Tuesdays 7-9 p.m. in the Hall £15 / £12 Booking essential
A gentle, practical exploration of how our legs support us (and what we hold in our legs) in movement and in life… The aim is encourage integration, flexibility and greater freedom in relation to how we feel as a whole person, and how we use our legs in particular…
Benefits and outcomes:
- a sense of wholeness and groundedness, physically, mentally and emotionally
- an understanding of how our bodies (legs) often absorb and contain the toxicity and stress of everyday life, and how we can begin to release and integrate this energy
- by working as a group, supporting each other, in observing and being observed (without judgement), this work can be transformative, empowering, and fun.
Why men’s legs? – during my Alexander Technique training a teacher said to me that it was as if I was cut in half at the waist, and that my legs were not integrated with the rest of my body – this was news to me … however, in time, and over many years of somatic work and training, I observed that this cut-off-ness of the legs was quite common (not only in men, but it seemed somehow more pronounced in men). There are surely many elements that contribute to this situation: a sedentary lifestyle; a particular approach to exercise which tends to build muscle mass and increase rigidity; the fact that legs (and pelvis) can be areas which relate to psychological and emotional repression (and trauma); and the ergonomics of modern life, which often detaches us from the ground, takes away a natural variety of surfaces to interact with, and denies us our natural, playful physical freedom and way of interacting and expressing ourselves in and with our bodies.
This group, then, is not only about legs, but rather about who and how we are in the world, using our legs as a reference point and a way in to this wider exploration.
Loose, comfortable (and warm) clothing is recommended.
Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique offers a way of being in (everyday) movement which facilitates change in our physical and behavioural patterns and habits – giving us a say in how we feel and function – thereby enhancing our ability to perform in both everyday and specialised activities. The result can be a powerful uplift in our sense of well-being and of self-determination. This is the real ‘taking back control’…
I am offering Alexander Technique at the Kenilworth Centre, one-to-one sessions (great for back pain, improved posture and mobility), and for groups of 3-4 people (ideal for people with shared interests such as sports, or for musicians & performers).
Please contact me with any enquiries, I’m happy to chat.
Paul Baxter
I qualified as an Alexander Technique teacher in 2004, spent five years in Prague teaching AT with musicians, dancers, individuals, and small groups. Upon returning to the UK in 2010 I continued to teach AT in Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon. Since 2013 I have explored and worked with other somatic practices including Amerta, Authentic Movement, 5Rhythms, and Ecological Movement.
My intention currently is to evolve a way of working – with groups and individuals – which draws on all of these skills and practices, with the aim of finding and sharing a more integrated, fulfilling and pleasurable way (or ways) of being in the world.
Telephone: 07952 037402 or email: plbxtr67@gmail.com
