Alexander Technique
"After your lesson I felt positively taller and serene as I floated back home on my bike. Thanks for the Alexander inspiration, I will be taking new thoughts with me on my travels…. I'd thoroughly recommend Alexander Technique to anyone with a busy life and a hectic job" Clare Jones July 2010 BBC Producer/Photographer
"Your
hands and words guided me back to a more thoughtful use of my body….
learning to practice lying down in semi supine has really helped my back pain"
Alexandra Naourmoff November 2010 Swim-school Teacher
What is Alexander Technique?
Alexander Technique is about recognising and changing unconscious tension habits we hold in our body which interfere with our natural balance and co-ordination. Alexander Technique teaches you a way to undo these unhelpful patterns of tension, restoring effortless alignment and poise in movement. It is a subtle yet powerful process exploring freedom, balance and support in your whole body.
Alexander Technique
is a unique 'mind and body' learning - giving you experience of a new way
of thinking and moving.
How can Alexander Technique help?
Modern life urges
haste. Its demands often take us out of balance in our body and we pay little
attention to how we go about everyday movement. Over years we acquire postural
habits which literally pull us down. Alexander Technique offers a gentle re-educative
approach to natural balance throughout your body. Learning to undo tension
enables you to change habits of excess effort and regain ease of movement.
Many people find that learning to stay in balance - in stillness or movement
- lets them experience better posture and creates a greater sense of wellbeing.
Who
can benefit from Alexander Technique?
Alexander Technique will teach you to use your whole body in a more balanced
way. With less effort and more skill. It can reduce postural aches, pain or
stiffness by undoing habits of unnecessary tension you hold.
Daily life continually challenges our balance and co-ordination. AT will give
you a way to look after yourself, bringing stability and flexibility from
improved body use. It will help you to do whatever activities you do, better.
Alexander Technique brings you back into balance and can enhance creative
performance such as drama, dance, music or voice-work. AT can benefit anyone
- of any age.
Alexander Technique helps:
* Back pain (significant long term benefits of Alexander Technique for low back pain have been demonstrated by a major clinical study published by The British Medical Journal 2008)
* Neck or shoulder problems
* Aches or stiffness around the body from tension or poor posture
* Sciatica
* Migraines or headaches where posture is a factor
* Balance and co-ordination
* To restore freedom of movement after illness or injury
* Asthma, breathing and voice
* To manage stress and anxiety
Alexander Technique enhances:
Stature and posture
Thinking and attention
Efficiency and ease of movement
Confidence and wellbeing
Creative performance skills such as acting, singing,dance, playing a musical
instrument
Use of the voice for public speaking, talks and presentations
What
happens in a lesson?
Alexander Technique is as much awareness education as movement education.
You learn to become aware of your own habits of tension - where you grip or
tighten with muscular tension you don't need - and you learn to change this
by re-educating the muscles to support you in a better way.
In lessons you will experience explanation and gentle hands-on guidance to
help you find ease and balance in simple movement such as standing, sitting
or walking. Over time you will learn to reorganise your attention and awareness
in how you go about a range of movements - and to undo tension around your
body for yourself -enabling you to change long-standing habits.
You will be able to take your new awareness and co-ordination into everyday
life.
Part of the lesson may involve you lying down in semi supine. Many people
find semi supine a helpful daily tool that is good for their back and their
whole body.
How
many lessons will I need?
Alexander Technique is an active learning process - a re-education of body
and mind. You learn new skills to help yourself in the practicalities of balance
and poise in your body.
A series of 5 - 10 lessons will give you a good idea of how you can use The
Alexander Technique to help yourself.
How much does Alexander Technique cost?
Introductory
lesson (45
mins) £25
Lesson (45 mins) £30
Introductory chat about The Alexander Technique and how it could help you:
(15
mins) free
10 lessons (taken
within 6 months): 15% discount
5 lessons (taken within 3 months): 10% discount
About Janet
Janet Jacobs B.Ed (Hons) Graduate Dip (Sp Ed) MSTAT is the Alexander Teacher
at Equilibrium.
Janet is a qualified Alexander Technique teacher who has undergone a 3 year
full-time training. She is registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare
Council and is a BackCare charity professional member. Janet is an experienced
Alexander teacher with an additional private practice in Hove.
When is Alexander Technique available?
Saturdays 9.00am
- 1.00pm
Other times may be available by arrangement
How do I book?
1. Call 01273 470955
2. email
3. In person at Equilibrium Complementary Health Centre, 16 Station St, Lewes, East Sussex
Please note: Payments can be made to your therapist by cheque or cash. In order to keep prices to the minimum, we regret that we are unable to accept credit or debit card payments.
Links
The Society of Teachers of The Alexander Technique (STAT) - the oldest professional
body of Alexander Teachers: www.stat.org.uk
Back Care - the charity for healthier backs: www.backcare.org.uk
A useful introductory book about The Alexander Technique: Body Breath and
Being - a new guide to the Alexander Technique by Carolyn Nicholls ( ISBN:
978 1 904468 42 4). Published by D&B Publishing www.dandbpublishing.com
A semi supine talk-through is available here
For information about Ergonomics and The Alexander Technique: www.ergonomics.org
