Alexander Technique Studio Leura

by michaelshellshear | Mar 12, 2021 | Blue Mountains Alexander Technique, Uncategorized

Alexander Technique Studio Leura update.

Over the last six months we have witnessed such a beautiful transformation of our Blue Mountains property. Our vision was to create a peaceful garden studio where people are inspired to learn Alexander Technique mindfulness in activity.

Of course, we picked the rainiest summer on record to undertake our project. I don’t think that I have ever experienced so much mud. Nevertheless the transformation has been astounding and I’d like to share some of that with you.

Australian native grass by the Golden Elm

View of the gardens before planting

Handmade reflects the colours of the garden and studio

Pathway under construction;spiral rock wall

Marisol admires the sculpture

Chris Vassallo sculpture and green green zoyzia grass

Studio placed in the gardens

Clean lines and light of interior studio

Getting our Alexander Technique Studio ready

Jane and I have been working with our landscapers to create a truly unique teaching space. We want to reflect the inspiration, joy and transformation that happens with Alexander learning into our teaching environment. In the studio, Jane and I have sealed, primed and painted. Each paint stroke has been carefully applied with Alexander direction and thought. Our process of “thinking in activity” has been embodied in a space of design, light, colour, form and natural beauty. Clearing my mind and letting go of negative self-talk, I undertook the challenge of laying the studio floor. For three days, on hands and knees I had to remember myself while at the same time carefully bringing the pieces of floor into alignment. I learned so much. The end result is a beautiful, insulated warm floor that changes with the sun’s light and reflects onto the antique white finish of the interior walls. It will be a beautiful space in which to work. I hope you will come.

Hand made colour and texture

We wanted to find floor coverings for the studio that would be soft underfoot and reflect the colours of our garden. The idea of bringing the outside in and having awareness of the inside on the outside reflects our Alexander Technique work. A “unified field of awareness” where you are aware of your self, while maintaining an awareness of your activity, is an important benefit of Alexander learning. The woollen hand knotted rugs from Afghanistan are dyed with vegetable dyes and stone washed to set the colour. They’ll bring a softness in look and feel and also ensure that sound is managed within the studio. We hope that you will enjoy their warmth and inspiration learning Alexander Technique with us.

Alexander Technique update November 2021

2021 has been the year of lockdown. For the first time in thirty years I have not taught students for a long period. I used the time to research, read and prepare for coming back to teaching. It surprises people to know that there is a great body of ongoing research and commentary on Alexander Technique. I have taken part in workshops with diverse Alexander teachers around Australia and the globe via zoom. This includes work with Caren Bayer in New York, Stefanie Faye (neuroscience)in Chicago,Penelope Eastern in Ireland, Michael Stenning in Canberra and teachers around Australia via the Australian Society of Alexander Technique teachers.

Since the end of lockdown October 19th 2021, I have opened up for teaching again. Spring is happening in our Alexander garden at the moment. It’s a truly beautiful time to come and have a lesson with me.

Benefits of lessons– development of proprioception(self-awareness), exteroception(awareness of your surroundings) and enteroception (intuition and gut sense) skills. Ability to identify and prevent harmful patterns. Interventions to release pressure and experience liberated movement. Insightfulness and Mindfulness skills developing embodied intelligence.

Alexander Technique opens an entirely new model of human functioning based on physiological freedom that is emminently sensible and radically exhilarating.

If you wish to liberate yourself from pain, poor movement and inadequate performance, Alexander Technique is without peer.

The gabion rock walls in our garden were made entirely from Blue Mountains iron stone dug up from our property. We chose gabions because they allowed us to use rubble and fill behind the bookleafed ironstone. It meant that we didn’t have to grab stone that wasn’t ours to grab. The work from Tom Buchanan and Hugh Lloyd of Bespoke Backyards in bringing our design to life is stunning craftsmanship. You can see that we have recycled old railway sleepers, crushed granite and ironstone gabions to create an easy and beautiful pathway to the studio.

Blue Mountains Back Pain Management

Alexander Technique harnesses the power of your conscious mind to change your habits of movement and balance . It can dramatically help with back and neck pain conditions. Regain flexibility and poise. Invest a little time and money to change your life. What are you waiting for?

If you live in the Blue Mountains, you don’t have to travel far to see experienced teachers. We’re in Leura. We have years of Alexander practice. We can help.

Call on 0448 406881 or click on the button below to book a time

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Pink flannel flowers in the Blue Mountains

Alexander Studio Leura

Spring flowers

5 top reasons why you’ll love our Alexander Technique Studio

by michaelshellshear | Nov 20, 2020 | Blue Mountains Alexander Technique, Uncategorized

Here are 5 top reasons that you’ll love our Alexander Technique studio

1. Love our vision

Jane and Michael have had a vision, for a long time, of residents of the Blue Mountains and visitors from further afield coming into a peaceful garden setting to immerse themselves in mindfulness, Alexander Technique and the path of change. We feel that our students won’t be just coming for Alexander lessons, they’ll be coming for an Alexander Technique experience.

Alexander Technique Studio design

2. A brilliant garden design team

Michael & Jane turned to landscape designer Justin Hungerford to realise their vision. That’s because his design style is beautiful, integrative and understands the eloquence of the mountains. The photo above is the western side of the design. There is also an eastern side that uses rock, water, crushed granite & wooden pathways, tree ferns and maple trees to provide an attractive discovery path to the new Alexander Technique Studio. A new water feature surrounded by ironstone found on the property and tree ferns will let water fall into a rock pool providing sound, texture and movement. Tom Buchanan of Bespoke_Backyards Blackheath and his team are expertly and faithfully implementing the design in stages. It is a large property on the Grose Valley side of Leura. Each stage of the project has come with challenges which Tom and team have met and overcome. For Michael & Jane, it has been a journey to see the design come to life from the back of their property and make its way up to their new Alexander Technique Studio. Justin has used the natural slope of the land to develop levels and to play with eyes and senses.

3. Alexander Technique Studio in the bush

The new Alexander Technique Studio has been hand built from sustainably produced baltic pine. The pine is cut into 45mm thick pieces that provide a high degree of thermal insulation and sound proofing. The studio is nestled into a woodland forest which overlooks groves of birch trees, native gums and native flora. A path winds its way from the cabin, through the woodland to a grass area with a new 5 leaf sculpture by Christopher Vassallo towering as a centrepiece at 2.5 metres. Made from Corden steel it provides a dramatic focus to the gardens.

Blue Mountains Alexander Technique studio under construction

Rising up from the studio a path of crushed granite and wood is fringed with a gabion wall of book-leafed iron stone. It meanders up into the more formal European gardens with ferns, water features, maples, azaleas and rhododendrons.

Justin’s planting design uses texture. colour, height, fragrance to provide drama, wow factor and transition.

4. A regular Calendar of events

From project completion in early January, a calendar of Alexander Technique events, Alexander Technique Teacher Training , Alexander Technique classes and specialist workshops for musicians, health practitioners and others will begin. This will offer you the oppportunity to find just the right workshop or class to suit you.

5. Towards an Alexander Technique centre of excellence

Michael & Jane both have over 20 years experience teaching Alexander Technique and are well regarded professionally around Australia. Jane will also be holding specialist Musician Workshops in Body Mapping and workshops in musicianship. They are working towards the community growing to know and enjoy their unique healing space, so that they can create a centre of excellence right here in the heart of the beautiful Blue Mountains.

Alexander Studio Leura

Jane & Michael will be inviting colleagues, friends and residents of Blue Mountains to come to enjoy their Alexander Technique Studio within its beautifully designed garden setting.

Right now, Tom and his team are landscaping one of the garden terraces. Tom has developed a special method for creating curved Gabion walls of ironstone. Conventional gabions tend to have sharp edges and fail to display the drama of a curving rock wall. This new method creates a beautiful line for the eyes. This team of landscapers share in our vision for a place of grace, beauty and strong harmonisation.

The Alexander Technique is an incredible skill that provides great assistance to people in their health, movement, posture and in their achievement. Jane and I have dedicated our lives to teaching people about this very useful skill. It is so humbling and such a privilege to be able to present our teaching in a place of design, energy and alignment.

What a couple of years

January 2022 and our vision has been realised. It’s been a very strange and challenging time with covid19 and el nina giving us many obstacles to overcome.

The Studio is built and looks beautiful. It’s a great space to work in. The garden is enjoying it’s first summer since completion. Every day there is something new to provide joy. It might be a flower opening, beautiful fronds on the ferns or some new growth.

COVID is a wildcard that’s playing it’s game with us all. I have a COVID 19 & Alexander Technique page which you are welcome to look at.

You are welcome to come and have Alexander Technique lessons, refreshers or work exchanges depending on your level at our beautiful garden studio. Click the button below to see the range of services that we offer.

Visit the studio & gardens