Yes, that's possible. If you know well in advance that you can't make a date, or if you unexpectedly become ill, there are opportunities to make up the difference. In that case, please email planning@swiminbalance.nl and our staff member will offer you several alternatives. Not all groups are fully booked. We use the remaining places for catch-up lessons. Our courses run synchronously, so if, for example, you miss the 5^e If you miss a lesson from a 6-week course, you can take your 5-week course the week in which your^e If the lesson was scheduled for a different day, please attend the lesson with a different group. Please note: make-up lessons are not guaranteed; there must be space available. However, we can usually find an alternative.

If you can already float on your back and stomach, and you're comfortable submerging your head, you can sign up right away for courses like the basic front crawl or breaststroke. We'll build your stroke from scratch; you don't need any technical skills yet. If you're afraid of water, or you can't float yet (with your legs off the floor), we recommend taking the Water Confidence course first. It's important that you feel completely comfortable in the water. In the Water Confidence course, you'll learn to float and exhale underwater.

After this course, you'll have enough skills to feel comfortable in a pool. You'll feel free in the water, able to make playful movements, and able to save yourself if you fall in. You'll also be able to propel yourself in the water, for example, while snorkeling, using the front crawl leg kick, and on your stomach and back.

If you want to take up swimming as a sport, for example, swimming laps every week, we recommend that you take a front crawl or breaststroke course after the Water Confidence course, so that you can swim the stroke technically in a beautiful way.

We choose to give everyone plenty of personal attention (max. 8 participants) and work with the Alexander Technique. This is different from regular swimming lessons. Swimming is a means to an end: you learn to effectively control your own movement and function. You learn a way of swimming that is healthier for you than traditional swimming. This method saves you a lot of energy. Moreover, you can apply the principles from the lessons to everyday life, for example, in the way you sit at a computer.

Our instructors have undergone intensive Alexander Technique training. They are highly qualified, often doctors or musicians. They are always in the water with you, providing hands-on guidance. We rent wonderfully warm, standing water, allowing us to practice slow, technique-building exercises without you getting cold. All of this results in a higher course price, but you also get more for your money and achieve better results in a shorter time. Furthermore, you'll receive a series of videos that will help you practice independently after the course. We realize this price isn't affordable for everyone, but we choose to offer something valuable in optimal conditions. It couldn't be cheaper. Occasionally, we also support people who would like to participate but absolutely can't afford it, such as professional musicians.

The Alexander Technique is a 100-year-old movement theory widely used by musicians, actors, dancers, and professional athletes. This technique teaches you to function more effectively both physically and mentally. Thinking is central to this. Your brain is put to work, while the movement becomes lighter and easier for your body. For example, you learn when to apply force and when to hold back (this saves a lot of energy!). Your awareness of the functioning of your back and joints increases, allowing you to use your body more efficiently. You will learn to swim mindfully, where you devote your full attention to the act of swimming. The insights gained from the swimming lessons are directly applicable to daily activities such as walking, working at a computer, checking your cell phone, standing for long periods, etc. We also often hear from students that this way of moving (especially in the water!) has beneficial effects on depression and burnout.

Yes. On this website you will see an overview of the many convincing scientific studies that have been conducted on the Alexander Technique. Alexander Technique lessons have a positive effect on chronic neck complaints. This effect can still be demonstrated a year after the lessons. This is evident from a clinical scientific randomized study among 517 participants, published on November 3 in the Annals of Internal MedicineThe three-year study was conducted at the University of York, England. See Here the full investigation.