For 18 years I've been teaching People Living With Parkinson's in individual lessons, group classes, and in care home settings. The Alexander Technique can be of deep help to PLWP on many levels. People living with PD sometimes manage multiple symptoms such as rigidity, slow movement, tremor, postural stoop, anxiety and apathy, as well as other symptoms - though not every individual has every symptom. Executive function and movement sequencing can sometimes be an issue. For these and other reasons, I find it helpful to keep my verbal cues and communication clear, simple, and as easy to follow as possible. I find The Ready List directions of "Stop. See. Breathe. Soft and Tall." to be of great use for this population.

Bill Connington, Alexander teacher

Lecturer in Acting, Yale School of Drama

Instructor, Yale Hospital - Parkinson's & Movement Disorders Program 

Hi Judith, 

I thought of sharing some very nice feedback from one of my students at RCM (Violin , second year masters) and the amazing results after using the Ready List! You and Sue are genius!!

'I just had my final recital a few days ago, and despite the nerves and adrenaline, I was able to slow down on stage and implement the Ready List and everything that we have been working on... and it worked so well!! I am really excited about this! I felt that this was the first time I felt fully present enough to really be aware of the Ready List and put it into action - Usually I am too nervous and my brain is moving too fast! Thanks to your guidance, the final recital was by far the most relaxed and most enjoyable performance that I have put on.

Thank you so much for your support and knowledge this past year, I have really enjoyed our sessions and the Ready List will be something that I carry with me for the rest of my career - and I'll think of you every time I do it!'

Hope you are both well and this is useful! 

Best,

Fuen xx

Fuensanta Zambrana, Developing Self Course Graduate 

Alexander Technique Teacher - Royal College of Music & The Yehudi Menuhin School

Violin Teacher - Trinity Laban, Junior Department 

www.playingnaturally.com

I’d been told for as long as I could remember to “look up” – and consistently failed to do so.  Up would go my chin – and that never worked! Through consistent practice, I found a whole new way to relate to my head and neck. Elevated, long, free – and able to have a broad vision that encompassed everything from the horse’s head and neck (by glancing down my cheeks) to the distant horizon (or at least the far end of the arena) and all around. I could float my head up… 

The next discovery was that, just as I wanted my horse to lengthen and elevate, shoulders and back to open and widen, so I had to take a moment to do so first.  The knack was that I just had to THINK it. Enter The Ready List. This enables the rider, and the coach, to have a checklist to use before any transition or movement.

The rider thinks STOP, SEE, BREATHE… they lengthen and widen and become present - and lo and behold the horse’s eye softens, the whole posture of both horse and rider relaxes.

The real magic is the happy silence that it brings to the partnership. In that silence the horse hears the rider’s thoughts clearly - often the desired transition or movement “just happens” without apparent effort or any visible aid or signal – other than just a ‘look’ in the direction. 

The Ready List is now fully incorporated into my riding and teaching. It’s a gift for us riders, and coaches, and, most importantly, for the beautiful sensitive horses in our lives.

Alison Craig BHSI

19th August 2026

alisoncraig@talk21.com