Jill Guillermo-Togawa

I have been teaching the Alexander Technique for more than 30 years, in the San Francisco Bay Area and on ‘Oahu.  I trained at the Alexander Training Institute in San Francisco, under the direction of Frank Ottiwell and Rome Roberts Earle.  I am also a choreographer, dancer and artistic director of Purple Moon Dance Project.   I originally began my Alexander study because I injured my knee while dancing.

The most valuable lesson in my first year of practicing the Alexander Technique, was learning that i had a ‘choice’.  That when my knee hurt, it was not ‘a done deal’.  That i could choose to respond differently and through that choice the pain might diminish or even disappear!  This gave me such an unexpected sense of FREEDOM!

Injuries/Chronic Pain ~I have worked with many individuals who are recovering from injuries, or who have lived with chronic and traumatic pain.  Often these students are referred by physical therapists, chiropractors, orthopedic doctors, and therapists.  The Alexander Technique can be very helpful in preventing re-injury and putting less stress on your body while you are healing.

The Performing Arts ~   As a dancer myself, I love working with performing artists, and my students have included members of the Honolulu Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, Bay Area Women’s Philharmonic, San Francisco Opera, ACT (Actor’s Conservatory Theatre), Hawaii State Theatre Council, and many independent dance companies.  Since 2014 I have taught at the University of Hawai‘i, Mid-Pacific Institute and work regularly with the actors of Honolulu Theatre for Youth.

Children – If children learn to learn new things without the tension and excess effort that is so often part of learning, they can instead, continue lifelong patterns of ease and balance.  The Technique affects  our neuromuscular system and can benefit children with attention and learning differences, and individuals along the autism spectrum

Lessons ~ The Alexander Technique is most often taught in private lessons and in some group classes.   Lessons are about 45 minutes, initially in once or twice a week intervals.  A basic course of lessons to enable you to practice the technique on your own usually runs about 30 lessons or 3-6 months.  Some students have fewer lessons, some study longer or continue to have periodic lessons once they complete an initial course.  No special equipment or clothing is required.