|
| |
STUDENT TESTIMONIALS
I've learned through Lauren and the Technique that despite the
pace of daily life, pausing to evaluate the small movements I'd
usually ignored or taken for granted has resulted in simple shifts
in my body's awareness and overall health. The lessons have been
fundamentally eye-opening and fun.
Mike Carina, product designer/illustrator
The Alexander Technique helped me in more ways that I had
initially hoped. I started taking lessons with one goal in mind: to
improve my piano technique. What I learned was that everything I was
doing outside of playing the piano had an impact on my technique at the
piano. Lauren taught me in a gentle and non-threatening way how to
intelligently “let go” of muscle tension and how to use my body in the
most efficient and effective way in daily activities. This whole body
approach assisted me in letting go of any tension I had in my practice
and piano performances. The results of my lessons were extremely
positive – I not only improved my piano technique but I learned how to
relieve tension and avoid injury in every area of my life. I am very
grateful to Lauren for her patience and knowledge in teaching me!
Suzanne Greer,
Suzuki piano instructor
I originally came to Lauren because of a persistent neck ache that was
not yielding to yoga, to chiropractic, or to trigger point therapy. After a few
sessions, it mysteriously disappeared. We continued our work for another year,
as it gave me deeper insights into my own patterns of posture and movement, and
it continues to inform my own yoga practice and my work as a yoga teacher. I
recommend the technique and Lauren to many of my students.
Maggie Kessell, Founder, Riverbend Yoga
Wow, what I discovered about my movement and my body while working with
Lauren has been an amazing experience. The Alexander Technique is a tool that
allows me to connect internally and intuitively with my body. Bringing greater
understanding to the physiology or function of my body and my personal approach
to health. As a Yoga Instructor I felt connected to my internal self, however,
the natural poise I was born with had been altered to suit my practice. Little
did I realize until studying with Lauren, that she has a natural ability to
reveal one to oneself through her skill as an Alexander Technique practioner. I
experienced humor (laughing at my posture discoveries while following Lauren's
adroit directions) and wonderful sense of being in my body with poise and
release. The phrase I carry with me is..."thinking is enough" meaning thinking
about the direction is enough. I would encourage anyone who is aging or has
experienced the loss of a loved one to find support in Lauren's skill as an
Alexander Technique teacher in developing a sense of well being for yourself.
Surely, she is doing the work she was born to do.
Kate McGown. Ed.D.; E-RYT Saint Paul College
To me the wonderful thing about studying and applying the Alexander
Technique is that it allows you to use your body as nature intended
- freely and without unnecessary muscle tension. The Technique can
be applied to all aspects of life from sitting and standing to
athletics and even to your attitude about life and the choices you
have. Understanding the Technique empowers you to improve your life
at every level.
Erika Zetty, St. Paul
For years I had suffered with tension headaches and other
painful postural issues that I never realized could be corrected by just
paying attention to my body. Over the years, I’d tried everything and
learned to just rely on pain relievers as the solution. I had many bad
habits well ingrained into my physical behavior. Finding them and
learning to release them through the Alexander Technique was like a
revelation. I always looked forward to my visits with Lauren. She had
such a calming affect on me and through her direction, I really grasped
what the Technique was all about. I wish she could visit me at the
office every day just to help me relax! I still have work to do, but
it’s work I know I can accomplish because I am essentially the tool for
keeping my posture healthy. It’s an approach that makes so much sense;
it’s a shame that some parts of the medical community don’t encourage
people to try alternative, and practical approaches like the Alexander
Technique for being healthier. I am truly thankful to Lauren and to my
doctor for referring me!
Betsy Mowry, St. Paul
My study of Alexander Technique with Lauren has not only
had a beneficial impact on the state of my body, but it’s also made a
difference in my thinking. Alexander Technique taught me simple
self-direction, allowing space and time to make a different choice,
rather than respond out of habit. These choices made a huge and
unanticipated difference in how my body felt, and pains were relieved
that I had come to accept as inevitable. Just as valuable was the way
that making choices about movement filtered into making other sorts of
decisions. The thought process you engage with the Alexander Technique
can be applied to other situations, and it gave me more space and
possibility in life situations. Best of all, the Alexander Technique has
such wonderful benefits, but it never feels complicated or frustrating.
Suzanne Wiltgen, dancer/choreographer
I continued with Alexander Technique on a regular basis for two
years after I began with Lauren in March 2006. I continued with this,
because I was able to maintain the relaxation and the balance for longer
periods of time after each lesson. I could feel the improvement after
each lesson. My last two pain issues were in my hips and shoulders, but
that pain finally went away too. Since I had misused my muscles for 65
years before I began the Alexander Technique, I think it took more time
for the muscles and bones to change to proper alignment. I'm glad I
stayed with it, and I'm glad I can also go back to a certified Alexander
Technique teacher when I need to. I haven't taken any pain medication
since two or three months after I began learning the Technique. Many of
the things I learned have now become habit, so I'm hoping that my
changes will be permanent. My big test came this summer when I went to
England from May through August 19. I had occasions when my muscles
tightened and I experienced some slight pain. However, I had the tools
to calm myself and relax to get back on track. I still feel fine after
sitting in airports and airplanes for many hours on end at the beginning
and end of my journey as well as sleeping in some beds that were not
very comfortable. I would have to say that the Alexander Technique was
not a "quick fix" for me, but it changed my body structure and taught me
better ways to handle myself. I had massages for about 20 years, and
they never took the pain away for more than a couple days.
Gloria Maurer, Monroe, WI
What lead me to learn the Alexander Technique was to
improve my posture. Over the course of a year, my posture did improve but what
was more valuable to me, was to learn to consciously use my body with less
strain to perform everyday activities like standing, walking, sitting, using my
computer, driving, brushing my teeth and getting out of bed. As I became more
aware of how to move, I came to my private lessons armed with questions on how I
could best do something I was working on that week--like a particular yoga move
or how to best ride my new bike. I really enjoyed working with Lauren as she is
a very interesting person. As a teacher, I really admire that she was always
patient and flexible in addressing my particular needs.
Bonnie McGrath, Edina
Before coming to Lauren and the Alexander Technique, I tried nearly
everything to heal my chronic neck and back pain. Massage, Rolfing, CranioSacral
therapy, reiki...you name it, I tried it. But nothing helped in the long term,
because the root cause of my problem--poor body use--wasn't being addressed.
Lauren taught me to relax away from many of my old habits of tension and strain,
and to use my body in a more natural, effortless way. Even though my lessons are
over now, I continue to use the Technique daily to keep pain at bay and increase
my body awareness.
Lauren is an amazing teacher, her classes are more than fairly priced, and her
quiet and comfortable studio is the perfect place to study the Technique.
Stephanie Watson, St. Paul
I’m 58 years old and I’ve always known that my chronic back pain
was made worse by my poor posture. My self-conscious efforts to
“correct” my posture only made things worse.
Learning from Lauren how to be actively aware of what I’m doing with
my body leads me to stop hurting myself and let the directions to do
their magic. When I catch myself unconsciously clenching the muscles
in my back or gripping my steering wheel, I am more and more able to
let it fall away. An added pleasure is the compliments I am getting
about my appearance.
My lessons with Lauren are an important part of my life now. When
the “click” happens— the flowing interchange between mindfulness and
release—I experience a peaceful ease that makes me feel that
everything is possible.
Kris Jacobs, Executive Director, JOBS NOW Coalition
My work with Lauren has helped me to become
much more aware of the tension I habitually carry in my body—in my hips, in
the normal posture of my head, neck, and back, even in the way I walk. I now
feel more at home, more aware, and less stressed in my body, which
definitely contributes to more ease in my life, in general.
Katy Taylor, St. Paul
When I was first unintentionally "led" to the Alexander
Technique, I thought I was going to get a massage. Instead, I got
rid of cramps in my calves that had nagged me for years, by simply
learning how to walk differently. This enormous change in the
feeling of "freedom" in my legs led me to regular lessons.
Since regular lessons have begun, I have whole days of no pain, even
given the fact that I have end-stage arthritis in my knee, rotator
cuff tear in shoulder and herniated disk in neck. (Not to mention
the autoimmune disorder of psoriatic arthritis that creates
inflammation throughout my body).
The Alexander Technique is life-changing for me, in that I know
there is an alternative to more scalpels and drugs; that by taking
control of my movements I can learn to move consciously and STOP
exacerbating the injuries and conditions inside my body, that causes
them to hurt more than they should.
I am learning to adapt, watch myself from the inside out, and create
new habits that in the long run will extend my life, my liver and
give me hope of not spending my last 20 years or so, in constant
pain. The idea that I may ultimately avoid several surgeries (after
more than I can count)...gives me a hope that is indescribable.
Chris McMahon, Director of Market Research, State of Minnesota
When I first started working with Lauren I was interested in
relieving some low back pain and finding out how my habits and
movement perpetuated the problem. During the course of our sessions
I gained not only an awareness of my movement and physical habits
but also a greater awareness of how I approach things in general.
Lauren is a gifted teacher. Her use of the Alexander Technique is
subtle and powerful.
Kathleen Behrens, photographic stylist/artist
Working with Lauren has been an extraordinary experience. The
Alexander Technique is a revolutionary tool that allows my body the
freedom to function in the way it was designed. As a Sign Language
Interpreter I am a prime candidate for problems such as chronic back
pain and Carpal Tunnel which frequently terminates the career of an
interpreter. Now I not only have the solution to my back pain, but a
way of thinking that is applicable to my whole self. By following
the Alexander Technique principles I am able to continue to do what
I love with ease. I feel free and empowered.
Gretta Hillestad, CI/CT, sign language interpreter
Despite many traditional treatments over two decades, my back
pain remained. Then I met Lauren Hill, and learned the Alexander way
of movement. Through her careful, knowledgeable teaching, I learned
how to sit, stand, walk and bend over without any back strain. She
is a gentle and gifted teacher and I recommend her to anyone who
wants to consciously move the body with ease and freedom from
distress.
Susan Steiner, executive assistant, University of Minnesota
The Alexander Technique really taught me what was causing my
chronic back pain. After I began learning the Technique, my massage
therapist noted that the muscles were much less tense. The Technique
really got to the source of my problems, not just as a quick fix or
"band-aid," but as a treatment with long term results.
Joanna Carina, graphic designer
Return to Top
|
