When I began my Alexander Technique teaching practice in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1990, I soon realized that there were quite a few people who lived hundreds of miles from me with an interest in taking lessons – and for whom I was the closest teacher!
This was very different from my previous teaching experiences in London and Toronto and prompted me to experiment with phone sessions.
Initially I used this method only for students who were occasionally able to see me in person.
The sessions were often useful, but also frustrating for me, because I couldn’t actually see my students in real time. That is quite a limitation when posture and movement improvement are the focus of the coaching!
I wanted to tell you how profoundly helpful my Skype lesson was. I’ve made significant progress on my singing as I’ve been using what you showed me. I’m really looking forward to another lesson with you. – Lilly Sutton, Alexander Technique teacher in Knoxville, Tennessee
When Skype and high-speed internet service became available, the process became a lot easier and far more effective. Soon I was receiving requests from people who had no Alexander Technique experience and who lived not only in western Nebraska, the Dakotas, Kansas and the like, but in such far-flung locations as South East Asia, Croatia and northern Canada where there are no Alexander Technique teachers. (I’ve now largely switched from Skype to Zoom because of it’s superior video and audio quality.)
Over time, a growing share of my on-line clients have had some Alexander lessons, and live in communities where there are Alexander Technique teachers, and who wish to explore different ways of using the discoveries of F. Matthias Alexander, the developer of the Technique. I have also worked with Alexander Technique teachers who want to learn effective new methods to teach their in-person and Zoom students.
I am so grateful to have worked with Robert and learned from him about the Alexander Technique. He was patient, skillful and kind, and clearly drew from extensive practice and experience as he guided me toward tuning into and understanding the simple movement of my body in space. He helped me to understand the accumulated force of my own habits of movement, as well as how thoughts and attention can subtly and quickly shift those habits toward greater ease. It is no exaggeration to say that I expect to practice the simple directions to which Robert introduced me for a lifetime. Liz Doorbos, Petosky, Michigan
I call the on-line process I’ve developed Online Posture and Movement Coaching.
Online Posture and Movement Coaching is designed to help you learn how to improve your posture, and the quality of your physical functioning. It shows you, in a very simple and practical manner, how you can sit, stand and move in ways that utilize the structure of your body and the effects of gravity and the support of the earth on that structure. You will learn how to make specific targeted changes that will improve the way in which your entire body functions. Here is more specific information about what I teach during a course on online lessons: What I Teach
Online Posture and Movement Coaching is largely based on the principles of the Alexander Technique. It is not a therapy, or a substitute for medical care. It is not a “cure” for conditions such as back pain, repetitive strain injury and the like, but it does address posture and movement patterns that often contribute to these conditions.
I record a video of each lesson for you to watch on your own schedule. This enables you to review the session as often as is useful, and you will often clearly see the changes in yourself as you apply my verbal suggestions. For some clients, this is one of the most valuable aspects of Online Posture and Movement Coaching sessions.
You can listen to a podcast about my distance learning teaching here. It’s a little out of date, but will give you some idea about my approach. Here is some additional and more up to date information: What I Teach
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