About Marcus James

My journey with the Alexander Technique began many years ago when I was a student at music college. I was looking for a solution to a debilitating Repetitive Strain Injury caused by exam stress and over-practicing the piano. In despair I ended up in the room of Maggie, a local Alexander Technique teacher. Not only did my injury almost miraculously resolve (various doctors and specialists had made no difference whatsoever) but in the course of the Alexander lessons my piano playing improved out of all recognition as the excess tension that I had been carrying in my body slowly let go. I found a new sense of balance and ease in movement and comfort in my body. At the same time I became happier, more confident, and more relaxed in life generally. Clearly there was something here worth investigating!

It turned out that Maggie also ran the training course for Alexander teachers in Leeds. She must have been a good salesperson as well as teacher, because I ended up on her course for the next three years, graduating in 2001. This was, without question, the best decision I ever made in my life which unfolded into a fascinating life-long journey of discovery and growth. A key thing I am still learning is the extent to which we can heal and transform themselves, and that we have far more choice than we often realise about how to respond to the many challenges and upsets which life throws at us. We really can change in fundamental ways, and the future does not have to be a repetition of the past. For me the Alexander Technique has been a fantastic resource which has touched and improved every aspect of my life. I can’t now imagine living without it.

I’ve been involved in many different healing and personal growth modalities over the years, and am convinced that the Alexander Technique is one of the most underrated and powerful resources available to us today. It’s not ‘trendy’, and it’s not a quick fix — it’s much deeper and more profound than that. It’s a practice which can be truly transformational, and that have profoundly positive effects on how we feel and function, helping us to deal with whatever life throws at us, maximise our gifts and talents, and effectively take care of ourselves as we grow older.

Arts and Creativity

Creativity and the arts are important to me both in my work and in my life beyond. I have played music in one form or another for as long as I can remember. I have made and designed fine furniture and did so for a living for several years. I have also been involved professionally with graphic design and book production. I love dancing, and until recently regularly taught a therapeutic group dance practice. The breadth of things I have explored bring a richness and depth of perspective to my work as an Alexander teacher.

Training and Qualifications

Alexander Technique

I qualified as an Alexander Technique teacher in 2001, after a three year, 1600 hour STAT approved training course at NETCAT in Leeds. My approach combines a century-old tradition of hands-on work with cutting edge insights from neuroscience and other bodywork modalities. My aim is ultimately to ‘make myself redundant’ so that you can take away what you have learned and use it as a resource for the rest of your life.

Other Training and Qualifications which Inform my Work

I have a Diploma in Emotional Therapeutic Counselling and am an accredited member of the National Counselling Society. I am also trained in a gentle form of body-based therapy called ‘Body Listening’, which I learned through a mixture of formal training and mentorship with Tim Brown of the Brighton School of Embodied Therapy.  I am also a licensed and experienced facilitator of a conscious dance practice called Dance of Awareness.

I have a post-graduate level qualification in Adult Education and Training, and a degree from Leeds College of Music.