ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
Practical method
The Shaw Method for swimmers is based on the principles of the Alexander Technique. With the Alexander Technique you learn to move in a fluent and efficient way and to use your body without overloading. This technique is known worldwide and is widely used by professional athletes, musicians, dancers and actors.
What is the Alexander Technique?
Alexander Technique is a simple and practical method with which you can improve your physical and mental functioning. It is widely used by professional musicians, dancers, athletes and actors. However, it is not so well known outside these fields. In the Netherlands, many people are more familiar with exercise therapies such as Mensendieck, Feldenkrais (who was a student of FM Alexander), and Cesar therapy. Worldwide, however, Alexander Technique is much better known than these methods and Alexander Technique is more widely spread. There are currently about 3000 Alexander teachers active, and there are professional associations in 18 countries.
Alexander Technique can be classified under 'education'. You come to class (group or private) to learn something that you can then apply independently for the rest of your life. In that sense, it differs greatly in character from a therapy, in which you let what the therapist does with you. In the Alexander lessons you mainly get to work yourself and the teacher guides you in this, such as learning to play a musical instrument, only in this case you are the instrument yourself.
Moving in a natural way
The traditional way of swimming education is derived from competitive swimming. The Shaw Method of Swim in Balance is unique because it is inspired by the technique of FMAlexander. This helps to rediscover your natural balance and equilibrium. The Alexander Technique is taught by qualified teachers. In the Netherlands, most teachers are members of the Dutch Association for Alexander Technique Teachers (NeVLAT).
What's the benefit?
With athletes and musicians, the effect of this technique is often immediately noticeable in their results, which is why it is so popular with them. When horseback riding, for example, you immediately notice the behavior of your horse if you apply the Alexander Technique yourself. Singers, winds and strings often hear an immediate improvement in sound. In general, your awareness will grow of what you do, how you react to different stimuli. You learn to observe what your own habits are and you learn a method with which you can break them and build new habits in a more favorable way, both in thinking and in movement.
Examples of victory points:
– more peace and overview in thinking
– developing an appropriate muscle tone for the activity you do: neither too much nor too little
– learn to move as efficiently as possible, with the effect of less pressure on the joints and less tension in, for example, the neck
– reduction of neck and back complaints, sometimes also reduction of headaches
– doing exactly what is needed at that moment, without overconcentration or distracting thoughts
– a more beautiful appearance in everyday life and on stage
– easier public speaking, overcome stage fright
Where is it from?
The Alexander Technique was developed at the beginning of the 20th century by FM Alexander, who was studying at the theater school in London at the time. He wanted to be an actor and specialized in reciting Shakespeare's works. However, he had a problem with his vocalization, he kept losing his voice halfway through the performance. Because doctors could not find a cause, he himself started to observe very closely what he did differently on stage than off stage. With this he discovered certain principles that not only solved his own problem, but which also proved to be widely applicable for fellow actors, and musicians, dancers and athletes who were friends. This is where the Alexander Technique arose.
Do you want Alexander Technique lessons without swimming?
You can also learn this technique without combining it with swimming. Swim in Balance founder Esther Visser has an Alexander Technique practice in Haarlem. She regularly teaches (former) students of Swim in Balance swimming courses. You are most welcome. Her practice's website is: www.free-up.nl. Or leave a message if interested.
For more general information about the Alexander Technique, visit: www.alexandertechniek.nl
Upcoming courses
Practice hours
Reviews
A wonderful holiday, during which I learned to swim in a whole new way. Nice location, quiet pool and on the sea, so all possibilities to practice in between. Nice lessons with a lot of personal attention. I thought I would find two hours of swimming hard, but learning this technique is wonderful.
Super good way to learn how to crawl in a relaxed way. Top!
Recommended! A very nice front crawl basic course in Utrecht! Good teachers teach you a special way of swimming in a very personal approach. I hope to really learn to master the front crawl in a follow-up course.
With the aim of being able to participate in a quarter triathlon, I naturally immediately came to the conclusion that my swimming needed an improvement (literally). Through Swim in Balance I laid the foundation to do this with the Shaw method front crawl. In the course you really received personal attention and a lot of guidance and coaching to improve the details and to be able to swim more easily, faster and more relaxed. The lessons are nicely structured; you learn step by step and keep getting new “aha” moments, at a fast and easy pace. Now it is simply a matter of practicing and building up fitness. In any case, the basis is there; for that, thanks!
It is really fun to learn butterfly stroke at Swim in Balance. The exercises are playful and pleasant to do. Float like a crocodile, 'wave' underwater like a mermaid. Recommended!
I learned a lot in a short time! I would recommend the lessons at Swim in Balance to anyone who would like to learn how to swim better.
I've been doing laps for years. Breaststroke as we learned it at… school. When I finally allowed myself front crawl lessons with a traditional teacher, who works with planks, shouts Zoomers and instructions from the side and lets you make all movements at the same time, I was quite disappointed. I was and remained a thrashing dog with sour muscles. That method is not for me. Stopped after 2 lessons. He reported and showed from the side that my breaststroke could be better, which I saved but did nothing with. When I saw Swim in Balance, it immediately appealed to me. I know what Alexander Technique is. That also helped. But this immediately felt like the method for me. Maybe I didn't stand a chance after all! Have now done the front crawl basic course and move on to level 2 and breaststroke. Because pulling jobs with that last stroke now pulls too much on my lower back. And 'I save them all'. Ultimately, I want to learn all strokes at Swim in Balance.
Just followed the front crawl lessons in Zandvoort. Very pleasant swimming lesson and good teacher; everything is discussed very calmly and practiced immediately. Laughed occasionally. First I had to get over my underwater fear. But with the right swimming goggles (bought on the spot), it worked surprisingly quickly. Now it's a matter of a lot of practice.
When I went to the course for the first time, I found it very exciting. But that was soon over: I learned so much there! With my age (67 years old) I thought 'that won't work' but after 6 weeks of lessons I learned a lot. The system of breathing, relaxing and the alignment of your neck gave me a lot of confidence. It gives you peace in the water. Good instructors, learned a lot. Now I don't have to stay on the shore and watch, which was until now because I had drowned at a young age. You are never too old to learn. This swimming method is highly recommended.
Very nice course! You learn the front crawl step by step with very good explanation and exercises. It is a technique that is very good for your posture and a lot of fun to do.
With a torn inner knee ligament, swimming breaststroke was not possible for the time being. Great opportunity to learn the front crawl at Swim In Balance. Pleasant lessons in small groups and the teacher takes you step by step in the new stroke, in a swimming pool where you can stand. This allows you to practice relaxed. Definitely recommended, I really enjoyed having swimming lessons again after 40 years. It is important that you take time to practice between lessons and as far as the front crawl is concerned, it is useful to do the follow-up course immediately afterwards.
This is a great course to give you confidence and bring you further in your quest to master front crawl. Small group and can be tailored to wishes and needs of the participants. Thoroughly enjoyed the lessons and look forward to learning breast stroke next time as the method in which the lessons are taught is a perfect combination of technique, tips and giving you confidence to continue. Great teachers with lots of knowledge and patience Thanks!
If you have fears of water, this is a great way to get through it.
After 3 swimming courses (breaststroke and front crawl 1 and 2) I can say that I am a fan of Swim in balance. With a good structure of the lessons, a lot of personal attention and in a nice, relaxed atmosphere, I learned 2 very nice swimming strokes. I'll definitely come back!
Thanks to the Water confidence course, I dare to swim under water and I no longer panic when I end up under water from the water slide. Now I can practice with my daughter for her diploma swimming and have fun surfacing rings from the bottom. I'm glad I found you and took this step. Thank you very much.
I have completed the water confidence course and this has helped me a lot to make me feel safe in water. However, I would recommend that you call before purchasing this course and indicate what your goal is to get out of the course. This way you can better sharpen your expectations. Everywhere is a very safe environment with a lot of patience. You as an individual are looked at a lot and at what you can or cannot do. The exercises are therefore also adapted to your abilities. Highly recommended if you want to find ways to stay calm under and in the water!
Fantastic method to learn a completely new swimming stroke in a short time! I looked forward to the lesson every week and always came out of the water excited! Recommended!
Swim in Balance rocks! The safety and trust you get is simply nice. The feeling Esther gave me during the course was very special and it will stay with me forever. Keep it up, Esther. I guarantee everyone that you will not have any fear of water after the course 'Water in Confidence'
With the Swim in Balance basic crawl course I mastered the technique in a short time and in a nice way. In a nice bath and with a motivated group. Many thanks, Jenny!
Very good course, Trijntje takes the time for everyone.
The course is recommended if you want to be able to swim the front crawl in an efficient manner, with as little stress as possible on your body.
Now done the Chest Crawl 2 course. Can also recommend this course to everyone to dot the i's and cross the t's!
I really enjoy the lessons and get many new insights that help me further. Every swimming lesson I come out of the water so happy. Very nice of you to do this! Esther also looks and feels well with me. Very valuable!
I just wanted to say that I still have a big smile on my face now. Although I know I'm not a born swimmer, it's about the fun and I experienced that a lot yesterday. Very cool to experience what (part of) the global movement of the butterfly stroke feels like. It was so much fun!
Thanks to the breaststroke course, I have overcome my aversion to swimming underwater and am much more relaxed in the water. The guidance was very nice. This allowed me to step out of my comfort zone with confidence. Many thanks and maybe see you soon!
Nice courses! I have done both the breaststroke course and the front crawl course and I will continue until I have done all the courses. Why? It made me happy and I learned new swimming strokes in a nice way. Learning takes place in small steps, so that it is easy to follow for everyone and yet it is not boring for anyone. So the material is well put together. In addition, the courses are given by well-trained instructors who stand next to you in the water and clearly show the steps a number of times. If you want to learn how to swim well in a relaxed way, this is definitely recommended!
An absolute must - during the course (breaststroke) you learn to swim in a different way than you are used to. The teachers give clear instructions and also give individual feedback. In addition, I had a nice group (8 people).
A nice personal course in a small group. Where you can crack your brain while learning a (new) swimming stroke.
Very nice course! Good teachers and pleasant temperature water to practice well!
I have rediscovered swimming in a very relaxed way.
I am very satisfied with the way Tyrone and Esther have taught. I feel like a fish in water more than ever and the lessons at Swim in Balance definitely contributed to that. Satisfying.
I really liked the lessons. Esther teaches in a clear and professional way and there was a relaxed atmosphere. I notice that because of this course I now come out of the water nice and relaxed after an hour of swimming. Very glad I took this course.
Take a course. Swim in balance is good for your body and mind!
The step-by-step learning approach worked very well for me. Esther's feedback did the rest.
I think you are doing very well from the course. You will also learn something that will benefit you for the rest of your life. Keep it up. I am glad I came to you.
In 3 months time I can now swim 1km front crawl, I never thought that! I could barely front crawl for this.
Very nice course where you can get out of your head and learn something new!
Nice, clear, didactically well structured swimming lessons. Have therefore learned the technique and breathing at chest crawl in a relaxed way. Recommended.
I have (already) followed a very nice course. Under professional guidance I was taken step by step in learning a new swimming stroke. It feels like dancing in the water. Recommended!
During the basic front crawl course, it was explained step-by-step and clearly how we can crawl according to the Shaw method. This is quite a bit different from what I've ever learned. But because of the clear explanation and the slow build up of the battle, it was easy to adjust. Lydia was also a very nice and enthusiastic instructor.
If you want to learn how to swim better and have 6 evenings in a nice group…. then Swim in Balance is the right choice! in 6 evenings I learned to crawl well.
Fantastic, every lesson gave a feeling of victory and euphoria. Guidance was excellent, no pressure but just the will to try.
Every lesson something was conquered and every week my confidence in the water grew. The last two lessons I cycled home with a big smile.
In 12 weeks I now swim 1000m front crawl, before this I barely made the 25m, so crazy!
Great meaningful DIY vacation. Didn't think I could learn so much in a week.
What else do you want? With nice people on a trip to a sunny holiday resort and then also learn a lot. I loved this swimming vacation! Thank you Esther, Tyrone and fellow swimmers!
“Last Wednesday I had my first private lesson with you. We are now two days later and I am still living on the energy and relaxation of 1 hour of swimming. Every euro of the almost 600 I spent is so worth it. And that is largely due to the way Esther teaches. She is calm and knows how to convey the technique in a special way that I don't need to explain it a second time. I have already decided that after this I also want to follow front crawl 2 through private lessons.”.
Very nice week in a beautiful environment to learn the Shaw method.
If like me you thought you could never learn how to crawl, and if you want to learn how to get more effect (not just in the pool) with less power, this is a course to do. Accessible, nice people, interesting method, wonderful location and real results.
I wholeheartedly recommend the swimming holidays of Swim in Balance. Learning a new stroke really well, with all the individual guidance that every participant needs, is guaranteed to succeed here. Moreover, I learned a lot about the Alexander Technique, on which Swim in Balance bases its swimming method - also super valuable for other sports, making music and life in general. Although we worked hard, it really felt like a holiday – great to dive into the sauna after swimming! I wish Swim in Balance many more happy participants!
A memorable adventure, where to my amazement I really learned to front crawl, unbelievable!
Great, fun course, does what it promises
During the basic front crawl course, it was explained step-by-step and clearly how we can crawl according to the Shaw method. This is quite a bit different from what I've ever learned. But because of the clear explanation and the slow build up of the battle, it was easy to adjust. Lydia was also a very nice and enthusiastic instructor.
All my life I was afraid of water and afraid of learning to swim. But after 6 weeks of Water Confidence I managed to leave most of my fear behind. Fantastic, I am very grateful to you!
Take a course. Swim in balance is good for your body and mind!
I have (already) followed a very nice course. Under professional guidance I was taken step by step in learning a new swimming stroke. It feels like dancing in the water. Recommended!
I really benefit from the lessons and come home happy every time.
Haven't dared put my head under water in my whole life. After 2 lessons with Esther I completely got over my fear and I was able to snorkel with the sea lions and their babies during my holiday on Galapagos! Top!
“I've been trying to teach myself the front crawl for years. With regular lessons you are quickly “forgotten” as a beginner. Esther teaches you, in a relaxed way, a very nice stroke without forcing your back or shoulders. From water habituation (floating) to the entire stroke. Recommended!”
“The course really made me realize that the more aligned you are in the water, the more comfortable swimming is. Very glad I learned this, thank you!”
Taking a vacation and learning something has never been so much fun!
“Instructive course, recommended!”
"Finally working on my front crawl in a relaxed way, before I mainly did this with brute force, but now through Swim in Balance courses and exercises this is done in a relaxed way, very happy with it."
This special journey has brought me a lot, through the Alexander swimming technique and the relaxing way of teaching I have become friends with water again. In addition to this “reunited friendship”, other wonderful people and experiences have also crossed my path. Thanks for this special week.
“My experience with the course was teaching the professional approach of the correct technique, in both the group instructions and the individual guidance, as well as the conviviality.”
“Being always a bit afraid of the water, this has really been a life changing experience. I will not be doing the Olympics any time soon, but I definitely am happy with the outcome.”
”I thought the crawl basic course was a very nice course, very relaxed setting, Niels is a great teacher with an eye for detail, and a clear explanation. Before the course I had no experience with the front crawl, and now I can swim the front crawl in a good and relaxed way, and I have the basics to train this stroke in a good way. Outside the bath I also benefit from the body awareness that you get in this method, so that I am more often aware of my posture and can improve it.”
“Nice course. You learn to swim again, but in a constructive way. Very nice to discover that you can swim quickly with not much effort. And the crawl like this is a beautiful stroke.”
“In small steps, with good instruction and stimulating guidance, the basics for chest crawl learned in a short time.”
“Great lessons, fun and effective.”
The swimming holiday to Croatia was wonderful! Good weather, beautiful people, learning new things every day in the salt water pool, fun optional activities and plenty of free time to go your own way. Perfect!
“I thought it was a great experience to learn so much in such a short time! The classes were at the same time very relaxed, completely relaxed! Delicious! I had surgery on my back a few months ago, the result is not good, I hesitated to take the classes, but it has given me a lot of good! Recommended!"
“I was very happy with the front crawl level 1 course (in the swimming pool) as well as the 2 hour workshop in the lake 't Wed. Both have given me the skills to feel confident to swim laps in a pool or to swim in open water. Esther is a great instructor with patience and a passion for this sport. She is very relaxed and explains things in a concise and encouraging way. Anyone interested in improving their technique so you can swim more efficiently would benefit greatly from following Esther's courses.”
“This course completely fulfills the promise! Really fun and educational to do.”
“Perfect course. Never thought that something I've wanted to do for years could be taught so easily. I wish I had done it years earlier.”
A wonderful mix of sporting effort and relaxation. Exactly what I needed! Sun, sea, salt water and inspiring swimmers!
“I have experienced the Shaw Method as subtle, friendly, logical, natural, intelligent and effective. The instructors are calm and thoughtful. The technology is made up of building blocks so that you can fall back on the basics if you have lost the technology for a while.”
“Esther taught me the basics of the front crawl in 6 lessons. The lessons are very clearly structured and ensure that you slowly get used to a new habit. The Shaw Method provides a relaxed way of swimming where relaxation is the most important. The advanced lessons allowed me to continue working on my technique and since then I have been jumping in the pool with great pleasure and confidence. Thanks!”
If you thought you could swim you should give this a try. You will learn relaxing techniques from expert teachers in a beautiful swimming pool on the coast of Croatia.
“A wonderful hour of relaxing in the water and at the same time developing more feeling. Nice to experience how effective it is to apply the Alexander Technique to swimming! I recommend it to all swimming enthusiasts.”
