Charlie’s story

Charlie is a Medical Writer who came for lessons before her move to Chester.

‘I first contacted Julia partly because I was concerned about repetitive strain injury, which I was starting to develop in the wrist and shoulders through my (primarily desk-based) job as a writer. I was also making a series of lifestyle changes, and was looking for ways to develop a calmer life.

The results of Julia’s work were powerful. The practice of repeating everyday movements (getting in and out of a chair, walking, standing) seemed so simple, yet my aches and pains vanished quickly. Just as valuable to me was the fact that, by changing the way I use my body, I became less prone to stress. For example: my usual response to a phone call had been to lurch instantly across my desk, wedging the phone between my ear and shoulder while responding to emails at the same time. By making a different initial reaction, taking a second to pause, my stress levels have reduced significantly. This sounds like a small change, but altering an habitual behavioural response and learning how to take a step back in life has proved invaluable.

Benefits of the Alexander Technique are sometimes hard to quantify, because they often come from preventing problems before they start. But I believe these are just as significant. I am now in the third trimester of pregnancy, and Julia’s teaching has helped me to avoid much of the back pain, loss of mobility and general aches about which I’d heard so many dire warnings. I’m delighted to say that I can move around easily with my (ever-increasing!) bump, and that, without too much effort, I’ve been able to adapt to my changing shape without problems.’