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I started going for Alexander sessions with Leland Vall after a very serious illness that had left me unable to walk for some time. I was able to walk with before I started the lessons but I was having quite a bit of difficulty. My wife, who was quite concerned about the condition I was still in, found Leland and suggested I go for a lesson to try it out.
I have been so pleased that I have been going almost weekly for several years and I am vastly better on my feet than I was when I started. I have learned a lot about balance and posture that I think has really helped me. In addition to the normal lessons I have discussed, when it has occurred, any mobility issue such as having fallen. Leland has done an analysis with me of why it might have happened and helped my avoid future falls, which I think has been very successful. I also discussed with Leland how difficult it was for me to get up after an fall and he showed me how to get up from the ground unassisted. I haven’t fallen recently but am now able to get on the ground to get something from under the bed or whatever and get back up with no problem.
I have been enormously happy with the outcome of the lessons and Leland is great. I really have the mobility back that I had before my illness and I am enormously happy with Leland’s lessons and the role they have played in that.
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Leland has been training me in the Alexander technique for the past few years. His lessons have enabled me to feel less tension in my neck and shoulders and my breathing feels less constricted. His lessons have always left me feeling better – lighter, somehow taller. And less tense. I can’t recommend Leland highly enough! He is an excellent instructor of the Alexander technique.
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Leland has done a great job of training me in the Alexander technique. Working with him over the course of several years has allowed me to achieve a better sense of posture and ease within my body. He has given me tools to use throughout my daily life which have helped me deal with chronic neck and back pain. I no longer go to a chiropractor as often as i did in the past. Leland is a dedicated imaginative instructor who I recommend without hesitation.
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I’ve been Leland’s Alexander student for over 10 years. Soon after starting with him, my back ache complaints cleared up. I find I naturally use his Alexander wisdom in my own Tai Chi classes (I’m a Tai Chi teacher) and in my daily life. Sessions with him are enjoyable & enlightening. I’ve also signed up for his periodic email Alexander tips. I highly recommend him.
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I first saw Leland when I was struggling with a debilitating spinal condition of thoracic kyphosis; I had an upper back curvature of eighty degrees, for which my doctor recommended reconstructive back surgery. Over my next eighteen months working with Leland and doing physical therapy, my back curvature reduced to sixty degrees, within a healthy range, to the total bewilderment of my doctor. He told me, “I have no idea what you’re doing, but keep doing it.” With my Alexander practice, I discovered an enhanced clarity of my how my body works and improved manner of use of my body that was critical to my return to health.
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Moreover than the health benefits, I have found that Alexander practice has brought me a greater sense of well-being and quality of life. I find pleasure on my daily walks and I find my exercises more invigorating. Most of my work is behind a computer and my Alexander Technique lessons have helped me to work with greater ease. I leave the studio each week cheerful and with a sense of lightness that is one of the highlights of my life.
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I’ve taken Alexander technique lessons off and on for over 20 years — with around 7-8 different teachers. Working with Leland has had the most impact of any of these. He definitely takes it to the next level.
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Leland is passionate about the Alexander Technique. The lessons I took with him taught me to think about my body and movement in a new way. I always left feeling lighter and taller, but the real secret of Alexander is what is says about the power we have to improve our own lives. Truly transformative.
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When I leave my lesson I feel like I’m floating. The Alexander Technique brings ease to all aspects of my life. The feelings of balance and calm that I experience after every Alexander Technique lesson with Leland Vall are a testimony to F. M. Alexander’s insights into how the body and mind are interconnected and to Leland’s understanding and practice of the Alexander principles. Leland brings to his work the most remarkable patience, compassion and humor and a clear commitment to his students’ well being. Anyone interested in taking lessons in Alexander Technique will find Leland Vall to be a highly effective Alexander teacher and an extraordinarily kind and caring person.
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Thank you for all the support (literally). I will always remember to keep my back, back.
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I came to Leland having had neck problems and vocal problems for over a year. In three lessons, I was in a stage performance, after which I realized that my neck problems were gone, my acting technique had taken two giant steps ahead, my speaking voice was easy and resonant, and my performance nerves were improved.  Leland’s observations are every bit as valuable as his instruction in the Alexander Technique. I continued lessons for another nine months, during which I felt years of bad experiences melting away from me as many of my bad habits were being replaced with more
productive ones. My series of 39 Alexander lessons with Leland is one of the smartest things I’ve ever done in my life.
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Dear Mr. Vall:

On behalf of the music administrators and music educators of Nassau County, I sincerely thank you for the presentation at Valley Stream Central High School.

Your presentation was informative, interesting and dynamic.  Your willingness to share your experience, knowledge and expertise was sincerely appreciated by the workshop’s participants.  It was clearly evident the teachers present were thoroughly engaged and the evaluation sheets indicated they enjoyed and valued the session.

Again, I thank you for a job exceptionally well done.

Sincerely,

Sal Somma
Executive Director – Nassau Association of Music Administrators, Inc.
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The Alexander Technique is most beneficial to me as an actor because it assists in easing tension and the rigidity that could harm an actor on stage
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Your love and commitment to the Alexander Technique truly helps and is a motivation to grow. Thank you for your patience. Your honesty and integrity are an asset to have as a teacher and a person.
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Working with Leland for about a year,  I’ve seen a marked improvement in my posture and also in the way I walk. Subjectively, I would describe myself as having the feeling of openness and expansiveness  in my back, whereas before I always felt hunched over and turned in. The experience and the results have been quite extraordinary.
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Overall the study of the Alexander Technique is excellent and Leland is an excellent instructor.
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The Alexander Technique would help anyone.
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I’ve discovered so much through my lessons.  Thank you for starting me on the quest to “Keep my back back!
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I’m a singer and became involved with the Alexander Technique because my tense breathing inhibited the open, free sound I wanted.  Little did I know it inhibited the open, free body I wanted. I have slowly experienced a release in my joints that is ultimately effecting my ease in breathing. But, by God, it takes faith and commitment.
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The Alexander Technique has really helped me, especially at work.  I sit at a desk all day and it really made me aware.
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My walk is more free and my posture is better and more relaxed.  I feel my energy is more free and relaxed.
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I am learning to be more conscious of my body alignment – during walking, sitting and especially during driving a car.  I am now aware at how often I tense my shoulders and put my neck out of alignment. For me, this new awareness is the most important learning tool.