Poise and posture at Julie Prothero
We all have beautiful poise and balance – we are all gorgeous! As babies and young children we moved effortlessly with balance and co-ordination. With the stress of modern living we have developed habits in our lives that pull us down and can make us miserable. We were not born with humped backs and tight shoulders, it has taken years of bad practice, working on computers, driving, carrying shopping and all the other everyday pressures, we are so busy that we never have time to stop and think. Athletes and Musicians carry the same habits into their performance, and as the pressure to perform is so great the problems appear to get worse. The Alexander Technique helps us to re-educate our bodies and minds to work together to find an alternative method of getting to where we would like to be, it teaches you to identify the unhelpful habits that cause unnecessary tension, pause even for just a second, to think, we are so dedicated to reaching our goal, we forget to enjoy just being. Using verbal direction and gentle hands on guidance your teacher will guide you through everyday activities, teach you to recognize which habits cause tension, showing you how you can move with less effort, your breathing can become easier and you develop a general feeling of wellbeing.
The Technique isn’t just for people with aches and pains anyone can benefit, it can help athletes become more efficient and have fewer injuries including Daley Thomson and Linford Christie. Many actors have benefited from lessons including Dame Judi Dench, John Cleese, Paul Newman and Sir Michael Caine Musicians and singers ranging in style from Yehudi Menuhun to Madonna and Paul McCartney have benefited from lessons. Other celebrities include Roald Dahl, Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Saunders all use the technique. In fact anyone who would like to walk tall with confidence and elegance, it has wide ranging benefits for the whole body, as changes in habitual patterns occur the body and mind harmonise leading to improved co-ordination and self awareness – we become gorgeous again!