About me

My Alexander Technique background
I am a STAT registered teacher. I completed my three year full time training course at the Oxford Alexander Training School in 2002. My main teachers have been Stephen Cooper who trained me to ‘work to do less’, John Hunter who encourages me to ‘wake it up’ and to ‘keep it alive’ and Elisabeth Walker who reminds us all that ‘this is happy work’. My brother Mike, also an Alexander Technique teacher, got me into the Alexander Technique and also made me aware of the vestibular reflexes which get in all of our way. I have been teaching swimming with the principles of The Alexander Technique for a living since 1996 when I met and began training with Steven Shaw.

Knowing what we’re up against
While The Alexander Technique is simple, it is not easy to apply. I certainly don’t find it easy but I am grateful for it. And, as Wilfred Barlow said, better to try to live by a ‘difficult principle which unifies rather than by a series of lower order rules which come into conflict with each other.’

Alexander wrote that his principle of inhibition was ‘the one great principle on which civilization depends’. The reason it is difficult to apply is that we tend to be dominated by our old habits.  But it is important to have an understanding of what we’re up against and Alexander Technique lessons should definitely give us this.

Ignorance isn’t bliss
Learning the Alexander Technique - increasing our self awareness and facing the process of change - may not be a bed of roses but ignorance isn’t really bliss. The NHS is overburdened with people ignorant of the causes of their own suffering.

Working together – teacher and pupil – can be fun and adds focus to the work we do on ourselves. The standard of ‘use’ of yourself gained in lessons will raise your potential to apply The Alexander Technique in your daily life.

More about me
I graduated from The School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, in 1991. I have worked as a careers adviser and a teacher of English as a Foreign Language, in Japan. With my wife Cheryl I established Swimming without Stress in 1996. See www.swimmingwithoutstress.co.uk for information on residential swimming courses in Pembrokeshire and lessons in Oxfordshire.  We have four children.