Why see me? How am I different?
Although there are many excellent Alexander teachers around, I believe I can make the Alexander Technique much easier for you to understand, which helps you to learn it much more quickly.
When I was first learning the technique, I was told I would need at least 30 lessons to only reach even the most basic level of proficiency; equivalent to scales or simple tunes on an instrument. In practice, although I started to feel significant benefits quite early on, I ended up having lessons for two and a half years before starting to train as a teacher. It then took another two and a half years of full time training before the penny finally dropped. Only then did I understand what the technique was really all about and I could fully apply it to myself without needing continual top-ups from a teacher.
I can now get most people to that same level of full self sufficiency within 10 to 20 sessions spread over 15 to 30 weeks. We start with four sessions in quick succession at two per week, and then we space them out to one per week, then once a fortnight and then three or four weeks, to make you more and more reliant on yourself. So unless you need occasional specialist virtuoso level coaching for a specific application, you are then independent, self maintaining and off my hands.
My Book
If you would like to have lessons with me, I am happy to send you a proof of my book I am writing: How to Loosen Up. This will give you a head start in understanding the technique and what to expect during lessons. The eventual aim is for other teachers to also use my techniques to make learning easier and quicker. At which point I can concentrate on teaching teachers until I fully retire.
Preparation
Please wear loose clothing, including loose fitting trousers for your lessons. ‘Long’ dresses can be ok, but trousers are better. Avoid jeans or anything with hard belt loops or similar at the back, which would be uncomfortable when you are lying down.
What else can I do for you?
The ability to relax, loosen up and realign, all starts in your mind.
Sometimes there are emotional issues getting in the way of relaxing and releasing. Alternatively, you might want to fine tune and supercharge your mind to achieve more and feel even better. To help with this, I am also trained in counselling, coaching, psychotherapy and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming.)
Although I teach many of the techniques involved as an integral part of my Alexander teaching I can also offer specific consultations in these other areas. This work is often even quicker compared to a series of Alexander lessons.
About David Owen
Prior to my current work, I had a 20 year career in industry, the health service and the BBC including work on outside broadcasts and special electronic video effects – making people (instead of problems) disappear etc – for which I received national credits.
I had my first ever Alexander Technique lesson in 1984 and started regular lessons in the Spring of 1985. In 1987 I went to train as an Alexander Technique teacher for three years.
During the course I noticed that people who had cleared their psychological and emotional issues, often had quite good natural poise without needing the Alexander Technique, and so it re-awakened my fascination in Psychology and what makes us tick. In the course of this I came across NLP and through that I was able to decipher the thinking processes that make the Alexander Technique work at its best.
I have had extensive training in counselling, psychotherapy and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique.) I have also undergone Ten major trainings in NLP and am now personally trained and licensed as an NLP Master Practitioner and Trainer, by Dr Richard Bandler, the originator of NLP and by Paul McKenna, who has trained alongside Richard for many years. I have since assisted Paul and Richard on many of their trainings.