I work:
We live in a world which places such great importance on the achievement of
goals, on getting things done. Humanity owes much of its success to its
focus on goals, but sadly it also owes much of its failure to the lack of
attention we give to how we achieve our goals, in other words the journey. You may have heard the saying:
'
It is the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.'
To be a good Alexander Teacher, one has to practice what one teaches. Now
this might sound obvious but in fact the world is full of professions where
one thing is being said, and quite another thing is being practiced. One
only has to think of smoking nurses, bored teachers, careless
builders.....
As a teacher of this extraordinary work I very much practice what I teach
and my approach is gentle, curious and empathetic. I invite my clients to
explore new pathways and directions, rather than instruct them. I certainly
never hold myself up as an arbiter of the right way to do things, but rather
as a guide familiar with a certain path that you may discover for yourself is both
useful and profound.
Some of my values and beliefs:
I believe that the journey is more important than the goal.
I value patience, humour, kindness and intuition.
I believe that we all carry an innate wisdom and capacity for healing
ourselves and our world, if only we can still ourselves enough to hear those
inner whispers.
What happens in a lesson:
I use my hands in a gentle guiding way to move my clients through a series
of simple movements, such as sitting or standing in a chair. At times I
will feedback an observation about what is happening and at other times I
will talk about some aspect of the thinking required for this work.
It is useful if clients wear loose fitting, comfortable clothing. There is
no need at any point during the lesson to remove clothing.
What can I expect to experience during or after a lesson?
People often feel lighter and freer in themselves after a lesson. Sometimes
there is a increased sense of well being and contentment. Occasionally there
can be a profound emotional release during or after lessons. The Alexander
teacher will always provide a safe and supportive environment which will
allow clients to experience emotions that they may be 'holding' just beneath
the surface. The physical and emotional balance that often comes after a
series of lessons may well translate into a much longer term emotional
equanimity.
How do I know if I have the right teacher?
When meeting a teacher for the first time, trust your instincts first and
foremost. It is important to like your teacher and feel a natural ease with
them. If you don't, then look someone else up, you can find a comprehensive
list of STAT teachers here.
As for me, I am a member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander
Technique, and have completed 1600 hours of training (as well as having
taught professionally for 10 years now). STAT is the oldest and biggest professonal governing body for the Alexander technique. All its memebers carry professional
indemnity insurance. You can read some of my testimonials to see what some of my
clients have said about me by clicking here.
You can find out about the service I offer by clicking here.