Cathy Dowden Alexander Technique

Cathy Dowden Alexander Technique Alexander Technique is a practical body–mind approach to moving, breathing and living with greater ease. Find me at Coburg and East Brunswick studios or online.

Private and group classes, plus workshops introducing and applying AT to everyday activities.

Curious about the Alexander Technique? Wondering whether it could help you move with more ease, reduce unnecessary tensi...
20/08/2026

Curious about the Alexander Technique? Wondering whether it could help you move with more ease, reduce unnecessary tension or simply feel more comfortable in your body?

I’ll be at the East Brunswick Village Day of Wellness on Sunday 30 August, so come by, say hello and ask me anything!

📅 Sunday 30 August
⏰ 11am–3pm
📍 East Brunswick Village, Bluestone Way

At my Alexander Technique stall you can:
• Have your questions answered
• Try a FREE 10-minute individual taster session with me
• Enter the raffle to win a $120 prize
• Take advantage of 50% off specials

Plus, I’m running a free Reset Your Body workshop
11am–12pm | EBV Display Suite, 8 Bluestone Way

Tired of recurring aches, stiffness or muscle tension?

This friendly, practical introduction to the Alexander Technique will help you recognise everyday habits that may be contributing to tension and discover simple ways to move with more ease.

You’ll leave with practical strategies to help you feel more comfortable, balanced and in control of your body.

Workshop bookings are essential. Book via the link in bio.

Come for the Wellness Day, stop by the stall, ask your questions and discover what the Alexander Technique is all about.

Wednesdays in the sunroom.  Reduce body and mind tension and improve balance and ease in everyday movement. Experience a...
19/08/2026

Wednesdays in the sunroom.  Reduce body and mind tension and improve balance and ease in everyday movement. Experience and learn these practical skills in this 4-week Alexander Technique 1-hour class.

New, experienced, any mobility, size or fitness. Classes explore participants' issues and posture, breathing, mapping own anatomy, through guided activities and hands-on teaching.

Learn to sit, stand and move more comfortably.

Wednesdays 2pm – 3pm:

NECCHI 32 Nicholson St, East Coburg.

August 26, September 2, 9 and 16.

$110 / $82.50 concession.

15-50% off: Book more 4-week blocks (next one starts 7 October). Bring a friend. Email for codes: [email protected]

Enquiries? Call Cathy 0401 495 836
More classes other days, times in Coburg.

https://www.cathydowden.com.au/alexander-technique-melbourne-group-classes

**ACTIVE REST: 15 minutes that can change how your body feels.**It might look like we’re simply lying on the floor, but ...
17/08/2026

**ACTIVE REST: 15 minutes that can change how your body feels.**

It might look like we’re simply lying on the floor, but there’s a little more going on here.

In the Alexander Technique, we call this **Active Rest**, or semi-supine, and it’s one of my favourite ways to give the body a chance to reset.

Throughout the day, we can build up a lot of unnecessary tension, particularly through the neck and lower back. In Active Rest, we use the support of the ground and gravity to allow some of that tension to release.

The knees are bent, the feet are supported on a firm surface, and the head is raised just enough that the neck doesn’t have to work to hold it. Gravity does all the work now. You just get out of the way and let it happen.

You’ll often see us using paperback books under the head. They’re firm without being too hard, have a little give, and importantly, we can add or remove them to find the right height for each person. Because every body is different.

When you find that sweet spot, something lovely can happen. The back can begin to release, to widen and lengthen. The spine has space to decompress and become a little more springy and resilient. Now the ribs can move more freely. Breathing can become easier.

And over time, your body begins to learn what it feels like to be **well supported, rather than held together by tension.**

Try spending 15 to 20 minutes in Active Rest each day, particularly when you’re feeling tired, stressed, sore or achy. It can help interrupt that cycle where tension, stress and discomfort just keep building on one another.

It’s simple. It’s calming. You can do it almost anywhere and best of all, it’s free.

Sometimes the most useful thing you can do for your body is stop holding yourself up and let the ground do some of the work.

Group Classes are Back!Bookings are now open for the next round of Alexander Technique for Body & Mind 4-week small grou...
11/08/2026

Group Classes are Back!

Bookings are now open for the next round of Alexander Technique for Body & Mind 4-week small group classes.

✨ Alexander Technique for Body & Mind
Explore posture, breathing, balance and coordination through guided activities and hands-on teaching. Learn practical skills to help you sit, stand and move more comfortably in everyday life.

Learning in a group allows you to share experiences, gain insights from others and build confidence applying what you learn beyond the classroom.

Suitable for newcomers, experienced students and people of any mobility, size or fitness.

Choose the day and time that suits you:

📍 Coburg
• Mondays 6.30–8pm, from 24 August
• Thursdays 11am–12pm, from 27 August
• Saturdays 2–3.30pm, from 29 August

📍 East Coburg
• Wednesdays 2–3pm, from 26 August

✔ Small groups
✔ Beginners welcome
✔ All mobility and fitness levels welcome
✔ Practical take-home strategies for everyday life

👥 Bring a friend and both receive 15% off. Discounts are also available when booking another 4-week block.

Can’t make this round? Our next 4-week series will begin in October, with new dates opening soon.

To learn more, view all class dates or reserve your place, visit:
cathydowden.com.au/alexander-technique-melbourne-group-classes

If you're unsure which class or time is right for you, feel free to get in touch and I'd be happy to help.

05/08/2026

Have you ever been told to “sit up straight”?

For many people, that cue can create more tension than ease.

One of the simplest ways to find better balance in sitting is to become aware of your sit bones, the bony points underneath your pelvis that provide a stable foundation when you’re seated.

When you allow your weight to be supported through your sit bones, rather than collapsing backwards or holding yourself rigidly upright, your whole body can organise itself with less effort. Breathing often feels easier, your neck and shoulders can soften, and sitting becomes more comfortable.

The Alexander Technique isn’t about forcing yourself into the “right” posture. It’s about learning to notice your habits and discovering easier, more efficient ways to move and sit.

Have you ever noticed where your weight rests when you’re sitting?

I’d love to hear what you discover.

28/07/2026

Last Easter I was exploring Bruny Island with my younger sister, who’s an incredible wildlife photographer and that trip we came across something very special...

A baby echidna.

They’re not something you often get to observe for long in the wild, and this little one was completely relaxed, happily digging for grubs while we watched.

Most people would be captivated by how adorable it was, but I couldn’t stop watching how it moved.

I focussed on its back feet. Have another look - do you see what I noticed?

Every movement begins from the support of the ground. It presses steadily into the earth behind it, and that support allows the rest of its body to move forward with ease while its nose searches for food.

As an Alexander Technique teacher, this is exactly what fascinates me. We often think we need to hold ourselves up, lift ourselves, or work harder to move well.

But fluid movement isn’t created through tension, it’s created through support.

When we learn to use the ground beneath us instead of fighting against gravity, our whole body can become lighter, freer and more coordinated.

Sometimes nature gives us the most beautiful demonstrations of the principles we’re trying to learn ourselves.

Have you ever noticed an animal move in a way that made you stop and think?

One of my favourite ways to recharge is spending time in nature with my younger sister.She lives in New Zealand and is a...
23/07/2026

One of my favourite ways to recharge is spending time in nature with my younger sister.

She lives in New Zealand and is an incredibly talented wildlife photographer. When we’re together, we often head somewhere wild. She sees things most people walk straight past, and I’ve learnt so much simply by slowing down enough to look.

Three years ago she flew over so we could walk Tasmania’s Overland Track together with three friends. I turned 62 during that hike, and she somehow managed to surprise me with birthday cake, cocktails and there was even a song written especially for me. It’s a memory I’ll treasure forever.

Last Easter we reunited in Tasmania again, this time exploring beautiful Bruny Island.

As always, she was searching for wildlife while I soaked up the landscape. Then, quite unexpectedly, we found this tiny baby echidna. It was still fluffy, with its spines only just beginning to develop. It calmly wandered around us, digging for food completely unaware that it had just become the highlight of our day. ...moments like these remind me why I love getting outdoors.

Nature has a remarkable way of helping us slow down, breathe more deeply, notice more, and reconnect with ourselves, sometimes that’s exactly what we need.

Watching this little echidna also reminded me of something I teach every day in Alexander Technique... I’ll share that in my next reel...........

Kind words like this always mean so much to me.It’s always lovely to hear when someone leaves a workshop or private sess...
20/07/2026

Kind words like this always mean so much to me.

It’s always lovely to hear when someone leaves a workshop or private session feeling more comfortable, more supported, and more aware of their body.

Thank you, Kym, for sharing your experience 💚

If you’re curious about Alexander Technique, you’re welcome to connect with me anytime [email protected]

13/07/2026

How quickly can the Alexander Technique work?

It’s one of the questions I’m asked most often.

The answer is... sometimes surprisingly quickly.

Many people notice a change in their very first lesson. They may feel lighter, breathe more freely, or discover that standing, sitting or walking requires much less effort than they realised.

That doesn’t mean years of habits disappear overnight.

Like learning any new skill, lasting change comes with practice. The more you become aware of how you’re using your body, the easier it becomes to let go of unnecessary tension and move with greater ease.

Small changes can happen in minutes.
Lasting changes happen through learning, experimenting, openness and repetition.

Every person’s journey is different, but it’s always fascinating to see what’s possible when your body is given the opportunity to organise itself more naturally.

Have you ever been surprised by how quickly your body responded to learning something new?

10/07/2026

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is make space for yourself.

When life is busy, it’s easy to think, “I don’t have time for one more thing.”

But perhaps that’s exactly when you need it most.

My group classes aren’t about pushing harder or adding more to your schedule. They’re an opportunity to pause. To step away from work, responsibilities and constant thinking, and reconnect with yourself.

For an hour, you can leave the demands of the day outside the room.

You’ll explore gentle movement, rest, breathing and awareness in a supportive environment, giving your body and mind the chance to reset.

Many people tell me they almost didn’t come because life felt too overwhelming.

Almost without exception, they leave saying they’re so glad they did.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is give yourself permission to pause.

If you’ve been feeling like you need a reset, I’d love to welcome you to one of my group classes. Only a few spots remain in each of the next group classes. Link is in bio to book.

Address

27 Sydney Road, Coburg
Melbourne, VIC
3058

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