Increased awareness is a very integral part of a Yoga practice and one of its goals. That is why I am very excited about sharing Yogazander with other teachers and students. By applying gentle hands on touch and principles of the Alexander Technique, I am able to hasten the development of the student’s awareness. Yogazander helps us to feel that release of tension. Once we feel what it is like to relax a shoulder or a neck, we can re-create that more easily—on and off the yoga mat. Besides, Yogazander is just a fun experience—a cross between an exercise class and a spa treatment.

Yogazander® is a special combination of Yoga and the Alexander Technique.  Participants practice classical yoga poses or postures with hands-on support to invite a gentle release of muscle tension and facilitate an easy, natural alignment.  This support allows you to experience more ease and freedom in each pose awakening new levels of awareness.  The goal of this practice is less stress and more flexibility on the yoga mat and in everyday life.

The Alexander Technique was named for it’s creator, Frederick Mattias Alexander (1869 – 1955). The individual is the focus of the Alexander Technique.  We are all unique, with different bodies, different experiences and different problems. We go about the process of change in different ways and at different rates. For these reasons, what happens in a lesson depends very much on the needs of the student at the time. But everyone who studies the Technique learns how to prevent unnecessary stress and expand their capabilities.

Yogazander® is a gentle style of Hatha Yoga which combines classical yoga poses and breathing exercises with the intentions of the Alexander Technique. Some hands-on support may be used to invite the soft release of tension. This combination leads to an easy, natural alignment in the poses. The goal of this practice is to increase flexibility and reduce stress in both the body and the mind. You may find it helpful to think of muscle tension as “muscle noise” and of your muscles becoming “quiet” as you release them. A primary goal of the Alexander Technique is to develop the ability to observe muscle tension in our bodies and then to choose to release unnecessary tension through the mental instructions of the centering intentions. Consider these intentions as invitations to yourself. They may be stated out loud or thought silently. These are foundational in nature (they organize our skeletal structure and our neuro-muscular system) and may be used at any time in any activity. They are especially helpful as preparation for explorations in new ways of carrying out our daily activities because they help us restore our bodies to a poised state of balance.