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50 Hortense St
Glen Iris, VIC, 3146
Australia
0490 126 293
Practice of Jeremy Woolhouse, pianist and Alexander Technique Teacher in Melbourne, Australia
Specialist in working with musicians, RSI, posture re-education, neck, back and chronic pain management.
Monthly blog articles by Jeremy Woolhouse. Alexander Technique for daily life, music performance, specialised activities, pain relief and management.
Creativity, spontaneity and adaptability to change were described by AR Alexander as the hallmarks of Alexander Technique. These qualities may be the best antidote to the challenges of life during a pandemic.
Read MoreIn common usage, the word ‘hip’ may refer to the pelvis, the joint where the leg meets the torso, or both. This leads to some confusion and it is worthwhile to find out just how your legs connect to, and move with, the rest of your body.
Read MoreTaking the time to tune your instrument is always worthwhile, and balancing the instrument’s components to suit the current environment and create the desired sound is quite an art. Alexander Technique considers one’s whole being to be the instrument for performance. Taking the time to make our whole selves in-tune with the current environment enhances any activity.
Read MoreAfter the extended lockdown in Melbourne, we are glad to return to face-to-face teaching. In-person sessions are available from 1st November and online sessions will remain optional until the end of the year. Please cooperate with the studio’s COVIDsafe policies.
Read MoreFM Alexander named one of his books ‘The Universal Constant in Living’. It seems he hit upon something fundamental that transcends time and place - Alexander Technique is just as relevant and profound in our current unprecedented situation as it was in his era. This article considers some applications of Alexander Technique while we are in ‘lockdown’.
Read MoreDuring the pandemic crisis, face-to-face Alexander Technique lessons are not possible. Manual guidance is the time-honoured method for teaching Alexander Technique and is core to the tradition. While the benefits of physical contact are many, the ultimate goal of Alexander Technique is that the pupil learns to apply the technique independently. Without the teacher’s touch, pupils will not get the full Alexander Technique experience but, using online video communication platforms, your teacher may still give you constructive guidance to enhance your application of Alexander Technique. It wont replace the hands-on experience, but will offer some support for your practice while we remain socially distant.
Read MoreThe most profound learning of Alexander Technique does not happen during a lesson: it happens when pupils take the skills and sensitivity they are working on and apply these in ‘real life.’ Alexander Technique is designed to be used in action, whether at work or play. Yet when we are active - especially when it is an engaging or stressful activity - this is the time when students find it most difficult to remember to use the Technique.
Read MoreOne of the core principles of Alexander Technique is the inseparability of body and mind. Although the Technique is often associated with ‘physical’ improvements in posture and movement, these benefits are initiated through a change in thinking. The practice of constructive thinking empowers the student in sustaining positive physical and mental attitudes.
Read MoreFor many, driving a car is a challenge to easeful and buoyant poise: the cabin design, seat ergonomics, driving controls and dynamic motion of cars oblige drivers to use the car seat’s backrest. Like any external support, we can collapse into it, brace against it, or find a way to use it to enhance our comfort and ease in driving.
Read MoreA general introductory article by Jeremy Woolhouse published by the Burwood Bulletin, issue 153, Winter 2019.
Read MoreFor the podcast called “I Used to Play Piano”, hosts Ioanna and Zara interview Jeremy Woolhouse to chat about Alexander Technique, piano technique, experiences with pain at the piano and solutions to technical problems.
Read MoreIf you experience pain when playing piano, your body is telling you that you are at risk of injuring yourself. Piano technique is not inherently painful. Even a mild discomfort is an indication that you can improve on piano technique; whether this may be the specific movement of fingers on the keys, the balance of the whole body to support your hands, or a combination of both.
Read MoreThe spine gets a bit grumpy with complex movements. It is fine with flexion, rotation or side bending, but if two or more of these movements are combined the demand on the musculature increases and the risk of injury increases. Alexander Technique is a framework for reducing potential injury, increasing ease and efficiency.
Read MoreAlexander Technique is an effective method for managing stress and cultivating efficiency. If we use the Technique when we are stressed and rushed, its effect is profound. If we feel we must wait for a quiet moment to use it, we may not realise the potential Alexander Technique has for enhancing and creating ease during performance. Too often, the situations in which we could most benefit from Alexander are also the situations in which we feel we haven’t the time to use it.
Read MoreVideo: This tensegrity toy can teach us about some principles of human movement and coordination. We use these principles in the learning and practice of Alexander Technique.
Read MoreThe Australian Federal Government is introducing legislation effectively preventing private health funds from continuing to offer rebates for Alexander Technique lessons from April 1st 2019. This is in contrast to international precedent. The government'’s statement that there is “no clear evidence demonstrating the efficacy of the excluded natural therapies” is misleading. There exists high quality evidence for the effectiveness of Alexander Technique.
Read More‘Whenever I use Alexander Technique, it helps. But I keep forgetting to use it! Sometimes I get to the end of a job and realise I didn’t think of it once.’
Even when we appreciate the benefits of Alexander Technique, remembering to engage with it can be a challenge. This is all the more difficult if we are unaware of ourselves in the moment in which we are moving or resting with poor quality.
Read MoreTo practise Alexander Technique is to use thought skilfully. There are some special Alexander Technique thoughts which we use to embrace a greater scope for ourselves, including intentions which give rise to ease and efficiency in work. As we recognise that the way we think affects our capacity for comfort and function, we may naturally begin to align all our thinking processes with the principles of Alexander Technique.
Read MoreAlexander Technique is a skill which is practised in order to experience associated benefits. The many ways in which we may study or apply the Technique are all based on two particular kinds of thinking: inhibition and direction.
Read MoreThis article presents a simple entry point for beginners to Alexander Technique. Those with experience will recognise it as a core practice for using the Technique at any level. Leaving space for customisation, expansion and refinement, let’s start with an ABC: Availability, Buoyancy and Continuity.
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