About Rajal
Rajal Cohen is a 1997 graduate of the Virginia School for Alexander Technique, a
3-year, 1600-hour teacher training course certified by the American Society for the Alexander Technique and recognized by affiliated international societies.
She has experience teaching many different kinds of students, including performing artists, athletes, equestrians, and people with pain or discomfort that is caused or aggravated by daily activities.
Her teaching is lively and compassionate, balancing imagery, analysis, demonstration and hands-on assistance.
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Rajal is a calm, open person with a ready smile. She listens well - which enables her to solve the real problems. She has a wonderful sense of humor. I liked all three of my Alexander teachers, bur Rajal is my favorite.
- Allen Bachelder, Professor of Trumpet, Virginia Tech
Rajal, I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed yesterday's Alexander Technique seminar. The primary lesson for me was the concept of carrying myself in the manner that I expect my horses to carry themselves. I had never thought about it that
way before, but it makes perfect sense that if the rider is round through
the topline, balanced and fluid, it would be far easier for our horses to be
the same. Thank you!
- Mary Papadpoulos, horse trainer
Thank you so much, Rajal, for everything you have done for me. I truly believe that working with body awareness for the past year or two has given me the framework within which to tackle some old emotional stuff. But much better than that, it's given me a quality of movement and a sense of self that I love so much!!! What a gift.
- Sue Daniels, wildlife biologist and equestrian
Rajal, I'd like to thank you again for the wonderful workshop. My students absolutely loved it; it was a wonderful educational opportunity for all of us. Your obvious thorough organization and planning helped to make the event even more interesting, especially for those who had had no prior connection with the concepts.
- Marianne Sandborg, Artist in Residence, Roanoke College
Partial List of Work Presented
The Pennsylvania State University Theatre Department - fall semester, 2002
Texas Tech University, Departments of Music, Theater &Dance - October-November, 2001
University of the South (Sewanee, TN) Theater & Music Departments - 2000, 2001
Burrell Nursing Home Inservice (Roanoke, VA) - October, 2000
Willow Ridge Horse Farm (Riner, VA)- October, 2000
Virginia Nurses Association (Salem, VA) - July, 2000
Simple Springs Horse Farm (Floyd, VA) - May, 2000
CAMEO Institute at Selu (Radford, VA) - May, 2000
Hollins University Dance Department (Roanoke, VA) - March, 2000
Roanoke College Fine Arts - November, 1999
Hollins University Music Department - fall semester, 1999
The Center of Dance - August, 1999 (Blacksburg, VA)
Virginia Tech Student Health Services Inservice - August, 1999
Southwest Virginia Dressage Association - February, 1999
Virginia Tech Women's Center Staff Retreat - December, 1998
Radford University Music Department - October, 1998
Montgomery County Health Department Inservice (Christiansburg, VA)- May, 1998
Virginia Tech Theater Department - January, 1998
The Yoga Center (Roanoke, VA) - 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
YMCA Open University (Blacksburg, VA) - 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
Optimal Health Associates (Blacksburg, VA) - 1997, 1998, 1999
American Guild of Organ players (Roanoke, VA) - March, 1997
Rajal's story
I grew up in Whitefish, Montana, a little town in the Rocky Mountains. I played soccer and the clarinet, and I did a lot of downhill skiing. At Wesleyan University I studied jazz saxophone and South Indian Singing, while majoring in psychology. During this time I began to have recurring upper back and neck pain, with occasional numbness in my arms and hands.
After college, I lived for a few years at a rural cooperative in central Virginia, where I did construction work, farming, workshop organizing, and a lot of playing in the woods. I suffered from frequent back injuries and fallen arches, and I sprained my ankle so often that I became afraid to run.
I began taking lessons and classes in the Alexander Technique, not only because I hoped to find the answer to my physical problems, but also because I sensed something profound in the way of approaching life it offers. I found both.
In the course of ten lessons I learned how I was causing my back pain, and I learned to stop doing it. Over the next year of lessons I dramatically changed my relationship with my feet and ankles. I eventually returned to running, and I am now once again able to do heavy work without fear of injury.
After completing a three-year training to become a teacher of the Alexander Techinque, I moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains in southwest Virginia, where I lived and taught for five years. I took lessons in classical and blues guitar, and I sang in public (folksy stuff) a little bit. I have also explored (dabbled in, really) various martial arts, dance forms, and yoga.
In August, 2002, I entered the cognitive psychology graduate program at Penn State. I'll be here for five years, investigating human motor control. I hope to eventually do research that relates to the Alexander Technique, and I plan to continue teaching the Alexander Technique as long as I live.
I feel incredibly lucky to have discovered this work. I love the fact that I can help people who are in so much pain they can barely move, and I can also help high-level performers who are able to perform incredible feats of agility. I love that this work educates and empowers people to take care of themselves, instead of being dependent forever on a "healer" to take care of them. I love that it brings me a stream of interesting people to engage with. May we all be so lucky!
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