What is the Alexander Technique?

The Alexander Technique is an educational method used worldwide for over 100 years. A proven self-care method, it is a set of skills that you learn to relieve pain, prevent injury and enhance performance.

People study the Technique for a variety of reasons. The most common is to relieve pain through learning better coordination of the musculoskeletal system.

Another reason people take lessons in the Alexander Technique is to enhance posture or performance. Athletes, singers, dancers, and musicians use the Technique to improve stage presence, breathing, vocal production, and speed and accuracy of movement.

Over a course of lessons, you will learn, through direct experience, how to go about your daily activities with increasingly greater ease and less effort. The gradual release of muscular tension restores the body’s innate poise and improves one’s posture.

The Alexander Technique is utilized in a variety of settings as diverse as The Juilliard Conservatory, Hewlett Packard, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Yale School of Drama, and the Israeli Air Force.

What To Expect in an Alexander Lesson

The Alexander Technique is an intelligent way to navigate various movement, postural and injury-related issues that lead to pain and stress. Most of us have unconscious patterns of tension which, during Alexander lessons, can be brought to light and changed. This enables the possibility of new choices in posture, movement, and reaction, resulting in greater ease and well-being.

I give 45-minute private lessons. You remain clothed at all times and no special clothing is needed.

There are two parts to a lesson: activity work and table work. During activity work, you practice standing in a balanced way, sitting down and getting up comfortably, and some walking, bending, and/or lifting. You might also practice some activities particular to you, such as working at a computer, playing an instrument, talking on your cellphone, sitting at a meeting, holding a baby, singing, or weight training. You will learn how to reduce tension and effort in these activities while increasing an overall sense of comfort.

During table work, you lie on a lightly padded table on your back, with your knees bent. I gently move your limbs around and free up your head and neck. Throughout both parts of the lesson, you learn to let go of unwanted and unconscious tension and to think the Alexander thoughts that encourage ease, openness, and length along the spine.

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Who Can Benefit?

People of all ages and abilities study the Alexander Technique to relieve pain, reduce stress, improve posture and enhance performance.

Examples include:

performing artists (singers, dancers, actors, musicians)
people with chronic or recurrent back pain
older people with postural and balance issues
people experience Zoom fatigue
people with neck and shoulder pain
people interested in improving posture
public speakers
people wanting greater flexibility
amateur and professional athletes
parents carrying young children, lifting groceries
teenagers with posture issues
computer users with hand, arm, or back pain
people who are physically uncomfortable due to stress, postural habits, muscular or joint pain, movement problems, or injuries
dentists, nurses, and other health care providers who stand for long periods of time
martial artists and people practicing yoga
new mothers and fathers
people interested in health prevention, wellness, and self-care

“Before beginning my Alexander work, I had poor posture and experienced frequent discomfort. I now stand noticeably taller and move about my day with more ease and comfort.”

— Dan C., Portfolio Manager – Mutual Fund