ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM
CERTIFICATION COURSES IN NORTH SALEM, NY
The goal of The Institute for the Alexander Technique Teacher Training Program is to educate skilled practitioners in developing a solid foundation to launch careers as practitioners of the Technique. Students acquire the ability to recognize and alter deep habitual patterns, achieve responsibility over them, and master the ability to craft new patterns. Courses are led by AmSAT Certified Trainers Thomas G. Lemens and Michael Ostrow.
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During the Coronavirus contagion, the Training Program will be led in a series of 4-week sections, allowing maximum flexibility both for teachers and trainees. Three sections comprise a single term. All class work for 2021 will be held in North Salem, NY in Westchester County. (See Map) The long-term location of the Institute will be announced in Autumn 2021, taking into account all relevant health and safety measures.
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The Institute for the Alexander Technique Teacher Training Program is dedicated to continuing the legacy of Patrick Macdonald, and also owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Macdonald's associate Shoshana Kaminitz. Ms. Kaminitz deepened Thomas Lemens' understanding of the Alexander Technique, especially the crucial role of thinking and reasoning as it applies to the Technique.
LOCATION
Located in beautiful town of North Salem in Westchester County, NY, the Institute for the Alexander Technique offers its intensive Teacher Training Program starting in January, 2021. The course will be led by experienced AmSAT Certified Trainers Thomas G. Lemens and Michael Ostrow. More information about Mr. Lemens and Mr. Ostrow appears below.
TRAINING
The Training Program, designed to meet the needs of serious practitioners and future professionals, is a three-year course of study leading to professional certification in the Alexander Technique. The program is approved by the American Society for the Alexander Technique (AmSAT). Graduates are fully qualified to teach the Alexander Technique.
SCHEDULE
The schedule of each 4-week module will take into account the specific needs of all participants and course leaders. Flexibility is much appreciated due to travel times and the extenuating circumstances caused by the ongoing pandemic. For more details by phone or email, please click the Contact link below.
NEW: Four-Week Training Workshops
Thomas Lemens will offer a series of Four-Week Workshops to Alexander Technique Trainees and Graduates with 2+ years of experience.
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Each workshop will be limited to 3 participants.
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Starting on Saturday, each participant has a one-hour session with Thomas modeling a student's first lesson.
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Other participants observe the process, and afterwards the group engages in a short Q&A, followed by a brief break.
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Sunday's session is a follow-up, to evaluate responses to the first session and establish learning goals over the next four weeks.
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Each workshop group outside determines a mutually agreeable schedule for the following four weeks in North Salem, New York.
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There is also the option of follow-up sessions held in NYC on four consecutive Thursdays, based on the enrollment of three participants with compatible schedules and interest.
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The workshop cost is $500.00 per person.
ABOUT US
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Thomas Lemens
Certified Teacher of the Alexander Technique
Mr. Lemens is Board Certified as a private teacher and a training teacher by the Society of Teachers of The Alexander Technique in London (STAT) and by the American Society of Alexander Teachers (AmSAT). He was a founding board member of NASTAT and served as the first chairman of its Research and Education Committee and subsequently as director of its Training Course Coordination Committee.
As the founder and Director of The Institute for The Alexander Technique, Mr. Lemens provided a four–year training course from 1983 to 2002, leading to certification of its graduates as teachers of The Alexander Technique.
Mr. Lemens trained as a teacher of The Alexander Technique under Patrick MacDonald in London from 1973 to 1976. Mr. MacDonald was one of a select group of teachers trained by the founder of the Technique, F.M. Alexander.
Since 1976, Thomas G Lemens has maintained a thriving private practice as a teacher of The Alexander Technique in both Manhattan and Westchester County, NY. Mr. Lemens has helped his many clients alleviate back pain and improve their overall sense of well-being and ease of motion, achieving optimal health for both body and mind. Mr. Lemens’ diverse clientele includes equestrians, musicians, frequent computer users, and those recovering from repetitive stress and other types of injuries.
He is also a Registered Movement Therapist with the International Movement Association.
Michael Ostrow
Certified Teacher of the Alexander Technique
Michael Ostrow has been teaching the Alexander Technique since 1990, and is certified by both AmSAT and STAT. He co-founded the New York Center for the Alexander Technique with Laurie Kline, and has been teaching the Alexander Technique since then. He worked extensively with many of the most experienced Alexander Technique teachers both during training and after graduating.
Mr. Ostrow assisted at the Institute for the Alexander Technique training class from 1995 to 2001, where he also taught anatomy and voice to the trainees. He was chair of the Training Approval Committee for five years, the committee responsible for evaluating and maintaining the standards for training classes in United States.
In the Alexander Technique he discovered a revolutionary yet very practical approach to freeing people from unconscious and harmful ways of reacting and moving so they can live a more poised and mindful life. It has remained his inspiration and central focus since then.
Mr. Ostrow studied with a number of voice teachers during his training and afterwards, including the renowned breathing and voice expert Carl Stough, who authorized him to teach his work. Over these years of experience, Mr. Ostrow developed a unique approach, enabling him to help clients with a variety of voice and breathing issues.
Before discovering the Alexander Technique, his interest in philosophy and "mind-body" disciplines led him to study Zen Buddhism for a number of years after getting a BA in philosophy. The Alexander Technique provided the essential “bridge between theory and practice.”
Mr. Ostrow also studied classical piano — albeit without the benefit of the Alexander Technique. By applying the Technique, he has discovered how to play with less tension and more awareness and sensitivity, enabling him to better understand and serve the needs of musicians.
CONTACT US
Institute for the Alexander Technique
2 Keeler Lane, North Salem NY 10560
Phone: (201) 218-9283