What Happens in a Lesson

The emphasis in my lessons is to give you simple skills which will enable you to discover when and how you are using excessive tension and then find the means to release that tension, use your body more efficiently, and reduce any pain you may have.

The Alexander Technique enables you to start to regain the poise, good posture and natural co-ordination which you, like millions of others, had as a child.  Habits developed over many years such as slouching in front of a computer of TV for hours on end, excessive tension generated by driving cars or the daily grind of everyday life can gradually generate distortions in your posture, how you move, how you breathe, how to speak, so that how you live becomes the sum of your habits, which may be far from the natural and efficiently functioning individual you could be.

A Typical Lesson

In a lesson you will receive practical help first to notice what these harmful habits are and then the means of preventing these distorting habits of posture and co-ordination.  This will be done through a combination of demonstrations from me, verbal guidance, and gentle hands-on contact with you.  The hands-on contact is especially important because it will help to give you a new experience in moving, standing or sitting so that you know what it actually feels like to do these activities in a more free and natural way.

The hands-on contact is not manipulation, massage nor in any way connected with relaxation therapies.  The object is not to remove tension.  Tension is good.  Without it bridges and socks would fall down.  The object is to identify and prevent inappropriate tension which may be distorting how you function and to enable you to recover the natural and more free way of living.

The lesson will usually include working with you on a chair – standing and sitting as well as lying on your back on a table, which provides great opportunities for releasing excessive tension.  During a course of lessons we may look at activities such as walking, bending down to pick something up, breathing and possibly speaking aloud.  Should you wish to explore a particular activity, such as playing an instrument then we can look at that as part of the learning process.

If you have a medical condition

If you have a medical condition such as back, shoulder or hip pain I will not seek to 'cure' the condition but rather will work with you to explore whether the habitual way you use yourself is contributing to that problem and then identify with you how to stop any such distorting habits.  Experience shows that the pain can then substantially reduce.

It is advisable to wear comfortable clothing which does not restrict movement.  You will be asked to remove your shoes.  Trousers would be more convenient than a skirt.

A series of lessons of the Alexander Technique will show you how to sit stand and move in a more balanced way so that any neck or back stress or pain can be relieved.  You can then apply these same principles in more complex activities, whether they be gardening, some sports activity or playing a musical instrument etc.

Lessons are one-to-one and normally last around 45 minutes although the first introductory one may last a bit longer

How many lessons are needed?

After one lesson you should know whether the Alexander Technique is for you.  After 6 lessons you should notice some difference and improvement.  a course of 25 lessons you should have learned enough to be able to use yourself well on your own.

if you would like any further information please do not hesitate to contact me by email at philip.tucker1@ntlworld.com or by telephone on 01865 433 151

Philip Tucker MSTAT