Alexander Technique with Marcus James

Transformative Lessons in Addlestone, Surrey, UK

The Alexander Technique promotes health, well-being and ease through a reorganisation of habits of awareness, action, posture, movement and balance. It offers an effective, intelligent approach to taking care of our bodies and minds in the activities of our day-to-day lives, and helps to improve performance in skilled tasks like music, sports and the arts.

Most of us modern humans tend to approach the things we do with a lot more mental and physical tension than we need to. Rather than being graceful, open and free as we evolved to be, we often end up being rather stiff, held and uncomfortable. This puts a lot of stress and strain on our bodies and prevents us from accessing our full potential for skilled activity. In time, all that stress and strain may even result in injury or chronic pain of one sort or another.

The Alexander Technique can help us to unlearn unhelpful habits that lead to unnecessary tension and stress – and to discover more helpful, harmonious ways of being and moving so that we can find greater ease and skilfulness in our lives and in our favourite pastimes.

I qualified as an Alexander Technique teacher over twenty years ago, and have written a well-received book about the Technique which was published in 2024.

Relaxed Upright Posture and Poise

The Alexander Technique is renowned for helping people access easy, comfortable upright posture, whether sitting, standing or in activity. In the lessons, you learn to stop interfering with your body’s natural systems for movement, stabilisation, balance and support – allowing them to do their job so you can remain relaxedly free and upright without effort or strain. There’s no need to struggle to maintain a set posture or position or to feel you need to be trying to hold yourself correctly or pulling yourself into shape all the time. You find you can let go and let your neuromuscular system support you in a way that can feel quite magical while relieving pressure and pain.

Help for Musicians, Actors, Dancers and other Performers

The Alexander Technique can be particularly beneficial for performers such as musicians, dancers, actors, horse-riders and sportspeople. Over the years, these kinds of activities can put strain on the body causing problems ranging from chronic aches and pains to voice difficulties, stress and anxiety. The Alexander Technique can help you to do things less effort while reducing unnecessary muscular and mental tension enabling you to take part in activities you love or depend on for a living while taking care of yourself, now and for the future.

Improving Performance

People often first come to the Alexander Technique to help resolve a specific health challenge. But they often surprised and delighted to find how their performance in skilled activities increases as they learn to approach them with an emphasis on freedom and ease rather than effortfulness and muscular tension. As we learn to breathe more freely, distribute muscular effort more effectively, and to move in ways that are more in accord with how our bodies evolved to work, everything becomes easier. We find they are getting better results with less effort and strain.

Reducing Stress and Anxiety.

It’s normal to feel stressed about challenging events, but sometimes we can get caught in circular patterns of over-stimulation which can be difficult to find our way out of on our own. The Alexander Technique offers an effective mind/body approach to dealing with anxiety and stress, including performance anxiety. It can help you understand how external events and your own thoughts and feelings can trigger stress responses in your body and shows you practical ways to quieten your nervous system down so that you feel more centred, calm and relaxed. As your body starts to give you a tangible feeling of support, freedom and security, this tends to be reflected in how you experience yourself emotionally, resulting in greater confidence and the possibility of opening up and expressing yourself more fully and clearly.

In the lessons, the teacher uses gentle manual guidance and simple verbal instructions to help you become aware of how you respond to stress triggers both in the outside world and in yourself. They use hands-on contact to encourage your nervous system to quieten down and help you to become aware of things you may be doing that keep you in the cycle of stress, allowing you to begin making choices that lead to peace rather than worry and overload.

Grounding and Breathing

Breathing and a sense of connection with the ground are key to coping with stress. The Alexander Technique can help you to become more grounded so you can release into the support of the Earth beneath your feet and let go of the unnecessary muscular tension and holding that are part of the pattern of chronic stress. At the same time, you learn how stress can interfere with your body’s natural breathing patterns and how to allow these patterns to gently reestablish themselves. This can particularly benefit those who use their voice in performance such as singers, actors and public speakers.

Resolving Past Traumas

Sometimes, past trauma stored in the body is a contributing factor to present-day stress, discomfort and physical difficulties. Many performers have experienced traumatic experiences – either specifically around their lives as performers or in the rest of their lives. Where this is the case, I am trained to facilitate trauma release and integration and can offer a safe, open and non-judgmental space in which feelings from the past can come up and be resolved if necessary.

Learning The Technique

The Alexander Technique is usually learned in one-to-one lessons. The teacher uses verbal instructions and hands-on guidance to encourage you towards more balanced and relaxed posture and movement and to coach you towards becoming aware of subtle unconscious habits that cause excess muscular tension. As you learn how to stop doing these things, your body’s innate support and balance systems are freed to do their job.

The teacher doesn’t instruct you on how to ‘hold yourself’ or how to achieve ‘good posture’. Instead, your body naturally comes into a state of easy balance and alignment. This process takes the strain off nerves, muscles, and joints, and frees up wasted effort, leading to a reduction in stress, an increase in energy, and a heightened sense of presence and vitality. In the process may also alleviate chronic discomfort and pain that has been caused by unnecessary muscular tension.

(You can find some general information about the Alexander Technique here)

About Me

I’m a qualified and experienced Alexander Technique teacher, and I’ve been exploring and thinking deeply about this work for almost thirty years. I have recently had published a well-regarded book about the Alexander Technique. I’m also a musician, psychotherapist and writer. You can find out more about me and my background here.

Is the Alexander Technique for You?

The Technique is not a quick fix, and though having lessons also often has therapeutic benefits, it is not a 'treatment'. It’s something you experience, learn and apply for yourself. You can take what you have learned away with you, and it can help you to take care of yourself for the rest of your life.

It’s likely to be a good fit for you if:

• You are ready to take responsibility for your own well-being and destiny and to make positive changes in the way you do things.

• You like to learn new things and are willing to grow, change and enjoy the journey.

• You are willing to commit a little time each day to working with what we are learning in the lessons.

Practicalities

How long does it take to learn?

The Alexander Technique involves changing longstanding habits. Like anything worthwhile, getting the benefits requires some commitment. It’s necessary to come for weekly lessons to begin with. For most people, 10-20 lessons is a reasonable minimum number to allow you to begin to explore effectively on your own. Given the effect on how you feel from day to day and the long-term effects on health and well-being, the benefit tends to be considerably out of proportion to the cost!

Fees

Each lesson lasts 45 minutes, and my standard rate is £50 per lesson.  Concessions may be available in cases of real need – please ask. I also offer a discounted block of ten lessons for £450 (£45 per lesson) when paid in advance.

What to Wear

There is no need to wear special clothing, but you should wear something loose-fitting and comfortable, bearing in mind we may be working on the floor for part of the session.