Testimonials
I was seeing an osteopath regarding back pain and other issues and found the treatment gave me short-term pain relief but little long-term improvement. Right from the first Alexander Technique lesson with Brendan I started to feel that I was making progress. I've now had almost ten lessons and have found that the lessons have made an enormous difference in all aspects of my life. I recently went to see my osteopath again and he was amazed by the difference Alexander Technique has made. I'm really enjoying learning the Alexander Technique and highly recommend Brendan as a committed teacher with a genuine interest in assisting his students to explore the difference that this technique can make to everyday activities.
Sarah Price, Development Manager
I recently attended a small group workshop with Brendan Bond, where we explored some Alexander Technique concepts in relation to a number of physical activities, including dance. Brendan facilitated a range of dynamic and interactive exercises that clearly demonstrated the concepts in a remarkably visual way.
For dancers, the way they feel when they move is obviously one of the most important aspects of their art, but their physical presence and the visual effect of their movement are also significant considerations.
Brendan's workshop provided an excellent framework for me to bring together my current understanding of movement with new perspectives about balance and working with the structure of the body. By looking at the origin of different types of movement, and making simple physical adjustments, we were able to more effectively utilise the energy in our bodies.
Beyond the mere physical, the Alexander Technique quickly expands ones awareness of their surroundings and encourages the making of deliberate choices in relation to how you perform a given task. I learned that having a clear intention, positive attitude and an ability to self-analyse was essential in helping me to achieve my goals.
I highly encourage those who wish to enhance their dance or tango journey with some new perspectives to attend Brendan's informative and fun workshops. The more you contribute, the more you will gain from this experience.
Julianne Martens, Argentine Tango Dancer
I've had neck and shoulder pain for nearly 12 years due to a computer-related repetitive stress injury, and over the years I've thrown every type of treatment imaginable at it, including massage, acupuncture and physiotherapy. Nothing has offered more than short-term relief. The situation became increasingly stressful as my pain worsened and treatment options seemed to dwindle, as the very activity that causes me pain—working on a computer—is an inescapable part of my job as a journalist.
In working with Brendan I've come to realize how much of my pain is actually caused by this stress—by the way I change my posture as I become more anxious—and not by the injury itself. The Alexander Technique has helped me become more aware of myself as an integrated whole, and has made me more conscious of the fact that mind and body are not merely connected—they are one and the same. I've also gained a much clearer understanding of body mechanics through the Alexander Technique, and I've found that this knowledge has translated into a much greater ease of movement across all of my daily activities, from sitting on the tram to walking around the city. It even makes dancing more fun!
I've had 10 sessions with Brendan and I plan to continue, because with each successive session I've found his unique approach to the Alexander Technique, coupled with his complementary skills in the field of psychology, have greatly enriched my life. I'm much more self-aware than I've ever been, and that awareness has given me the tools to look after myself in ways that passive therapy could never do.
Jess Kilby, Journalist
I attended a cycling workshop that Brendan had organized. It seemed to me to offer a good balance between theory and practice – showing us how our bodies related to the challenge of cycling, and what some crucial aspects of posture on the bike are; accessible to people new to the Alexander Technique but offering new insights to people who had already had some lessons. Understandably in a class, his gentle touch was used sparingly on individuals, but I cycled home feeling freer than I had cycled out to attend the workshop. I was favourably impressed by how much ground he covered in a couple of hours.
Harry Lewis
l was a long-distance runner through high school and in my late teens I started to experience severe pain in my knees after competitions. This eventually led to my giving up running and for the last ten years I have continued to have constant discomfort in my knees. Having taken up yoga and cycling more frequently, I was finding that my knees were limiting my ability to progress in both these endeavors. Determined to resolve this once and for all, I looked to the Alexander Technique. During my lessons with Brendan I became aware that something I was doing in my basic everyday movements (such as walking and standing) was perpetuating the pain in my knees.
Within one week of my first class there were remarkable differences to how well I could move in and out of various yoga poses and how much further I could walk and cycle before my legs started hurting. After three or four lessons I noticed a range of changes - including having a greater sense of awareness and confidence - in other activities that I undertook.
Brendan's approach is unique because he encourages students to be actively involved in modifying their thinking and consequently their actions, rather than having someone make these changes to them. During our classes Brendan not only encourages me to have a sense of awareness with regards to how I co-ordinate my own movements, but how I think about my whole self.
Lina Patel, Process Analyst