HOW DO ONLINE POSTURE AND MOVEMENT COACHING SESSIONS DIFFER FROM ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE LESSONS?
Alexander Technique lessons in the past typically included a combination of verbal and gentle hands-on guidance to convey the principles of the Technique in a personal and practical way. Online sessions, of course, do not include the hands-on component and this can occasionally be a limitation. However in my experience, and that of many other Alexander Technique teachers who do online coaching, there are huge advantages in relying solely on visual observation and verbal guidance. In general, I find my online clients progress even more rapidly than my in-person students and that they are far better able to continue making improvements on their own when they have completed their lessons.
Here is some more information about what I teach during a series of lessons: What I Teach
I record a video of each lesson for you to watch on your own schedule. This enables you to review your lessons as often as is useful, and you will often clearly see the changes in yourself. For some clients, this is one of the most valuable aspects of Online Posture and Movement Coaching sessions.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED FOR ONLINE MOVEMENT AND POSTURE COACHING?
A high-speed internet connection and the built-in camera on your computer, tablet or smartphone to show you doing simple activities like sitting, standing and moving as well as any specialized activities you want to work on like such as playing a musical instrument, working at a computer etc.
I use Zoom for distance learning. It’s free and doesn’t require any software installation on your computer.
If you are using a tablet or smartphone, I strongly recommend getting a stand for it that allows you to easily change it’s camera viewing angle and range. Several of my clients and I have found the Levo G2 stands to be particularly good for this purpose.
Another piece of equipment that will be very helpful for doing the Alexander Technique self-help process known as Constructive Rest (which I will go over with you in some detail) is a 6″ diameter dense foam roller, at least 2 1/2 feet long.
Both the tablet stand and roller can be purchased at Amazon USA and Amazon UK (Amazon Basics has very inexpensive foam rollers.)
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I NEED TO ARRANGE AT MY END?
It’s very helpful to have as large a space as possible available for inclusion in the laptop camera field so that I can see you to move about, perform specialized activities etc. As much as is possible, the room lighting should be coming from the ceiling and/or from lights or windows in front of you. Bright lights of window openings behind you can easily create glare that degrades picture quality. Hard floors – wood or tile, for example – can be an asset as they provide better audio feedback when you’re walking. For the same reason, if you have hard-soled shoes, please have them on or available.
HOW MUCH TIME AND EFFORT IS NEEDED TO BENEFIT FROM THIS PROCESS?
Apart from the half hour sessions, not a lot of time. Nor much “effort” in the usual sense of that word. What is important is a sincere interest in improving your posture and patterns of movement and a willingness to experiment with some very simple processes that, for the most part, you can do whenever you want during your normal daily activities.
HOW MANY SESSIONS WILL I NEED?
There is no definitive answer to that question as so much depends on what your specific goals are. In general, I’ve found that scheduling a session a week for a 2-3 months provides an excellent foundation for most people – one that allows them to continue developing their skills on their own.
HOW MUCH DO LESSONS COST AND HOW DO I GET STARTED?
You can contact me, Robert Rickover, by phone or email using this Contact Page to set up an initial session. I charge US$70 for a session. That includes at least 30 minutes for the lesson itself, plus sending you the video of our session, links to websites that relate to what we have been covering, and if needed, answering any questions that come up between sessions. Most clients pay with Zelle or PayPal – or with a credit card using the Donate button at AlexanderTechnique.com/support (Zelle is only available for US bank to bank payments.)
If you have any other questions feel free to contact me using this Contact Page.