About AT – Alexander Technique Lessons North London

Alexander Technique Lessons North London

About Alexander Technique North London

 

Work and Play

Many people sit for long hours at a desk or at a computer which can lead to pain and stress in the neck, shoulders, throat and back, Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), eye strain, headaches, migraines and much more.

New technology contributes to this and is definitely not a friend to a well-positioned neck and back.

Watch this short video about how we are giving ourselves neck pain by constantly using our smart-phones, and what we can do to be more comfortable, and maintain stamina and energy.

You can learn naturally how to work with reduced stress and how to look after your body and mind so that you feel less tired and drained, instead more productive with more vitality at the end of the day.

Alternatively, your work may require you to stand for long periods or to present workshops/training.
You can be taught how to stand with less effort, how to be more balanced and how to feel embodied, using your breath and relaxed voice to give confident presentations.

Alexander Technique Lessons North London

Performance: Music, Dance and Drama

Many musicians suffer serious pain or RSI due to numerous hours of playing an instrument for practice or performance. Performance anxiety is also very debilitating.

You can learn how to use ‘constructive rest’ to recharge your mind and body to improve your confidence, performance and productivity.
You can also learn to understand where you have unnecessary muscular and mental stress so that you can allow release and more fluid and embodied performance.
Assisting Professor Peter Buckoke and Judith Kleinman with the Alexander Technique lessons at the Royal College of Music has given me a unique experience of working with talented musicians and helping them to understand how Alexander Technique can be of benefit to them

Drama and Dance also require excessive demands on the body, mind and emotions and AlexanderTechnique modules are incorporated in many courses throughout the country.
Actors/Dancers can learn how to use their whole bodies, senses and breathing to improve their performance and stamina, with less strain and powerful embodiment.

The first lesson takes about an hour, after that, lessons are approximately 45 minutes. In the first lesson I take a brief history of any problems or reasons that may have lead you to seek lessons. I find out what you want to achieve and talk through what you are likely to expect from lessons.

Lessons involve gentle, non-invasive hands on work with verbal explanations that help you think about your use of your body. You will be guided through simple movements or everyday activities and part of the lesson may include lying down in semi supine (on an Alexander table), this helps the back relax and expand. Lessons are very much tailored to you as an individual.

It is advisable to wear comfortable everyday clothing that allows easy movement and you will be asked to remove your shoes.

Whilst assisting Penny O’Connor at ArtsEd, Performing Arts School, Chiswick, I have worked with numerous aspiring actors, helping them to develop their awareness of their embodied potential.

Exercise

We all need to exercise and many of us enjoy demanding competitive sports.
Many professional sports men and women have benefitted from Alexander Technique Lessons North London and it is a joy to watch people in action who have wonderful coordination, vitality and poise.

However, sport can come at a price and if you are not mindful you can cause strain or serious injury. The Alexander Technique can be incorporated into all sports and exercise by creating more embodied and aware release of the breath and body in action whether it’s swimming, yoga, tennis, rowing, football or golf.

Testimonials

R Coates 2014

“I had a history of neck and shoulder pain for around 8 years, and this became acute early in 2014. I’d seen osteopaths and chiropractors, had recently followed a course of physiotherapy, and while these treatments helped to relieve the pain I realised that my day-to-day posture and laptop-based work were the main contributors.
Deborah’s excellent, professional approach led me to reassess and become aware of the way I stand, sit, and lie, so that I could start to break long-practiced bad habits. I am 6 feet 3 inches tall, and after a few weeks of Alexander Technique I began to realise that I had been stooping for much of my life to compensate for this. The Technique is a remarkably subtle way to gain self awareness, unlearn bad practice, and walk tall.”

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