AT – What is it?

About the Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique is a skill which makes for greater ease and efficiency in all activities of living. Most of us have many habitual patterns which constrict us mentally and physically. By becoming aware of habits that interfere with our natural coordination and learning how to prevent these, we can improve posture, performance and alertness.

Through direct, practical experience you’ll learn how to go about your daily activities with increasingly greater ease and freedom of movement.

The Alexander Technique was developed in the 1890s by F. Matthias Alexander. For more information, see History.

Why learn the Alexander Technique?

People of all ages learn the Technique for a variety of reasons.

Many people want to be able to move and breathe easily and effortlessly. Others wish to relieve pain or chronic stiffness, tension and stress. Some wish to enhance performance in a specific area, such as music, singing, dancing or sports.

Whatever the reason, the fundamentals of the Technique are the same: learning a conscious awareness of your whole self, your mind and body as one, complete unit.

The Alexander Technique is not . . .

. . . a treatment and does not contain any exercises. The Technique is an educational method in which you learn abour your own neuromuscular behaviour patterns and how to develop a conscious control of your reactions. “It is not what we do, but how we do it.”

Scientific evidence

Research has shown that the Alexander Technique can help with balance, breathing, chronic pain, and backache.

For example, a controlled trial of Alexander lessons was published in the British Medical Journal in 2008. Its main conclusion was that individual lessons in the Technique have long term benefits for patients with chronic back pain. Lessons in the Alexander Technique outperformed all control groups.

For a list of significant scientific research, see Evidence.