Music

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Being able to play a musical instrument is a skill set I have always wanted to master. I began learning music when I was five years old. Like most children my first instrument was the recorder.  Not long after I began though, my recorder was confiscated by one of the teachers at my school and I was completely turned off from continuing to learn.  I was not turned off from music, just me learning. I am not alone in this experience. Many of my students have shared similar musical stories about learning with me. Now I enjoy listening to music and continue to appreciate the expertise of others playing.

There are many aspects to learning music and becoming an accomplished player. From becoming familiar with the instrument you have chosen, to mastering the sounds it can make, and everything in between. With this learning we adopt mannerisms of use, that help us initially adapt to playing our chosen instrument. In this process of learning, we may learn about the best ergonomic placement for our bodies in relation to our instrument.  Marvelous, because it helps us to take care of ourselves. 

So how can Alexander work help? The Alexander work is concerned predominately with learning a set of skills that help us to recognize the relationship we have with our self and how we interact with the world around us. As a teacher I may start your learning process by asking you to stand in front of the chair and then work with you to stand and sit. When you develop the ability to recognize how you are working with an object that you use daily throughout your day and make changes as needed, it is an easy transition to working with more complex skills like playing an instrument.

The chair is a really great tool for invoking unconscious habits we have collected over the years.  The action of sitting or standing is something very familiar to us. We have become so adept at sitting and standing that its benal routine eventually means we “don’t have to pay attention” while we make this action. So much so that even the mention or thought of a chair starts an unconscious chain reaction that is barely perceptible to us, between the mind and body. The body begins to implement a sitting or standing response.  Cool right?  We really don’t have to get caught up with “insignificant tasks”. 

It could be cool but the bit where we don’t pay attention, is the bit where we get stuck.  This is the bit where Alexander work excels.  

The wonderful thing about Alexander work is that it is actually intended as a method for prevention. That is to say, you don’t need to have something wrong with you to take lessons.  Many performers use the technique to help prevent injury and to enhance their performance. 

• In-person and Online Classes: Every Tuesday evening 6:00pm-7:00pm. $400/ 20 weeks.

Between the ages of 12 and 13, I developed a deep interest in theater. So much so that I started an after-school theater club. At the end of each school day, we gathered in the school hall, and I assigned tasks to everyone. The core group stayed with me, and we worked on pieces that I had written or choreographed. It was a blast—until the day when the deputy head of the school put a stop to it all.

In the uproar that followed, I managed to negotiate an end-of-year talent event. The talent show had to include something for everyone in the school, not just those signed up for the theater club. We had a bake-off for budding bakers, a sew-off  for aspiring dressmakers, a woodworking showcase, and a metalworking showcase. Finally, there was a talent variety show, where anything from singing and dancing to ventriloquism, poetry recitations, and musical performances was allowed. The teachers acted as the judges.

It was so much fun, and our year group was buzzing as we prepared for the big event. I won first prize for my Madeira cake, topped with a candied lime, and I placed somewhere in the sewing category for a skirt I had sewn (my zipper was particularly impressive!). I didn’t place in the woodwork or metalwork categories, but some friends and I did perform a short musical called The Precocious Brats from Vaine, set to the music from Fame, which I had re-written. We performed purely for fun, not competition.

The following year, the Oxford Playhouse in Oxford, U.K., offered a summer theater program. My sister and I joined, and this time I wrote a whole play about robots taking over human civilization. The play involved everyone in the group and included audience interaction. It was such a great experience, and afterward, I was asked to participate in several theater projects at the Pegasus Theatre.

This continued until I began working with Barclays Bank, where the hours didn’t allow me to stay involved. However, I did manage to perform in a couple of shows with the Abingdon Drama Club at the charming Unicorn Theatre.

While I enjoyed performing, I also found it to be an intense and raw experience. On stage, hundreds or even thousands of eyes are searching for authenticity, which means you have to be available to—but not consumed by—that gaze every single moment of every single performance. I also struggled to switch off from the character, even when I wasn’t on stage. Whether I was at the pub, on the street, or in the office, I didn’t know how to stop being "in character." Part of me feared that if I switched off, I might forget my lines.

This is where I found the Alexander Technique to be invaluable.

The Alexander Technique can assist with many aspects of acting, which is why it’s taught in theater and performing arts programs around the world. From injury prevention to performance enhancement, the skills learned can help actors with vocal production and control, performance anxiety, character development, and presence, to name just a few.

• In-person and Online Classes: Every Tuesday evening 6:00pm-7:00pm. $400/ 20 weeks.

There are many different styles of yoga. In Western culture, most yogic practices focus on asana (poses). Practices like Iyengar, Vinyasa Flow, and gentle or all-level yoga are examples of styles that emphasize asanas.

The definition of yoga is "Unity." It is meant to be a practice that creates a sense of oneness.

I was first introduced to yoga through my dance training. Many choreographers used asana sequencing to help improve the ability to move fluidly between the floor and standing positions, or to transition smoothly between the hands and feet. It was a genius way to integrate movement. However, because of how it was taught, I was often encouraged to "let go" or "relax into" the poses, rather than being guided to find the equilibrium between yin and yang in the movement, coupled with breathing coordination.

Now, as a yoga instructor, I’ve come to understand how time, along with the balance of yin and yang, plays an integral role in movement coordination and breathing. In my classes, I focus on adapting to the mood of the room, helping students find psycho-physical unity through the practice.

• In-person and Online Classes: Every Friday morning at 10:00 AM through the CCBA.
• Saturday Morning Class: Live-stream only, designed as a short "get-up-and-go" session 8:30am-9:00am. $40/month - four classes.

The Alexander Technique and the Bates Method are both transformative approaches that, in part, focus on improving bodily functioning, posture and movement. Both methods emphasize self-awareness, natural coordination, and the ability to release unnecessary tension.

Developed by F. Matthias Alexander in the late 19th century, the Alexander Technique teaches individuals to become more aware of their habitual posture and movement patterns. By identifying and changing these patterns, the technique helps reduce tension, improve posture, and alleviate discomfort. The core of the practice lies in learning how to move with greater ease and efficiency, thereby enhancing overall well-being.

A key principle of the Alexander Technique is "inhibition" — the ability to pause and make conscious choices before responding to external stimuli. This gives individuals the opportunity to change over tension and avoid harmful habits. It’s often used to address chronic pain, improve body alignment, and optimize movement in daily activities or physical performance.

The Bates Method, developed by Dr. William H. Bates in the early 20th century, is a vision improvement system that focuses on the natural ability of the eyes to see clearly. It emphasizes relaxation, proper eye coordination, and  teaches a means whereby an individual can reduce eye strain and improve visual acuity. The Bates Method promotes the idea that poor vision is often the result of strain in the eyes and surrounding muscles, and that by eliminating this strain, people can improve their eyesight.

The Bates Method incorporates practices like palming (covering the eyes with the palms of the hands to relax them) and sunning (gently exposing the eyes to natural sunlight) to help release strain and encourage natural vision. Unlike other methods of eye care that often rely on corrective lenses, the Bates Method offers  techniques to restore optimal eye function.

• The Alexander Technique focuses on overall body awareness, posture, and movement, helping to improve physical health and alleviate pain.
• The Bates Method is specifically aimed at improving vision, promoting relaxation and eye exercises to enhance eyesight.

While they address different concerns, both methods encourage a mindful approach to health, teaching individuals to become more attuned to their bodies and how they function.

• In-person and Online Classes: Every Tuesday evening at 7:00pm -8:00pm.

Running, climbing, starting a new workout, losing weight—there are countless ways to improve athletic ability. Once you choose to make a change, it’s incredible how quickly the body begins to adapt to new demands. Whether you’re starting something new, returning to an activity, or experiencing deconditioning, there’s always an adjustment phase where you adapt to the new way of working.

Breathing coordination plays a key role in helping you understand how your body is functioning. Breathing should adapt fluidly and seamlessly with your movements and activities. However, many breathing exercises are taught or prescribed that can actually interfere with the body’s natural breathing process.

The Alexander Technique offers skills designed to help you recognize what you’re doing with your body and provide tools to create change. The work is simple, effective, and doesn’t require complicated methods. It’s almost like a way of life, because life is constant and ongoing—there’s always something requiring your attention, whether it's gravity, hand-eye coordination, or eye-foot coordination. Developing the skill to recognize and regulate your overall use and functioning helps you become more sensitive to how you’re moving and engaging with the world.

From starting a workout to managing deconditioning and everything in between, having a strong sense of self-awareness and the ability to initiate change naturally is a powerful addition to any fitness routine.

When you begin a new workout program or athletic practice, the feeling of effort often feels different from your usual routine. This quickly becomes your perceived understanding of how the body should be working—“no pain, no gain,” right? However, nothing could be further from the truth. Trying to replicate the “felt” experience of previous workouts can actually undermine your body’s ability to adapt. You may unintentionally impose an idea of how the work "should feel," and the body responds by shifting its movement pattern based on the information you’re providing, even if it’s not accurate. This can lead to overworking, initiating unnecessary stress, and possibly hindering progress.

The key here is that once you begin, the body has already started adapting. What’s needed is not more effort, but maintenance—both through active work and through integration with your resting state. This is different from simply cooling down after a workout. It involves increasing the overall conditioning of your body’s use and functioning, which helps it adapt more efficiently and with less strain.

For avid athletes with a regular workout regimen, the Alexander Technique can add nuance to your approach. One of the skills the technique helps develop is the ability to be both “within” (aware of your internal state) and “without” (attuned to external factors) simultaneously. This balance of introspective and extrospective awareness—or what might be called “multisensory perception”—enables you to recognize key touchpoints within your body’s overall use and functioning. These points can help you identify when your movements have shifted in a way that might lead to compensatory patterns or stress.

Once you acquire this skill, you’ll be able to make real-time adjustments during your workouts, recognizing when changes are needed. This helps you decide if you need to back off, or if a more detailed process of change and adjustment is required.

Deconditioning is often overlooked in workout programs, but it plays an important role. Deconditioning refers to bringing the body to a more sedentary state, and it's a process that can be especially relevant for athletes or individuals who have been in an intense training phase. For example, actors who have played physically demanding roles may want to transition to a more relaxed, sedentary lifestyle after their performance. In these cases, it’s important to recognize how the body is changing and adjust accordingly.

The ability to effectively inhibit certain patterns of movement, while recognizing the body’s shifting needs, is crucial during deconditioning. It’s not just about reducing physical activity, but about learning how to manage and adjust to the body’s evolving state.

• Personal Training : Through the week at the CCBA. $90.
• Friday morning Moving mindfulness Class: Live-stream only, 8:30am-9:30am. 4 sessions for $40/month. Or $105 for four classes plus and an individual session.