Gwen Ellison has been working with the principles of the Alexander Technique for almost 40 years. She brings new insights to F.M. Alexander’s teachings through the work of Carl Stough’s breathing coordination and has been a designated practitioner of Carl’s work since his death in 2000. The two approaches create a seamless marriage for our bodies to follow their natural design, educating us about what it is to move toward more balanced functioning. This original coordination still exists within all of us, alive and well, protected deep within the nervous system. In this work we develop the skills to communicate with the body beyond the habitual patterns that keep us caught in dis-ease or even pain.
It’s so important to remember that the body is a wellness model and is designed for health, ease and efficiency of movement. We are learning through this process to make conscious choices that complement functioning. With care and patience, gentleness and respect, we can become aware of what it is to work along with the body’s wisdom. Key to this work is “no judgement,” going beyond the duality of right and wrong, good and bad, allowing our patterns of “misuse” to transform— returning us to greater three-dimensional activity and aliveness. These tools allow us to take greater responsibility for ourselves through our own self-care.
If you already have a background in the Alexander Technique or a related field of body awareness—or a dedicated vocal practice—and are curious to go deeper, these online lessons might be for you.
Take a few lessons to reconnect with yourself, or something a little more regular.
Gwen Ellison has had a full-time private practice in NYC for over thirty years. She’s taught the actors at the Yale School of Drama alongside Jessica Wolf, and started the Alexander Technique at the Bard Conservatory of Music's Vocal Arts Program, under Dawn Upshaw. She has also worked with the Young Artist Program at the Met and with the musicians of the Academy at Carnegie Hall. For twenty years Gwen supported the actors at the Chautauqua Theater Company, and was privileged to work with young aspiring artists from Juillard, NYU, ACT, Brown/Trinity, UNCSA, Columbia, UCSD, and her own students at Yale. She now works online with people from all over the world who are interested in exploring the body’s original coordination.
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Contact me if you’d like to learn more.
1 hour lesson — $150
Member STAT/AmSAT
Lessons held via Zoom
Testimonials
“Gwen Ellison is a master practitioner and teacher of Alexander Technique. When I first started working with her, I confess I was dubious about the concept of receiving bodywork (as I understood it then) via Zoom. But the very first lesson put my doubts to rest. What I assumed would be an obstacle is actually a surprising asset: by using her voice (rather than her hands) to guide my own awareness, Gwen transmits to me the skills to be my own change agent. By recording our online sessions, I am able to repeat these lessons on my own, thus reinforcing their impact and accelerating the rate of learning. I have taken a few in-person lessons with Gwen, which were powerful in a different way, but have returned to the online structure as more impactful over the long run. Gwen has an uncanny ability to visually assess my physical state, direct my awareness toward subtle, kinesthetic shifts, and guide me toward lasting change. I can’t recommend Gwen Ellison or the Alexander Technique highly enough!”
—Betsy Brigham, educator
“Gwen Ellison is one of those remarkable people who can help shift your way of moving and being in the world, with the utmost gentleness. I met Gwen while still a student at Bard Graduate Vocal Arts Program. She was the second Alexander teacher I had, and during our first session I was struck by the fact that most of our time was done laying down on a table. In part, I imagine, to help my entire system slow down and really, deeply, be in a state of active rest.
Her fluid, slow, and mindful way of asking me to engage with my mind/body connection is what encouraged me to continue seeing Gwen after graduating. She became the most trusted anchor, and a way to “check-in and tune-up” after some weeks of traveling/performing with a lot of stimuli and stress. And because of Gwen’s openness and background, she also gave me referrals to other health practitioners who also helped me heal.
These sound like big and bold statements to say about someone like Gwen, whose work is profoundly subtle — but maybe that is her power… because she has had a great impact on my life over the years.
Whether you are well acquainted with Alexander Technique, or seeking to explore it, I would encourage you to see Gwen Ellison.”
—Julia Bullock, soprano
“One of the most important things that has sustained me in life has been studying the Alexander Technique with Gwen Ellison. It's helped me to find greater physical freedom, supported me emotionally, and has played a crucial role in my recovery from injury. Gwen is a gifted teacher whose talent, intellect and intuition combine to serve her students. I have studied with Gwen for many years. Her instructions are clear, her explanations inspiring and she embodies the marvelous quality of being completely committed to what she is doing. What's more, these attributes and her sublime attentiveness have enabled Gwen to master the art of teaching through Zoom, so now I can have a lesson wherever in the world I find myself.”
—Eric Rasmussen, actor, writer, director
“Bring Your Body Back Home with Gwen Ellison at the Helm. Whether you are new, or not so new to the Alexander Method, and you are here checking out this website, you have come to the right place: Gwen Ellison. I will begin by saying this: although I have primarily studied with Gwen, I have also studied with a handful of other teachers. Conclusion? Gwen is a rarity in excellence.
In the three decades of work I’ve done with Gwen, she has helped my body to return home to its natural functioning, one habit at a time; the way it was originally designed to be before life swooped down and wreaked havoc upon it. Gwen has helped me achieve long lasting postural changes, understanding, enrichment, and empowerment in learning about myself. So much so, that over time it led me to become confident in working on myself, hence becoming my own teacher. Gwen approaches the student’s concerns without criticism, thereby creating a relaxation that sets the tone for the work. She is thoughtful, clear, and direct, bringing decades of expertise to the table. You are literally and figuratively in the best of hands.
Whether you study with her in person or online, of which I’ve done both, many times, there is no difference in the work. It remains the same: Effective. Results achieved in a non-result oriented environment – quite a feat, that Gwen pulls off time, after time, after time.
She will take you and your body back home where they belong.”
—Glenn White, vocal coach
“From my first Alexander Technique lesson with Gwen Ellison, I was transformed. I came to her on the advice of a voice teacher who felt I had too much jaw tension. But what I really suffered were debilitating and incurable migraines. I’ll never know if Gwen intuited this or if the Technique itself just organically neutralizes that type of tension, but in one session I’d overcome so much of my base-of-neck tension that the headaches stopped. She transformed me to the degree that I’m not sure if I was even breathing before we met. I must’ve been breathing, but I wasn’t able to do it consciously and I wasn’t able to use my breath. I was only able to experience it passively, tension and all. I have not had a migraine in 25 years. And I have created a career for myself that rests largely on this ability to relate to my body in a hyper-intuitive way. Gwen Ellison understands energy in the body and she is nothing short of an intuitive healer. In my 25 years as a student and follower of the Alexander Technique, I’ve found Gwen Ellison to be singular as a true artist and healer in the community, skilled in the science and methodology of the AT but so far advanced in her ability to relate to each person as an individual. Gwen has been able to catch habits in my work that others have missed, and this makes her attention priceless.”
—Alicia Hall Moran, classical vocalist, actress, performing arts collaborator & producer
“Gwen has been my guide through myriad layers of my body that, without her gentle guidance, I wouldn't have been able to access. She has taught me to approach my body with reverence and curiosity ("don't know!" she'll say). Each session is part of my lifelong discovery process; while there is progress, the emphasis is much more on this present moment, and it's not about getting it right or some other end goal. Her material is the body, but our work very much transcends the physical plane. Anyone who wants to meet and know their body at ever-deepening layers should work with Gwen.”
—Lucy Dhegrae, vocalist
“Gwen Ellison is my Alexander Technique teacher of nearly 20 years. I came to her for my singing, and stayed for the way her teaching influenced all of my activities: my performances, my work, and my life.
In 2006, my voice teacher noticed that I held my breath when I sang. She thought Gwen could help me. Gwen taught me three simple directions: To send my head forward and up, to let my neck be free, and to lengthen and widen my torso. Sounds simple, right? But that was just the beginning of our work together, to help me become conscious of all the ways and places that I held tension in my body. Our work began in person, but ever since the pandemic, Gwen has worked with me remotely, via Zoom. This practice has become, in many ways, more powerful.
As Gwen reflects back to me where she observes tension in my body, I adjust to bring coordination to my body myself. I develop a practice that I begin with her, but also that I can continue on my own. Not only has Gwen helped me free my voice as a singer, but she has prepared me for business meetings and difficult conversations, showing me--through practice--how to be at home in my body. My awareness of and ability to release tension has allowed me to enter nearly any situation with presence of mind and a sense of calm.”
—Jennifer M. Brown, singer, cabaret performer, and retired VP and publisher
“I started Alexander Technique lessons with Gwen after my physio suggested it might help alleviate tension and pain patterns that developed after a stressful year and a spine issue. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I can say now that she was right and I feel lucky to have been connected such a skilled teacher. Gwen has great sensitivity for the physical work of AT as well as the psycho-physical factors that affect body use, and she is able to guide you on multiple levels back to a place of balance. Our journey has gone deeper than I anticipated and I think that’s because of Gwen’s approach: inquiring, perceptive, patient, and kind. I couldn’t recommend Gwen more highly to anyone hoping to find better use of their body, whatever the reason.”
—Christy Kalan, operations & project manager
“Gwen has been my Alexander teacher for over a decade. When I first came to her, my right arm was in so much discomfort that it was almost unmovable. She helped me solve that issue, but, much more importantly, she started me on a path of understanding what my body was feeling, what it needed, and how it could change. Along the way, I also started to understand how deeply entrenched habits can distort our bodies' natural organization and how letting go of those habits can mean letting go of pain, both physical and emotional. I can't change the past, but I can change myself—especially since I work with Gwen!
I am in awe of Gwen and her abilities to see what I'm doing or not doing and to lead me so gently along the path of going somewhere more relaxed, more organized, more healthy. She is so supportive, always encouraging, and also always manages to see good changes in me. I am truly grateful for all the help she’s given me. And I’m lucky to have found her.”
—Joy Jansen, university professor
“Gwen Ellison is a gifted teacher of the Alexander Technique. She has a wonderful eye for all the doing and undoing of the human body. She is patient and kind, a mentor for all things body and spirit. I began working with her in New York City 25 years ago, logging in several years of regular in-person lessons.
We lost touch for about a decade, but debilitating neck arthritis and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome inspired me to seek her help again. I had no idea Zoom lessons could be just as effective as in-person sessions! But a short 2 weeks after we reconnected virtually, my pain was gone. Through the video, Gwen could see everything that needed to be seen to guide me into more efficient breathing, posture, and movement. I encourage everyone to seek Alexander Technique for all of life’s activities— both the everyday and the technically challenging— but I am convinced you won’t believe it till you try it.
Gwen has all the knowledge, all the experience, and all the compassion to take someone from a bundle of tension to life-changing physical freedom. Alexander Technique continues to deepen my musicianship, improve my piano and vocal technique, and free my mind and body for peaceful living. Gwen Ellison is a miracle worker and I cannot recommend her enough.”
—Sharon Bjorndal Lavery, D.M.A., The Juilliard School, teacher and performer