Heike Walker encountered the Alexander Technique first in dance classes in the early nineties, and was fascinated by the way our thinking affects our body. Working with the Alexander Technique in her dance practices (New Dance, Contact Improvisation) created more fluidity and openness in her body and created new possibilities of moving – with more lightness, ease and fun!
In 1994, Heike Walker began taking lessons in the Alexander Technique which opened a whole new dimension of the Alexander Technique to her: “I discovered that every daily activity – whether sitting at the computer, brushing my teeth, answering the phone or talking at the dinner table – is movement, and our thinking and feeling are closely intertwined with our movements. Whether or not we are aware of it, we make choices about how we move and how we feel!” This was the beginning of an adventurous process of self-discovery…!
After years of individual lessons in the Alexander Technique and completion of her masters in Cultural Studies at the University of Bremen, Germany, Heike’s interest in the Alexander Technique led her to enter a three year full-time training course in the Alexander Technique in Berlin with Dan Armon. Heike graduated in 2002 and she has been teaching the Alexander Technique since – both in individual lessons and in workshops to dancers, musicians, riders and to many other students interested in gaining self-awareness, changing postural habits and enhancing coordination and balance!
Working as a Teacher of the Alexander Technique, Heike Walker realized she wanted to deepen her understanding of our body’s anatomy and functions. Heike entered a medical training course to become a Natural Health Care Professional recognized by the German Department of Health. She also studied “Reflexotherapy of the Feet” at the Hanne Marquardt School in Berlin, receiving the Reflexology certificate in June 2008. Therapeutic Reflexology still amazes her: “The simple act of touching the feet (in a therapeutic manner), helps heal many disorders, even chronic ones such as sleeping problems, breathing difficulties or digestive troubles. Therapeutic Reflexology looks at the whole person rather than just at the symptoms. By restoring the balance of the whole organism, symptoms and pain subside, and health and quality of life are improved!”
In August 2008, Heike Walker was ready for a change. She moved from the busy life of Berlin to the rural farm life of Langley, BC. Heike worked at Coastal Health Clinic in Aldergrove, BC, for 2 years. In 2011, she moved her practice to Surrey, BC. She now works out of three clinics: the Buena Vista Massage Therapy Clinic in White Rock, the Bodhi Tree Wellness Centre in Clayton Heights, Surrey, and the South Langley Clinic in Langley, BC.
