ABOUT LEARNING ENERGY
About Learning Energy
Learning Energy is about how we learn to change – and how that drives our energy and impact
Learning to cross boundaries
I nearly left formal education several times because of the challenges life presented. Curiosity and great mentors kept me going, guiding my interest in boundary-crossing subjects — language, communication, and global religions — which I went on to teach for over a decade.
Learning about energy
Encounters with integrated health issues led me to a PhD exploring Tai Chi and mind-body practices that challenge the separation of human and planetary wellbeing. My research used practice-based and social scientific approaches to explore how people use these practices to pursue change.
DR ALEX RYAN
Learning for sustainability
Exposure to the culture and politics around environmental change inspired my work in higher education, when sustainability began shifting from a mainly scientific agenda, to a core mission for universities. I started working on sector-wide projects with universities acting as social connectors, knowledge brokers, and innovators, helping them to build leadership and capacity for sustainability as essential to good academic practice.
Learning about change
Joining a pioneering university sustainability team showed me the realities of leading this change. I moved from embedding sustainability across the course portfolio, to aligning the university’s brainprint and footprint for systemic impact. We had major successes – and learned how systems resist change. Those experiences now fuel my mission to support others leading this complex change.
Learning Energy connects these experiences to power practical, visible change – helping you to navigate complexity, build capability, and achieve results that matter.
LEARNING ENERGY SERVICES
LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Helping education providers equip future professionals to lead change.
- Integrate sustainability into curricula and professional learning
- Strengthen teaching, learning, and assessment practices
- Deliver meaningful, evidence-based outcomes
COACHING
Holistic, practical coaching for professionals and leaders navigating complexity or major life changes.
- Extend your capability and influence
- Make clearer decisions and take action with confidence
- Build resilience and focus for lasting impact
SUSTAINABILITY MINDSET
Bespoke support for organisations committed to sustainability.
- Align people, culture, and strategy for measurable impact
- Build capability across teams to embed sustainability at the core
- Translate ambition into practical results that stick
Learning Energy and Tai Chi
WHY TAI CHI
Tai Chi is a Chinese movement practice and martial art, that helps improve wellbeing, co-ordination, attention and focus.
It is an effective way to develop presence, balanced energy, and adaptability – skills that support leadership, decision-making, and community-building in complex scenarios.
Tai Chi informs the way I work on all levels, providing practical techniques to navigate interactions, maintain focus under pressure, and respond effectively during change.
The iconic Tai Chi diagram in the Learning Energy logo reflects this ethos: balance, connectedness, and focused action.
MY TRAINING
I trained for 30 years in all aspects of this art, mainly with Sifu Dan Docherty, a globally recognised Tai Chi expert, scholar, and former South-East Asian Heavyweight Champion.
My experience includes teaching, judging at national competitions, and researching the science behind Tai Chi’s effectiveness for health and wellbeing, leadership and professional development.
How Tai Chi can guide our work
Tai Chi principles inform the way I work with people on balance, energy, and influence within complex systems.
Its techniques offer practical ways to restore energy, manage stress, and navigate pressure, helping people and teams respond more effectively to challenges.
They also support collaboration, conflict navigation, and adaptive decision-making, so people can move through change smoothly and use influence responsibly.
Tai Chi tasters can be integrated into training and team-building, offering insight, co-operation, and creativity that enhance performance and outcomes.
Contact me
Contact me for a free call