Alexander Voice Works

Alexander Technique, Voice Coaching and Counselling in Wellington with Suryagita Cox

I am an experienced teacher of the Alexander Technique, voice coach and psychosynthesis counsellor. I am currently furthering my training in psychotherapy..

I offer individual lessons in the Alexander Technique for help with posture, breathing, easing back and neck pain, repetitive strain injury, stress reduction and mindfulness.

I also give voice coaching sessions - for singing, speaking and presentation skills. I also run an all-levels choir, Libero Singers, in central Wellington.

I am a certified Alexander Technique teacher, I have a Diploma in Psychosynthesis Counselling, and I am currently completing a diploma in psychotherapy with the Institute of Psychosynthesis NZ.

Counselling

I offer help with anxiety, depression, relationship/family issues, grief and loss, healing trauma, career changes, existential crises.

If you would like to have a chat, feel free to contact me on 021 029 05056 for more information.I am currently offering a $20 discount off your first session.

Individual Alexander Technique / Voice Coaching sessions

Help with posture, pain management, ease of movement and freeing your voice!

$20 discount available off your first session.

Upcoming Courses 2018:

Harmony Singing with Libero Singers - summer term

Wednesday evenings: 7-9pm 28 Feb. - 2 March 2018 at Community Music Junction (level 1, 4 Hopper St)

Come and sing contemporary and world songs in a relaxed and supportive environment

Learn skills to breathe freely, align your body, build your vocal range and free your voice

Ability to sing in tune necessary, otherwise no experience needed (and resources given to learn the songs)

Soiree on the last night of the term - a chance to try a solo with a supportive audience!

Newcomers can try the first night for free! (please contact me in advance)

Earlybird rate for bookings by 21 February: email Suryagita Cox or call 021 029 05056

'Suryagita has a wonderfully playful and supportive approach and brings out the best in people. It' s impossible not to have confidence when your teacher is giving you excellent techniques, showing you how to warm up well, and has the patience to keep encouraging you until you get the right notes... I thoroughly recommend this group!' K.F.

Public Speaking courses 2018

Would you like to build your confidence for speaking to a group? Whether you're giving a talk at work, faciliating a workshop or want to be heard in meetings, this course will equip you with practical tools to give successful presentations.You will learn to transform anxiety into calm energy when in front of an audience; project your voice with ease and power; organise your thoughts and respond to questions with confidence; and connect with your intention to speak persuasively!

Speak with Presence: Courses in 2018 at St Andrews Centre, Wellington. Contact Suryagita if interested

Speak Confidently in Public: Saturday mornings 9-23 June 2018 at Community Education, Wellington High School (see Community Education for details and bookings)

Sing your heart out! Courses 2018

Would you like to learn world songs, some vocal technique and musical theory, and sing in a supportive environment? This course will get you going with singing to ease stress and have fun!

Course 1: Saturday mornings 10-24 March 2018, 9.30am-12.30pm (3 weeks)

Course 2: Saturday mornings 1-15 September 2018, 9.30am-12.30pm (3 weeks)

To book please contact Wellington High School Community Educationwww.cecwellington.ac.nz

Join my mailing list

Are you unable to join any of these courses but you'd like to be informed of future courses? Please email: info@alexandervoiceworks.co.nz

If you are looking for other types of training, check out this directory of training seminars

About Suryagita

Suryagita is a qualified teacher of the Alexander Technique and an experienced voice coach and singing teacher. She is an affiliate member of STAT (the UK Society for Teachers of the Alexander Technique) and is currently chair of ATTSNZ (the Alexander Technique Teacher’s Society of New Zealand). She graduated from the Brighton Alexander Training Centre, UK (an internationally recognised teacher training course) in 1996.

Suryagita was first drawn to the Alexander Technique after a mountaineering accident in New Zealand in 1988. Early lessons left her feeling light and pain-free and she decided to train to become an Alexander teacher in Brighton, UK, which had a transforming effect on her life. Over time her back and neck pain disappeared and she felt calmer, freer, and able to go about daily activities without pain or tension. The Technique has also helped her to practise meditation and yoga with more ease.

The Alexander training also had a strong effect on her voice. Suryagita is from a musical family and has been singing since she was two years old, but throughout her childhood she often felt vocal strain. As a teenager she sometimes lost her voice through laryngitis. She realised that this strain was connected to tension in her neck, shoulders, legs and whole body as well as emotional blocks. As her body, heart, and ability to communicate freed up, so did her vocal chords and breathing. Over the last few years her voice has changed into a more natural, supported and “gutsy” sound. She worked with Corinne Shirman-Sati, of the "First Nature" Voice Training, for five years in Brighton, which has influenced her work. She has developed her own method of teaching people to support their voices effectively and has discovered that the combination of releasing tension, freeing the breath and strengthening the vocal support mechanisms is what gives power and resonance to the human voice. She is continually developing her work.

Suryagita loves to sing and write her own songs, finding her heart's expression through music. She also plays the 'cello and flute. She has recorded two albums – “Udana” in 1993 and “Fleeting World” in 1999. She has also recorded a teaching CD for her singing workshops – “Harmony Singing with Suryagita: Learning Pack 1”. Copies of these CDs are available through the Products page of this website.

The Alexander Technique:

• helps you change the way you think and respond to your environment and restores balance in the way you use yourself
• is a simple and practical method which helps you to move and use your mind and body with freedom and ease

   What conditions can it help?

• Back and neck pain
• Knee/hip or joint problems such as arthritis
• Conditions such as RSI (repetitive strain injury)
• Asthma/breathing problems
• Stress or the inability to relax
• Performance / co-ordination skills

   How can it help you?

• The Technique will free you of back/neck pain and general muscle tension
• It will improve your sense of well-being and your quality of life
• Those who work at computers will learn to sit in a more effective way and avoid RSI
• At work the Technique can help you to relax, manage your time and energy and stay calm in a crisis
• Performing artists and sportspeople find it helpful for breathing, voice production, balance and co-ordination. It improves stamina and reduces "stage fright"
• After operations, illness or injury the Technique aids rehabilitation
• Mothers find the Technique helpful during pregnancy, childbirth and managing their posture when caring for their baby

Coming Events

Sit comfortably at your desk:

Learn to sit at your desk without strain, ease back and neck pain, work efficiently and avoid injury with the Alexander Technique!

To mark International Alexander Awareness Week 2013, come and find out more at St. Andrews on the Terrace, Conference Room 1, 30 The Terrace, Wellington:

Free Introductory Talk: Wednesday 2 October, 12.10-1pm (No bookings necessary)

One day workshop: Saturday 12 October, 10am - 4pm. Cost $85/$65 concessions. Bookings essential: contactinfo@alexandervoiceworks.co.nz

Individual lessons

How do I learn the Alexander Technique?

• Through individual lessons with a qualified teacher. The teacher guides you through simple movements using their hands and some verbal instruction, working with lying down, sitting and standing, bending and walking. Later on the Technique can be applied to activities such as working on a computer, writing, playing a musical instrument, singing, speaking or sports.
• As with any new skill, the Technique is best learned on a regular basis in order to change unhelpful postural patterns and establish new habits. A course of 20 to 30 weekly lessons is recommended to give you a good foundation. However this varies according to the individual.
• You can try out an introductory session to see if the Technique is right for you, or an introductory group workshop.

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Group workshops

Suryagita runs one-day introductory workshops for groups in Wellington. These are useful if you would like a 'taster' to find out more about the Technique before deciding to have individual lessons. See calendar or Coming Events (above) for details of the next workshop.

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Courses for Organisations

The benefits of learning the Alexander Technique at work

• Improve your posture and performance in the workplace
• Reduce the risk of OOS / RSI (repetitive strain injury)
• Let go of harmful habits and release tension
• Reduce stress levels and stay calm in a crisis
• Make the most of ergonomically designed furniture
• Learn to present yourself effectively in public speaking

The Alexander Technique can be brought to your workplace to help staff with posture and stress management. Suryagita offers courses in the Alexander Technique to small groups and can tailor the course length and content to the needs of the company or organisation.

Courses include:

• introduction to the principles of the Alexander Technique
• exercises and games exploring how the mind and body function
• individual workstation assessments and advice on how to sit and work with minimum effort
• individual "hands-on" Alexander work
• ongoing feedback, assessment and support
• a practical exercise to do at home to maintain A.T. practice in everyday life
• how to manage energy and stress levels

Suryagita has run training days in the Alexander Technique for the Croydon Borough Council, the Home Office (UK) and Voluntary Services Overseas (London).

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INDIVIDUAL LESSON FEES

Discount available for block bookings of 10 or more lessons.
Concessions available for children, students, beneficiaries and seniors

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Coming Events

See Calendar for more information.

Individual Voice Work and Singing Lessons

You are guided through a process of letting your body fully support your voice. Using the Alexander Technique the teacher helps you let go of tension and come back to a natural relationship with your body. As a result breathing improves and you find your own unique sound, coming from an authentic place. As you express yourself more freely you will feel more whole, confident and connected with yourself and the world around you.

In singing lessons you will learn to gain confidence with your singing voice, using similar breath and tone exercises as in voice work. If you are new to singing you will learn to pitch your voice accurately, harmonise and sing songs with freedom and confidence. If you are an experienced singer you can learn to enhance your sound and find your authentic voice.

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Libero Singers

Libero Singers is going from strength to strength - we are gathering more members to experience the joy of singing in harmony!
Develop pitch, harmony and rhythm skills, learn vocal technique and powers of expression
Learn songs drawn from contemporary and world music
No experience or audition necessary – all welcome

Here's what members of the group say:

'I've always wanted to sing with more confidence. I've never been able to hear my own voice in other choirs. When I joined Libero Singers I had the space to experiment and make mistakes and discover that I could sing alongside others wihout having to be professionally trained! Suryagita has a wonderfully playful and supportive approach and brings out the best in people. It' s impossible not to have confidence when your teacher is giving you excellent techniques, showing you how to warm up well, and has the patience to keep encouraging you until you get the right notes. I particularly enjoyed the songs from different cultures and fatih traditions from around the world and there is a sense of reverence for humanity and spirituality woven through the music and practices. It was such a great experience being part of this group and I've grown from it.'. K. F. Aug. 2017

" We did really well in the concert - Suryagita did a wonderful job with us and it was great fun. I never thought in a million years I'd sing a solo - thanks for giving me that opportunity!" - Julia Baker

"I so enjoyed the term of singing with Suryagita. She has an amazing voice and musical talent. On our last night there was a wonderful collective feeling in the group". - B.L.

"I never thought I could sing when I first came to Suryagita's classes. She has a kind and gentle manner and always believes in you! which has helped me to develop and to sing my first solo." D.L.

But of course solos aren't required -it's fine just to sing along with everyone else in a supportive group!

And if you are new and not sure what to expect, you can try the first night of the next term for free!

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Voice Coaching for Organisations

Suryagita runs courses in the workplace for anyone who would like to use their voice better. In the work environment we often need to use our voices well and communicate effectively. The courses are tailored according to the needs of the organisation and the individuals concerned.

Who will benefit from voice coaching?

• Anyone who would like to speak with confidence at a meeting, on a skype call, or giving a presentation to colleagues or friends
• Call Centre staff who are on the telephone for long periods and need to communicate effectively
• Trainers/facilitators/professional speakers who want to develop their stage presence and project their voice

Suryagita's background in voice coaching

Suryagita has run two highly successful courses for staff at Lloyds Bank (Brighton, UK):

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All content of this site is the copyright of Suryagita Cox | Last site update: 12 Feb2018
Design: George Grant        Photography: Nick Lawson / Ray McMurray