Walk in Balance – Center for the Alexander Technique

I should have left this review a long time ago, but late is better than never.
I took some lessons from Flora several years ago, and I’m still using what she helped me to learn, on a daily basis today. That’s huge. Some of the other reviews discuss the benefits (ease of use of your body, better movement/​posture) better than I could, but for anyone still on the fence after all these five-​star reviews: try it! Taking Alexander Technique with Flora was life changing in a great way.
Flora, if you read this, thank you!

Flora is a passionate and sensitive teacher. Learning Alexander technique from her over several sessions was revelatory on many fronts. I learnt how my body works, its optimal posture, and patterns of disuse and misuse. Once I applied this in daily movement I felt free and energetic.
As a long time yoga student I was able to incorporate this learning into my yoga practice also. I now approach difficult poses with a greater sense of care and self-​protection.
I highly recommend Flora and feel that Alexander technique is a must for all of us living the modern life as we have forgotten what an open and poised body feels like.

I’ve taken over a dozen classes with Flora and have really enjoyed the process. She’s made me much more aware of how I move, sit, and position myself in every day life. She is highly aware of energy and alignment and can spot even the smallest problems. I’ve got another 5 lessons scheduled with her and will probably make sure I’m always seeing her at least once every few months after that just to make sure I’m practicing Alexander regularly. I’ve found myself more centered and physically aware. I’m also now standing (and sitting) taller and moving with less effort. Alexander is a very subtle but important part of my life now. Thanks Flora!

I was given a session with Flora as a gift, having never studied Alexander Technique before. From the very beginning, the insights she guided me to were so compelling that I decided to continue taking sessions. In the short time I’ve worked with her, I’ve already gained a much better understanding of how to change the way I hold and move my body, whether I’m working at my desk, running through the park, or even brushing my teeth, so that I give it the natural support and strength it needs to be at its best. Flora is an excellent teacher! I highly recommend her.

I recently took Flora’s workshop Primary Body Mapping and Functional Movement for Yogis. That was exactly what I needed: comfortable settings, a small group and a kind and knowledgeable instructor, who guided us and introduced us to Alexander technique. Every class was a great combination of theory and practice that helped to easily digest given information and use it in our daily life. Flora is a very attentive and supportive teacher, always ready to help, her explanations of material were clear and easy to understand. Every two-​hour lesson was fun and had a lot of hands-​on experience since we literally learnt how to walk, sit and even rest in a new way! As for my yoga practice I was given some precious tips that definitely helped me to improve my yoga routine and avoid injuries while practicing it. I recommend this workshop to everyone because it helps to change your movements in a way your body will appreciate and you will feel it!

Flora is a kind and supportive teacher. I’ve been doing Alexander Technique for over 15 years and have worked with many great teachers in group settings, and this is how I got to know Flora. She came to my workplace for a lunch-​n-​learn session about poise and posture. She was patient and clear, quick to smile and celebrate baby steps with the group. Many light bulbs were turning on! She then worked with each of us at our desks to optimize our work stations and movement. I highly recommend bringing her to your work place! You won’t regret it.

Flora came into my office to teach the Alexander technique and it was an all-​around wonderful experience!
She really knows her craft! Plus, she is so comfortable, personable, and relaxed it made the process of learning much less intimidating. She explained why this method works in a really clear way, and how our bodies and postures change over time (so enlightening). She also help each person in my group find alignment standing, and sitting at our desks (including recommendations for proper desk height, sitting position, etc)!
Thanks for the great experience Flora!

After struggling for years with increasing instances of debilitating back pain my wife set me up with a Alexander Technique session. I had never heard of this treatment and was a bit skeptical but (as anyone reading this who suffers from back pain can attest to) there aren’t a whole lot of options and I was hoping to find something preventative.
In my first Alexander lesson Flora guided me in standing tall with perfect posture. I can not describe how amazing this felt — just to stand both tall and relaxed without tension. Needless to say I kept coming back for more. After about 6 lessons my back pain was completely gone as my sense of tension in my body and my ability to release this tension increased.
I cannot recommend Flora highly enough. Especially if you suffer from back pain, want to improve your posture (in general or in M.A. or yoga) is the ticket. Like me, you’ll be thanking yourself for trying.

I have been taking lessons from Flora for about eight months now after attending one of her weekend workshops and I can notice a huge improvement in my posture and overall wellbeing. Although the price per lesson might seem high, it think the skills I have learned from Flora and the Alexander Technique will help me live better for the rest of my life. Check out one of her workshops if you’re curious about the Alexander Technique.

My experience over the last couple of years of working with Flora has been really positive, and has led me to recommend the Alexander Technique to my friends and my employer.
I turned up with chronic neck pain, plus shoulder pain. Even more worrying was that pain was starting to creep into my arms when I worked at my laptop.
In a matter of weeks of working with Flora, and reading Alexander technique books the pain started to subside. I started to use a standing desk, and with my new self awareness i changed to having pain only once in a while. It was life changing for me.
The first appointment was a breakthrough for me when I learned just how heavy my head is. When I have pain these days I go back for «refresher» classes. This helps to remind me of what is special (read weird) about how I hold myself, how i treat myself, and gives me refocus again.
I’m not sure what I get more from — the self awareness and all new self perception from the experience, or the «table work» where Flora herself is able to do some work on a massage table creating space in my frame and releasing a lot of tension in the process. It is very effective for such slight movements, and totally different from massage which i find generally sets of all new kinds of pains for me.
Flora is gentle, clear, thoughtful, and pushes me just the right amount to improve/​accept the challenge.

I first met Flora six months ago while recovering from multiple injuries. In her intro workshop, she showed us basic Alexander Technique principles: how to sit, stand and walk with correct alignment of the head, neck and spine. She also used a skeletal model to explain how different body parts are connected and what a neutral spine looks like (it’s more curved than you might think!). I was amazed to discover how much I’ve forgotten since high school anatomy class, and that I’ve been locking my knees and overarching my back for years.
Flora has since guided me through 12 inspiring sessions, each imbued with her gentle warmth and enthusiasm. She’s proven far more effective than other physical therapists because she could quickly pinpoint postural and chronic pain issues (later confirmed by medical tests) and shown how greater mind-​body awareness can help calm the nervous system and release muscle tension.
Most of all, Flora’s approach is fun, challenging and fundamentally grounding. Through her lessons I feel like I’m starting to act more mindfully and efficiently in daily life, whether in a yoga class, dealing with mental clutter or sitting down for dinner. She’s a true gem!

Getting the opportunity to work with Flora has been a pleasure and I highly recommend you spend some time with her.
I initially visited her because I was having issues with my wrists. I work on a computer a lot and I have had wrist issues on and off for sometime. I heard someone mention the Alexander Technique when discussing how to correct the wrist problems. I spent a bit of time online learning about this «technique» as I’d never heard of it. I got some of F. Matthias Alexander’s books which are quite amazing but written in an old style that makes them difficult to read and not to mention that they are densely packed with information. Specifically what led me to her was the fact that Alexander said the quickest way to learn is from a teacher.
Flora is an excellent teacher. I had gotten some books written by other people that had exercises that I thought were helpful. But I did not realize until working with Flora, that many of the exercises had me focusing on the wrong things. Flora instead helps you to learn to learn just as Alexander had advised.
An important example is the semi-​supine position. I tried this multiple times but quickly realized after working with Flora that I had been confused about how to do it even though I read about it many times. The first time I got into this position with Flora, I learned so much more than I had from all the times doing it on my own even with the written «knowledge» of multiple experts. She helped me learn how to think about how to use my body and how to use my body which is essentially what Alexander’s teaching is all about.
She helped me with my wrists and so much more as I began to learn how my whole body is connected. My work with her has positively impacted my sitting, standing, walking, lying, running, etc.
If you’re interested in any activity that requires the use of your body (e.g., living) and the idea that there is way to do that activity that makes the best use of your body, then you would not find a better methodology than the one espoused by Alexander. The concepts he offers are especially useful now that we have become more sedentary, but are also incredibly useful for physical activities like running or swimming or even sitting.
Flora is an outstanding guide to have as you embark on your Alexander Technique journey. She will help you learn things about yourself that will surprise you and excite you. By working with her you will gain invaluable insight into your own self and how to become better by understanding how to use your self better. This is a great gift.

I had been hearing about Flora’s magic for years from a dear friend of mine… I now cannot believe I did not listen and go to see her sooner!
This fall, my discomfort following an accident where I was hit by a car on my bike was interfering with my day to day meaningful activities. Similar to many other stories, the traditional approaches of medicine and exercise were not assisting me to full recovery, and here is where Flora’s skill is key. She helped me find the root of my maladaptive movements which trace back much further than my recent accident.
Flora is wonderfully gentle, fiercely intelligent, and extremely intuitive. She educates you with informative visuals and metaphors, and physically guides you through movement with expertise. Flora holds you accountable in a gentle way, that is both effective and reinforcing. Seeing her is emotionally humbling and incredibly empowering. The best therapy! Not to mention the ease and enjoyment (not just pain-​free) way I am learning to move. It is so satisfying, and while it does take dedication and time, the results are more than I could have hoped for, and I am not done yet!
I truly cannot recommend Flora highly enough! A heartfelt Thank you, Flora!

Meeting Flora is liking talking to a psychiatrist at a party. You know how within minutes they’ve diagnosed you and anything you do will just reinforce the diagnoses so you just do nothing. As soon as you walk into the room Flora knows what’s wrong with you. At first it’s just embarrassing/​depressing. What can you do that’s actually correct? Can you attend this workshop without moving and embarrassing yourself further? But then her observations and suggestions are so spot on and helpful that you get over your initial embarrassment and want her to find out more problems so you can fix them.
I’ve been meaning to learn more about the Alexander Technique ever since I got a recommendation for my back issues (old age!). Finally she had a public workshop Effortless Posture 101 I could attend. Two hours on a Sunday for $ 40 (check or cash) seemed like a steal. Especially when I showed up and there was only 1 other person. Practically a private lesson!
Flora pointed out the obvious bad posture problems but her explanation paired with hands on fixing really hit home. Instead of just telling me what position was wrong and telling me what was right, or just showing me, or just repositioning me, she did all that plus explained why it was bad because of the way it constrained my muscles and tightened them and did it in such a way that I realized how to feel the difference and feel my way to the «right» way on my own. We talked a lot about spine alignment and different ways to think about your body and how it moves. It was eye-​opening. She’s an amazing teacher.
I was super enthusiastic when finished and couldn’t stop talking about it (just ask hubby). Unfortunately I can’t afford the $ 100 private lessons so will try to work on my bad habits on my own with the few big tips I got from Flora.

After tearing a hamstring muscle last year, (running injury) I went to the Dr. and started the long and painful process of rehab. After 6 months of PT I was still not seeing much improvement in my pain or strength levels. Enter Flora.
An athlete friend of mine had suggested that I look into Alexander technique. He said that bad form is the cause of most injuries, and it was likely that the bad form that caused my original injury was preventing my healing as well.
I found Flora though her great reviews on Unilocal and I could not be happier with the results. Within a few lessons I was able to stand pain free for the first time in months and within a few months I was finally making progress with my on going PT.
Flora is an expert on posture and movement. She quickly identified where my posture was creating tightness and imbalance in my movements. She is patient but committed to helping teach her students and is an absolute pleasure to work with. I’m on the road to recovery now and I know that I could not have made it to this point without her help. I highly recommend her.

There are no words to describe the feeling of proper posture after a lifetime of misalignment. You have to feel it for yourself. And for that, there is Flora.
I didn’t actually know how «off» my posture was until I found Flora. I suspected something was up, but I didn’t know how to fix it (or even what, exactly, to fix). That’s the thing about posture: your body is used to moving a certain way, and you probably never knew it could move much, much better.
Improving one’s posture means feeling things that are shockingly alien. The learning process is pretty thrilling, as nerdy as that may sound. For this journey you need a patient, trustworthy guide who can explain complex ideas in simple terms. That’s Flora.
Her depth of knowledge will impress you. She clearly lives and breathes all things Alexander Technique, alignment, and mind-​body. And she’s a joy to work with; she has the kind of warm, energizing personality that makes you look forward to your next lesson.

I started taking classes from Flora for what I suppose are fairly typical reasons: cubicle body, awful posture, never quite feeling right in my own skin, etc. I also suppose that I went into my first Alexander Technique (AT) appointment like many other people; not fully understanding what it even is.
In the end, AT put me on the path to improved posture and sense of comfort (even belonging) in my own body. And if that was all I had received from my sessions with Flora then it would have been well worth it. But I got much more. At its core, I like to think of AT as a way to learn. It teaches you how to be curious about your body again, how to let go of old habits both physical and mental.
Give it a try. You’ll feel a lightness you’ve not felt in years.

Flora is an amazing Alexander Technique instructor. She’s passionate, focused and extremely particular with the details of your body. In each session I had with her, she inspired an awareness to yet another part of my body which was either out of alignment or in a bad habit holding pattern.
With Flora, one can rise up to a higher energetic and physical level. I highly recommend her!

I took 12 Alexander Technique sessions with Flora and it has been great! I read a bit online about Alexander Technique, but I didn’t know what to expect going in, I mostly just wanted to improve my posture to relieve my lower back pain.
I was surprised how many unconscious things happen when you move, sit, stand, etc. and how Alexander Technique is about being very conscious about them. Flora was really good at explaining the whole mental model around this, how it’s actually about undoing what you’re already doing, and not about doing something new. Thanks to these lessons I’ve become much more aware about my posture and my movement, and I feel much better about my overall presence.
On top of that, she was also very flexible with my schedule, which I really appreciated. I definitely recommend her!

I’ve been fortunate to work with some pretty incredible practitioners of the healing arts over the years but none as impressive as Flora.
From the first moment we spoke on the phone, to our most recent session, Flora has been completely present and focused. She uses her deep knowledge of the Alexander Technique, and her gift as a great teacher and person, to identify, correct, and demonstrate the suboptimal postures of my body.
Prior to seeing Flora I had neck pain from two recent rear-​end car accidents, and a life-​time of discomfort from other accidents, tension, and general bad habits. The pain is gone. But what is even more amazing about her work is that she is actually training me to be aware of how to correct my own body as I move through my day. Can your chiropractor do that??! I doubt it. Flora has changed my life for the better and I will forever be grateful to her.