Yoga Pilates and the Alexande theory

Pilates

Pilates focuses on building your body's core strength and improving your posture through a series of low repetition low impact stretching and conditioning exercises. By core strength, we are talking about your back, abdominal and pelvic muscles. Through Pilates, you will be able to develop these muscles without adding bulk, increasing your flexibility and agility and at the same time toning your stomach and thigh muscles. Pilates goes far beyond your core muscles however and not only provides a complete body workout (you will be working muscles you didn't even know you had!), but also helps you develop an awareness of how your body works, helping your mind and body to work in harmony.

Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique is an alternative medicine and educational discipline focusing on bodily coordination, including psychological principles of awareness. It is applied for purposes of recovering freedom of movement, in the mastery of performing arts, and for general self-improvement affecting poise, impulse control and attention.

The Technique takes its name from F. Matthias Alexander, who first formulated its principles between 1890 and 1900. Alexander developed the Technique as a personal tool to alleviate breathing problems and hoarseness that solved his inability to pursue a career as a Shakespearean actor. Alexander taught his technique to pupils for thirty years before creating a school to train other teachers to pass on his work. The UK Society of Teachers of The Alexander Technique and its worldwide affiliates certify Alexander Technique teachers after successfully completing a 1600-hour 3-year curriculum from teaching lineage line traced to Alexander.

It is most commonly taught in a series of twenty to forty private lessons which may last from thirty minutes to an hour. Teachers use demonstration, explanation, and repeated examination of what spontaneously occurs in minute detail. Trained observation and light hand contact are used to detect the student's unnecessary physical and mental stresses. Hands-on suggestion and guiding improvements are offered in the context of everyday actions such as sitting, standing, walking, using the hands and speaking. As further topics of personal interest, activities such as the complex & demanding training of performing artists, sports or hobbies may be requested by students. Alexander Technique principles have also been adapted to be taught in groups; often using short individual lessons demonstrated in turn which act as examples to the class.