The Myth of Perfect Posture

A workshop designed for people who have ever had the thought “my posture is terrible”, or “why do I keep getting this sore neck", or “is there’s nothing I can do about this pain…”, or anyone with a body and a desire to understand how we can ‘use’ it more efficiently, gracefully and powerfully.

By bridging ideas and practices from Yoga, Alexander Technique, Body Mapping, and functional anatomy, we can start to reconceive of our posture not as something mechanical and fixed, but as a piece of information directing us toward our unique process of coordination that constantly informs how we do everything… Our bodies are like a spider’s web, in that moving one part we change the whole system. Alexander Technique utilises an ‘indirect’ approach to coordination, where we look at the overall pattern of use throughout the whole body to understand why specific parts might be over-compensating and experiencing reoccurring pain.

Wether you’re 25 and wondering if you’re ‘over-using’ your body to the point of injury, or 75 and believing there’s no hope to soothe chronic pain or old injuries, this workshop is designed to expand what you believe is possible regarding your body and provide tools to help mindfully change your ‘posture’ towards posture. Perfect for deepening your asana practice, learning how to sit, stand or move more comfortable and with more ease, inclusive of all body types and diverse mobility.

This workshop consists of group discussions, games, and exercises to both conceptually and practically explore your coordination in everyday life. We will work through exercises from Alexander Technique and Body Mapping to mindfully explore new ways of coordinating, integrate those experiences through a slow flow yoga practice, and then finish with questions. The workshop includes a small break in the middle with tea and homemade snacks provided.

About the Hosts:

Chris Burgess (he/him) has been teaching yoga for the last 5 years all across Naarm, Melbourne. Alongside his passion for yoga, Chris is also a music theatre and cabaret artist and teaches nonviolence in schools. Since graduating from VCA in 2019, Chris has been exploring the intersection of theatre and contemplative, compassion based practices. He teaches weekly vinyasa and yin yoga, is studying Alexander Technique and Non-violent Communication, and is writing and performing music and theatre regularly. Chris’ personal yoga practice and classes are influenced by his relationship to Tibetan Bon meditation practice and his years of dance and acting training.

Pemra Kahraman (she/her) is a curious Alexander Technique teacher, InterPlay leader, and devoted movement explorer. Inspired by her fascination with the many layers of human experience, she creates workshops that invite individuals to explore the wonders of body-mind union, rediscover the joy of play, and cultivate a deeper sense of embodiment. Using the Alexander Technique as a foundational framework, Pemra helps individuals recognise habitual movement patterns, offering tools to shift them when they no longer serve. Also influenced by Buddhist philosophy & meditation, Contemporary Dance, Non-violent Communication, and Somatic Dialogue, Pemra’s approach opens an avenue toward a more intimate relationship with oneself. Her sessions are an invitation to explore, reconnect, and embrace the fullness of one’s inner and outer world.