In a lessson, we usually do three things. First: standing up and sitting down in a chair, which is a great way to learn the basic principles.
Then there is the active rest position, a lying down exercise where you lie down on a table and relax. I guide you through this. And last, we usually do an exercise. This can be any daily activity, depending on your wish. Lifting something heavy, walking, sports, meditation, singing, playing a musical instrument, speaking and acting, dancing, even sleeping: Alexander technique can help to make literally everything easier and lighter.
During the lesson I will explain how it works. I will also give you an experience of what I mean through using my hands. Because what I teach you is new for your head and body, it can be difficult in the beginning to feel exactly what’s going on. I help you with that by guiding you with my hands.
A lessson is 50 minutes. For performers I offer longer lessons of 60 minutes, with extra time to deepen the experience of working with Alexander technique in your area of expertise. For instance to practise with your musical instrument. I also offer online lessons of 30 minutes, but only in combination with a package.
The lessons are in my practice at the address Johan van der Keukenstraat 180, Amsterdam. So despite the beautiful outdoor photos on this website, the lessons are indoors usually! Sometimes we can go outside for (part of) a lesson though, for instance if you want to learn how to sit well on your bicycle or in your car, or for instance if you want to practice with running.
That depends.
It’s very special how you can, very soon after starting your lessons, immediately feel how much more freedom and space your body has to offer.
But learning to apply this technique all by yourself in your daily life take a bit more time. Because you have to become conscious of your old patterns and learn to ‘stop’ and develop the new way. Like with all new things one learns, this requires dedication and patience and practicing at home. And of course, there are always fast learners and those who need a bit more time.
In any case, Alexander technique is no quick fix. It requires an open attitude, patience and commitment over a longer period of time. But once the coin has dropped, it will give you more calm, space and freedom in your body and head for the rest of your life.
Usually you will know after two or three lessons whether Alexander technique is the right thing for you. After that, it depends on which problem you want to address, and how deeply you want to dive in.
It also requires a bit of commitment; the more regular you pratice at home the quicker the process will be. Regular lessons are also very important, this keeps the process going.
After ten lessons, most people know how it works, but still have difficulty maintaining this at home. So most students continue a while longer to really integrate the technique in their lives.
It is important, especially in the beginning, to go to the lessons regularly. Otherwise it doesn’t stick. Every week is the minimum. But even better would be, particularly in the beginning phase, to work twice a week some weeks: one live and one online lessons. This qill quicken the process and eventually this will save you money and time That’s why I offer this in Dive right in and Performer’s ease.
In the end, you will be able to do it all by yourself and you won’t need me any more. How long that will take is different with each person.
Yes, the lessons are taught individually. This is really essential because I work ‘hands on’, so you get a clear experience of what is going on. But I do work with groups in workshops.
I only work online in combination with live lessons. Once I have worked with you a few times, an online lesson can give some extra support during the learning process. Working online has advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is that I cannot use my hands to show you what we are looking for. The advantage is that I can focus all my energy on observing through the screen and that we can do exercises which I can record, so that you can listen to them and practice with them later.
I very much prefer working with a pachakge because I know that Alexander technique initiates a process which needs time and commitment – and also because I simply enjoy working that way the most.
Single lessons can be bought via a strip ticket. The cost is a bit higher then. In the strip ticket of 5 lessons the cost per lesson in 65 euros per lesson (21% VAT included). In the strip ticket of 10 lessons you get a bit of discount. If you choose a package, like Taste of freedom, Dive right in or Performer’s ease, the discount is quite a bit higher! Check out Taste of freedom if you want to start simply.
I recommend practicing the active rest position (lying down exercise) every day and also to think a little about what you learned during the lesson. Usually, the latter happens naturally by the way. The lying down exercise is really important, because this helps you to develop your awareness and exactness in feeling. And this way you practice the technique so that your process will go faster and won’t stagnate.
No special cothes, but it is a good idea to avoid tight or short skirts because of the lying down exercise. Also, tight jeans or trousers are not handy, because they can make it difficult to release the hips when sitting.
Unfortunately, at the moment Alexander technique is almost never reimbursed by insurance because it is not seen as a treatment, but as a lesson (which it is). You can check this with your own insurance company.
Sometimes, people can get reimbursement through their employer. For instance for personal development or injury prevention. Entrepreneurs can deduct these costs and the VAT under coaching or training/course.
Certainly! I teach workshops for groups and also tailormade workshops. Feel free to contact me if you are interested!
I trained at the Alexander Techniek Centre Amsterdam withPaul Versteeg and Tessa Marwick. Two wonderful teachers who have been teaching and training people for more than 50 years and who keep developing themselves to this day. Read more about the training here: atca.org
I don’t teach cello lessons. However I do work with a lot of cellists and other musicians. Once you master the basics of the Alexander technique, we can work with your instrument for part of the lesson. I really love helping musicians to refine their playing and their physical awareness, so that things become both easier and at the same time sounds more beautiful and free! Check out the package Performer’s ease.
No, certainly not. As an Alexander teacher, you are not necessarily trained to know all the muscles in the human body by heart. But as a teacher, I am trained to feel how someone has organized themselves as a whole – how your brain and your body work together to coordinate your balance. I can see and feel where this coordination is ‘not working’. Alexander technique always looks at the root cause of a problem, so that the symptoms often disappear by themselves.
Most techniques or therapies start from this question: what should I do to solve my problem? Alexander technique is the only technique which instead asks the question: what could I not do? What can I stop doing?
In your yoga, physio exercises and all those other things you tried, you kept doing things according to your habitual patterns. And so in a way you kept repeating the root of the problem. With the Alexander technique, you find this root and you take it out, by unlearning your habitual ways of moving and by reorganising yourself differently and better.
As a musician, you want your body to do exactly what you want. To let the music sound just as you feel or hear it inside, every part of your body,all the way to your fingertips, has to do as you say.
That is a pretty complicated and all encompassing business! But because you have been trained all your life to work like this, you are already used to working with your body, to observing and thinking about why something is not working. With Alexander technique you can in fact simply continue this journey, but now in a more efficient and practical way. No more trial and error, but finding out how you can play more beautiful while doing less!
With Alexander technique you can learn how to brush your teeth or tie your shoes while at the same time breathing more freely and enjoy a relaxed neck and shoulders! It is a technique for everything.
everyone sometimes has muscle pain, and everyone encounters difficult or hard times in their life. With Alexander technique everything becomes lighter and easier. It is a technique for life!
You will have more overview over yourself as a whole; your attention won’t bounce around inside your body like a pinpong ball. Your breath feels more free, more calm. You move more lightly. You have more space in your joints. Your coordination is better. You have more contact with your surroundings and you feel more open and relaxed. You can calm your thoughts down more easily and you can stay with your body, even in stressful situations. And if you do lose it all, you will find it back more quickly.