TESTIMONIALS
David Digby has been practising Alexander Technique in Bath and further afield for over 25 years. Read in their own words how some of his Alexander Technique students have benefitted:
... I used to get killer back ache... but not any more. Now I have more energy and I'm more aware. I'm even an inch taller.
Ben Jolliffe (38), writer
... I had an operation for slipped disc many years ago and more recently a hip replacement for arthritis, and had recurrent back, hip, shoulder and neck pain and stiffness. After about 4 weeks of lessons I began to note a lessening of pain and improvement in flexibility. Sleep improved and my wife commented I was less irritable - a 'nicer' person, she said. Subsequently, in spite of moving house and various other life stresses, my improved health has been maintained and the pain I experienced in the unoperated hip has disappeared.
Dr Richard Carter (62), MRCGP
... important physical and emotional changes have become apparent. My granddaughter is 14 years old, and a series of challenging events had left her struggling. Now she has an increasing understanding of her own self-worth and this is starting to be reflected physically. Three months on and her parents and sister say they are reaping the benefits of living with a less reactionary being!
Julie Hazelwood, grandmother
... my back has made a definite improvement. In fact so much so that I'm asked if I've grown taller.
Dave Boxall (44), Chief Designer, Cameron Balloons
... What I hadn't expected were the compliments about my posture, and about how comfortably 'upright' I seem now. It certainly isn't due to any effort on my part! The final benefit has been in the way that I manage very stressful situations at work, when I have to cope with a lot at once. There was a time when I would tighten up, feel immensely stressed and go home with a headache. Now I notice how much more relaxed I am under pressure, and I think I make better decisions as a result. My own experience of lessons with Dave and how my neck pain has benefited has lead to my including a few Alexander procedures in the Neck Pain leaflet that some patients receive when visiting the RUH Pain Clinic.
Monica Baird (43), consultant in anaesthesia and pain medicine
... It is about so much more than posture... Learning the Alexander Technique has helped me to recover from a stress-induced collapse in more ways than I had ever imagined possible. In essence, it has helped me to regain a true and vital sense of being alive. I feel more present in the moment - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Now I find I can choose how I respond to stress rather than reacting in my old habitual ways. I feel so empowered and so much more confident - once again my life is full of possibilities.
Jesse Lawrence (36), film maker
... I like the emphasis on promoting health by allowing myself to rediscover natural patterns of movement and function. Not by trying to reimpose the 'correct' version but by learning to undo bad habits of body use that interfere with my good functioning. I always feel so much better and move more easily after each lesson. Positive changes have been maintained. These include feeling taller and more open, removal of neck and back tension and increasing choice in how I react to stress. I wish I had started Alexander lessons years ago.
Dr Neil Simpson (44), consultant paediatrician
... 'Your daily life is your gym', Dave Digby told me. Washing, climbing the stairs, working at the computer, reading... all provide opportunities for inhabiting the present moment, and your body, with a new awareness. Even standing at a supermarket checkout became enjoyable as I could practise 'just standing' and feel the release in my body - a surprising and delicious sensation. Over a period of months, I had many Alexander sessions with Dave, learning this awareness, and unlearning the bad habits of a lifetime. Every lesson was founded on sitting, standing and walking under the immensely intelligent hands of the teacher. Of course your back gets better! And your knees, your neck, your head, your confidence, your being in the world. In this work with the body, heart, mind and spirit are engaged, too. Dave is a sympathetic teacher, who imparted the far-reaching effects and concepts of Alexander Technique with skill and humour and humility.
Linda Saunders (60s), writer and editor
... I tried all kinds of treatments for recurrent and sometimes debilitating back pain over many years. Only the Alexander Technique has proved effective in the longer-term. One of the big and unexpected benefits of the Technique was psychological. I now find I am less reactive and have more choice about how I respond to stressful situations. It has also helped me in my performing as a professional storyteller, improving my 'presence', bearing and voice. I'd recommend the Alexander Technique to anyone.
David Metcalfe (54), auditor and storyteller
... I walk tall and with greater ease. The AT is of such great practical use. I've learnt to handle stress and difficult situations and can now maintain my body's equilibrium. At last I've learnt how to look after myself!
Janet Snowdon (60s), homeopathic trainer and practitioner
... I have been playing the violin since the age of 8 and now regularly practice for 5 hours every day. I started lessons because of intermittent physical discomfort and shoulder and neck problems resulting from the one-sided nature of playing this instrument. After 8 lessons the Technique has helped me more than I had anticipated. Now I go about my daily activities with a wonderful ease as well as playing the violin with more flexibility. It has helped me to become focused through calming the mind; an essential skill for any profession and for personal well being.
Alice Barron (23), violinist
... If practice makes perfect, then I was a living example of how successful you can be at storing up tension in your body doing everyday stuff which caused physical and emotional stress - and not just for me, but for my family too. My osteo and massage therapist said AT might help me 'unlock' my tensed-up torso so I gave it a try. Not only has it helped me release tension that I was often completely unaware of, but I am developing a new outlook and approach to my work-life balance. It must be working as even my teenage daughter has noticed the difference!
Hilary Stanton (53), marketing consultant