April 3, 2017

Meet Sharon Jakubecy Klehm of Alexander Technique LA & OC in Los Feliz

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Jakubecy Klehm.

Sharon, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In my twenties, I experienced excruciating hip and low back pain at work and when I was enjoying my favorite past time, dancing and choreographing. Another dancer suggested that I try Alexander Technique lessons. I didn’t know what it was but I was desperate to get out of pain. In my first session, all the pain I felt at every moment of the day disappeared. My body felt light and loose. It felt like a miracle. I continued to take Alexander Technique lessons and soon my ability to deal with stress improved. At the time, I taught children with autism which was demanding but I loved it. I felt calmer and more at ease in my own body. That pain was gone. It turns out it was postural. I knew the world needed to know about this work so I decided to become a certified Alexander Technique teacher in 2000. I moved to LA, broke up with my boyfriend and changed my whole life. To become a certified Alexander Technique teacher requires a 3 year, 1600-hour training. The school is in Santa Monica. During my training, my body changed so much. My posture improved, I felt stronger and developed a more open body language. In 2003, when I graduated, I was given a teaching position at Stella Adler Academy of Acting and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts where I worked with actors in training to help them to be more grounded in their bodies, more resonant in their voices, and more powerful in their physical presence. Since that time, I have worked with actors, musicians, doctors, lawyers, film and television directors, editors, writers, literally every type of profession in the entertainment industry. My clients have healed painful injuries, overcome debilitating stage fright, and discovered a body language that is powerful and confident. I love seeing my clients shed years of painful tension to become successful and pain-free in their personal and professional lives.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been many ups and downs. I work for myself. Nobody is sending me work or giving me assignments. I have always had to hustle and find ways to share my work with people that don’t know about it but who need it. When the crash happened in 2008, people seemed to have less discretionary income to spend on self-care and personal development. I certainly had to consider getting a regular job, but ALWAYS a new eager client would find me and after a first session say something like “I have never felt this good and easy in my body. What a relief!” Over and over, when a new client would find that relief they had been searching for years, I knew I was doing what I was meant to be doing on this planet. I had hired a business coach at one point and she told me that in order to make more money, I had to stop teaching Alexander Technique. I couldn’t. I feel like I have been given this amazing tool to share with people who are so tense, so tight, so stressed. In 2014, I met the man who knocked me off my socks. We had instant chemistry and laughter and joy with each other. When he asked me to move to Orange County to marry him, I knew I had to. I didn’t know anyone and did not have business contacts either. I had to start from scratch to build my practice down there. I thought I would leave my studio in Los Feliz but new clients with back pain and anxiety continued to find me and want my training. I continue to teach in Los Feliz and commute by train so I don’t have to sit in the LA traffic. My Angeleno clients are cool and they are doing amazing things here. They are making movies, writing scripts, performing on stage, and sharing their life’s work without pain.

Please tell us about Alexander Technique LA & OC.
I help my clients who are struggling with stress, tension, anxiety to release unconscious painful postural habits that interfere with their breathing, their body language, and their voice. With hands-on guidance and instruction, I teach my clients how to break the cycle of habits that hurt their backs and strain their voices. I specialize in working with people who have to be confident and powerful in demanding, high-stakes situations. The actor going in for a True Blood audition. The writer who is pitching their newest script. The lawyer who is arguing their case in front of their first jury. I teach how easy it is to be open, grounded, and strong in front of any audience. Most people assume they have to stand up straight, suck their gut in to have good posture. That is ALL wrong. My clients know that when they leave their session, they are going to be blown away about how relaxed and powerful they can feel. They know they will leave with a body language “tool” that gives them an edge in stressful meetings. I am extremely proud of the support I have offered my clients so they can get the movie deal, finish their around-the-world marathons, get the part, or nail the job interview. When a new client finds me, they are usually looking to improve their posture. What they discover is a means to shift from emotional turmoil caused by stress to calm, grounded confidence. They find peace in their own skin. Too many people are suffering with dis-eases associated with stress. My clients learn they can be emotionally resilient, physically open, and big in the world.

As a posture, body language & stress expert and certified Alexander Technique teacher, I have been a featured guest on NPR, Huffington Post, Natural Solutions, Inc.com, Back Stage, & ProfNet Connect, and have coached sales teams, performed corporate trainings and worked with companies including Media Arts Lab, Human Coach Learning and Consulting, Laguna Playhouse, Grammy School of Music, Colburn School of Music, Grifols, The LA Opera, Women in Theater, The Wooden Floor, Shakespeare Santa Monica and Children’s Hospitals Los Angeles so they feel calm under pressure and look powerfully confident in demanding situations.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
All my life I have been involved with some aspect of performing. As an elementary school kid, I was always auditioning for plays. I was always the first kid to get up and dance at school dances even if I was the only one. I love to direct children’s plays now and sometimes even perform in them. When I was about 9 or 10, I was in a cabaret show where I sang “It’s a Hard Knock Life” from Annie. Well, that same day, my grandfather’s company was taking all of its employees to Disneyland. I could not miss either of those fun activities. In the morning, my Grandfather picked me up and we went on as many rides as possible. Then, we drove all the way back to the Valley so I could get my hair, makeup, and costume done. I performed with the other girls and sang my heart out. When it was over, my grandfather and I hopped back into the car and drove to Disneyland. We closed the place down without a yawn or a break. I spent a lot of time with my grandfather. He took me camping at the beach down in San Diego and taught me how to swim in the ocean.

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