Alexander Technique is a re-educational, holistic approach to help you increase the sensitivity of kinaesthetic awareness towards the way you conduct yourself. Also to eliminate unwanted habitual responses to stimuli that cause discomfort or affect the smoothness of performance in any context. The aim is to restore the natural and optimal function that we all have within us.

F. M. Alexander developed the Alexander Technique by discovering and experimenting with the way he applied himself to his performance. In the 1890s, he was a specialist in performing recitations on works by Shakespeare. He gradually lost his voice and became hoarse when reciting on stage but not in ordinary speaking or conversation. He went on to seek medical help and the doctor instructed him to rest his vocal cords. Upon doing this, his voice returned but once he went on the stage to recite, he soon became hoarse again. Alexander thought that perhaps it was what he did while reciting that was causing the issue, so he set up mirrors in front of himself and started observing while he recited.

He discovered patterns that were different from his normal speaking, such as pulling his head backward and downward, gasping for air before starting a sentence, or griping his toes while performing. He realised that to change any behavioural pattern, we need first to notice what we are doing so that we can have the chance to eliminate unwanted patterns.

Alexander also recognised that there is space and time between encountering a stimulus and responding to it. He called the act of stopping the usual way of responding “inhibition“. With inhibition, we train our nervous system to create new pathways to break away from the old ways of applying ourselves. Then, by implementing new ways of responding to stimuli and repetition, a new behavioural pattern can be established.

Overall, the Alexander Technique is a tool, supported by certified teachers (1600 hours of training), that helps to deal with issues that are caused by disadvantageous ways of reacting to stimuli. These unhelpful reactions can affect your optimal functioning or lead to chronic illness.

If you have any questions, please contact me or book a free consultation. Please note that we always advise people to check any illnesses with medical professionals first. Alexander Technique teachers work on people’s general functioning instead of giving a diagnosis.

To know more about the Alexander Technique, please refer to useful resources.

How does it work in a lesson?

The teacher will provide a safe learning/unlearning space and use their hands to invite pupils to notice the habitual patterns in moving and thinking on a conscious level.

Each lesson usually consists of two parts: quietening down by lying on a table or yoga mat, and dynamic movements. These movements range from the introduction of a low stimulus of sitting and standing, to a high stimulus such as playing an instrument, giving a speech, or stressfully working in front of the computer.

The teacher’s supportive hands influence the quality of the psychophysical state, the level of mind-body integrity, and the quality of response to stimuli.