I’ve learned more about awareness of my own body in two sessions with Michael than I ever have over the course of my entire life. Instead of telling you what needs to be done, Michael responds to your personal needs, helping you realize what can be done on one’s own in a respectful manner. The effect is immediate as I now have the tools I can use to approach releasing tension in my body.
After suffering a bad fall with long term pain, I decided to try AT and am glad to have found Michael. Michael helped me experience my body moving perfectly and ergonomically, and it was a feeling I had never experienced before. No tension or pressure anywhere! I am grateful to know of AT and to be taking what I consider to be life enhancing lessons. Michael teaches thoughtfully with great listening and awareness to detail, and our lessons have enabled me to move forwards. With Michael’s help I feel I am aging with confidence.
I felt fortunate to have found Michael as a teacher. I had previously considered myself as someone who had a good awareness of my body. However, Michael took this awareness to a completely different level. His ability to identify even the most subtle of shifts in the body is something I had never seen before. His blend of practical and theoretical teachings formed the basis for me to reduce tension, improve breath quality and overall move in a more ergonomic manner. After struggling with a weak and restricted voice for years, I have made significant improvements towards improving my voice quality since working with Michael and I would highly recommend him to anyone seeking to learn the Alexander Technique.
I first heard about the Alexander Technique from my singing teacher and was curious about how the Alexander Technique might help me become a better singer and performer. I had no idea what to expect so I did some preliminary research, but ultimately knew to learn this I needed to find a good teacher. This is where I have been very lucky to have Michael as my Alexander Technique guide! It’s always a little intimidating to start something new, but with Michael’s help, knowledge, and great sense of humour, it’s been an absolutely blast. He’s also one of those great instructors who encourage students to actively think for themselves (with the occasional breadcrumb if it’s a stumper!), all the while cheering you on. He is caring and considerate about creating a safe and welcome learning atmosphere to explore ideas, ask questions, and be yourself. The beautiful thing about learning the AT is that I went in trying to “fix” one thing (for me it started with thinking about AT and singing) and soon discovered it’s not about fixating on that one “problem spot”, but rather taking a step back and becoming more aware of how everything is related and how things like habits from one activity can bleed into another. Michael’s helped me become more aware of how I carry myself, and over the year I’ve taken lessons I’ve been really happy to discover how much freer I feel walking, singing, weightlifting, doing martial arts without excess tension and effort. I also have a shoulder and back injury and the AT has been instrumental in my recovery and maintenance now I know it is possible to grab, lift, twist, bend and even breathe, all pain free! If you’ve ever been curious about the AT, I can’t say enough positive things about Michael and what the AT has done for me. Go for it!
Although I had benefited from reading about Alexander Technique, it was not until I worked with Michael did I realize how his hands-on instructions made a world’s difference. Michael is an incredible human reader, and his trained eyes have helped me become aware of my habits in the way I move and speak. If it were not for him, I would probably carry those habits for the rest of my life!
Lessons always give me a great sense of optimism because by making changes, even small ones, I feel an immediate change in my energy level and how I interact with others. Alexander Technique makes me see how small things matter, and how body, mind, and environment are intricately connected.
Thank you so much for teaching our branch’s teacher members these past several weeks. They all agreed that it was an exceptional 4 weeks and that you’re a top notch teacher!
A few of the participants have sent in emails, saying that things you covered at each lesson have already had far reaching effects on how they move, both at their instruments and away from them! Thank you once again for sharing your knowledge with our members.
I have really enjoyed your classes. They were fun and informative at the same time, so thank you.