Generated by All in One SEO v4.8.8, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique Comprehensive guide to Alexander Technique resources wordwide. ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://alexandertechnique.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [You’re a Nice Place to Visit, but Would You Want to Live There?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/niceplace/) - by Robert Rickover Albert Einstein The most important question you can ever ask is: ‘Is the universe is a friendly place?’ – Albert Einstein He added: … if we decide that the universe is a friendly place, then we will use our technology, our scientific discoveries and our natural resources to create tools and models - [Why Study and Teach the Alexander Technique?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/studyat/) - by Robert Rickover My friend and colleague, John Macy, attended the recent Alexander Technique Congress and chose that venue to do a little research about what what motivates Alexander teachers today. In addition to being an Alexander Technique teacher himself, John is a physical therapist and the owner of a Pilates studio. Here are his - [Mind Your Mind](https://alexandertechnique.com/mind/) - by Robert Rickover F. Matthias Alexander, the developer of the Alexander Technique, believed that if we want to improve the way we function, we need to make the best use of our ability to think. Only then can we engage in what he called “constructive conscious control” of ourselves. He even titled his second book - [The Buddha, F. M. Alexander, and the Art of Alexander Technique Directing](https://alexandertechnique.com/buddha/) - By Robert Rickover Every few months, I enjoy using ChatGPT, or one of the other free AI programs, to come up with the answer to an Alexander Technique question, or to imagine a meeting between F. Mathias Alexander and a famous historical character. Over time, the results have become increasingly more interesting and sophisticated. My ## Pages - [The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/) - Life Just Got Easier Welcome to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique - the most comprehensive source for information about the Alexander Technique on the web since 1997.An Alexander Technique teacher shows you how to move with less stress on your body.The Alexander Technique is for you if you are ready to feel more comfortable in - [Find an Alexander Technique Teacher in the United States or Canada](https://alexandertechnique.com/teacher/northamerica/) - On this page you will find links to the websites of Alexander Technique teachers in the USA and Canada. (For AT teachers in the UK click here, and in other countries click here.) Please bear in mind that the links to teachers' websites are links, not recommendations or endorsements. The following links provide useful suggestions - [Mindful Recovery: How the Alexander Technique Supports the Journey Out of Addiction ](https://alexandertechnique.com/mindfulrecovery/) - Named after and created by an Australian actor who struggled with chronic laryngitis when he performed, the Alexander Technique was shared to help others speak and move with more ease than previously. Based on the idea of not holding tension within the body and therefore moving through life in a more mindful way, this technique - [Primary Control and the Crisis in Alexander Technique Theory](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/primarycontrolcrisis/) - by Ron Dennis AmSAT News, No. 45 (Summer 1999) To speak of crisis in that aspect of our work relegated by FMA himself to second place or worse—"the practice and theory of my work,"1 "mere theorizing,"2 as he was wont to say—may seem less than earthshaking to my staunch Alexandrian audience, yet there are firm - [On “Postural Education”](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/posturaleducation/) - By Ron Dennis At its 2009 Annual General Meeting, the American Society for the Alexander Technique concluded a three-year process in adopting a new mission statement: “The AmSAT Mission: To establish the Alexander Technique as a basic and recognized resource for health, productivity, and well-being.” At the same time an Ad Hoc Committee was authorized - [Francisco Varela and The Gesture of Awareness: a new direction in cognitive science and its relevance to the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/zahn/) - Rachel Zahn Université de Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne and CREA, École Polytechnique 12 Quai des Platreries, Samois sur Seine, 77920 France Email: rachel.zahn@gmail.com July 26, 2005 Abstract This paper converts the Oxford participatory lecture (2004) into a participatory reading experience which respects the psychophysical difficulties often encountered in reading or listening to theoretical discussions. This participatory - [Guided Sensory Education in Group Lessons in the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/sensoryeducation/) - By Bobby Rosenberg Surely, I argued, if it is possible for feeling to become untrustworthy as a means of direction, it should also be possible to make it trustworthy again. - F. M. Alexander This article, the result of a year-long research project at the Pontifical Javeriana University in Bogotá, Colombia, introduces my ideas about - [PRINCIPLES OF THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE - And their Relevance to Music Education](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/atmusiceducation/) - Jennifer Roig-Francolí, M.AmSAT www.BalanceandHarmonyAT.com 1. MIND-BODY UNITY AND USE OF THE SELF It is imperative that the act of making music include the whole person. Our primary instrument is the psycho-physical self: the body directed by clear intention of the mind. Playing an instrument begins with learning to “use” the psycho-physical self in a constructive, - [Voice work in the Alexander technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/voiceworkat/) - by Geórgia Dias Quem canta os males espanta’ (‘those who sing send their worries away’ - Brazilian popular saying) For me the whole of the Alexander technique is voice work, after all it was the starting point of F.M. Alexander for his discoveries and the development of the technique. ‘The voice is indeed an unique - [Stage Fright: What is and What to do about it](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/stagefreight/) - Stage fright is mistakenly considered to be something only amateur and beginner musicians or actors suffers from. Stage fright though is something we all felt at one point or another. In its mildest forms we experience it as ‘been excited’ for a performance, speaking for an audience or camera. A fear of under perform. Curiously - [Alexander Technique - What is it?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/jwright/) - by Janet Wright The Alexander Technique is a way of becoming more aware of your balance and how you move. It's based on the premise that most people have bad postural habits that, over time, stop us using our bodies as easily and comfortably as we should be able to. Wrongly used muscles contract and - [No Cost Alexander Technique Lessons](https://alexandertechnique.com/free/) - I wish to do away with such teachers as I am myself. My place in the present economy is due to a misunderstanding of the causes of our present physical disability, and when this disability is finally eliminated the specialized practitioner will have no place, no uses. This may be a dream of the future, - [Comments About The Alexander Technique Lesson Project](https://alexandertechnique.com/free/comments/) - Many thanks and to you and Celeste for making these lessons available! They are brilliant. - Ania Roman, London, England I used “I’m not thinking…” all day yesterday and found this direction to be amazing for me in every which way — in walking, at work with customers and colleagues. It’s great for ADHD brains - [Resources for Alexander Technique Students and Teachers](https://alexandertechnique.com/ats/) - Welcome! On this page you will find a variety of material of special interest to Alexander Technique students who wish to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Technique, and to Alexander teachers and trainees. Click on the links below or scroll down the page to explore the material on this page. Promoting Your Teaching - [What Every Teacher Needs to Know](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/conable/) - Interview with Barbara Conable During her years as an Alexander Technique teacher and member, consecutively, of ACAT, NASTAT, AmSAT, and ATI, Barbara Conable developed the theory and practice of Body Mapping and spelled out its application to AT teaching in How to Learn the Alexander Technique: A Manual for Students and to making music in - [Alexander Technique Constructive Rest](https://alexandertechnique.com/constructiverest/) - Constructive rest, sometimes known as “active rest”, “semi-supine” or the “Alexander lying-down position” is an extremely effective self-help tool for Alexander Technique students, and for anyone else who wants a simple, practical way of releasing excess tension from their body.The purpose of this page is to pull together in one place all the available information - [How the Alexander Technique can help Musicians](https://alexandertechnique.com/musicians/) - Some fingers (no doubt because of too much writing and playing in earlier years) have become quite weak, so that I can hardly use them." - from the 1839 biographical notes of Robert Schumann, pianist and composer The International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians surveyed orchestral musicians and found from the 2,212 respondents that - [How the Alexander Technique can help Seniors](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/seniors/) - The Alexander Technique can help seniors improve their balance, coordination and stamina. The resources below provide more information. Audio Interviews Several podcasts can be found here: bodylearningcast.com/seniors Articles: Fear of Falling – How the Alexander Technique can Help Alexander Technique and Balance – Research at the University of South Carolina (Video) Aging Well with the - [The Alexander Technique and Spiritual Development](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/spiritual/) - Although the Technique is not a spiritual discipline and does not promote or teach a spiritual practice, some Alexander Technique students have found that in addition to helping with their physical coordination, the Technique has also enhanced their spiritual practice. Learn more with the resources below: Audio Interviews Several podcasts can be found here: bodylearningcast.com/spiritual - [How the Alexander Technique can help Martial Arts Teachers and Students](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/martialarts/) - Students and teachers of Tai Chi and other martial arts have found the Alexander Technique improves the quality of their practice. The resources below provide more information: Audio Interviews Several podcast interviews here: bodylearningcast.com/martialarts Articles: The Alexander Technique and Tai Chi Alexander’s Principles and the Martial Arts Use the Mind: The Alexander Technique and Taijiquan - [How the Alexander Technique can help your Yoga Practice](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/yoga/) - The Alexander Technique can help make your Yoga Practice easier and safer. Here are resources to learn more: Audio Interviews Multiple Yoga/Alexander Technique podcasts are available here: bodylearningcast.com/yoga Video Articles: The Alexander Technique and Yoga The Alexander Technique and Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Yoga and the Alexander Technique Yoga, Posture and the Alexander Technique - [How the Alexander Technique Can Help Your Breathing](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/breathing/) - On this page you will find information and resources on how the Alexander Technique can help your breathing: Audio Interviews Videos Books Articles Alexander Technique & Breathing Audio Interviews How to Breathe More Easily with the Alexander Technique The Alexander Technique and the Art of Breathing How the Alexander Technique can help you Breathe - [Lilies of the Field](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/lilies/) - by Robert Rickover Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. This blog was inspired by a recent Facebook post from Fay Putnam, an Alexander Technique teacher in Portland, Oregon who thinks - [How the Alexander Technique can help with Pregnancy, Childbirth and Parenting](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/parents/) - The Alexander Technique has proven itself helpful for Parents, and Parents-to-be. Here are some useful resources for learning more: Audio Interviews You can find several podcasts on this topic here: BodyLearningCast.com/children Book Articles: The Alexander Technique and Pregnancy, Childbirth and Parenthood How Women Use The Alexander Technique In The First Year After Birth Women's experiences - [How the Alexander Technique can Enhance Exercise and Sports Performance](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/fitness/) - On this page you'll find information and resources on how the Alexander Technique can enhance exercise and sports performance, including: Audio Interviews Videos Books Articles Alexander Technique Audio Interviews Sports, Fitness and the Alexander Technique How the Alexander Technique can help your tennis game: How the Alexander Technique can help you learn to ski - [Adventures in Fitness Self-Discovery with the Alexander Technique: One Student’s Experience](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/fitnessselfdiscovery/) - by Jack Walters Several years ago I watched a man kill himself in the name of fitness. I was living on Manhattan’s lower West Side at the time and, morning and evening, I couldn’t fail to notice the grueling exercise program of one of my neighbors. Throughout nine months of a bone-chilling New York winter, - [Fitness for Life with the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/fitnessforlife/) - by Roy Palmer To achieve a high level of fitness for life sounds like hard work – and not just from a the physical point of view. Many fail to maintain fitness because, and let’s be honest, exercise routines can be boring! Where is the fun in doing the same exercises week in week out. - [Help Posture and Help the Breath](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/posturebreath/) - by Imogen Ragone Chronic poor posture can lead to breathing problems. Most people tend to think of breathing and posture as two separate functions or conditions of the body. I believe, however, that they are inextricably connected with one another – actually both different aspects of our overall coordination that cannot be separated. Here’s an - [How the Alexander Technique can help you deal with Stress](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/stress/) - On this page you will find information on how the Alexander Technique can help you manage and reduce stress: Audio Interviews Videos Books Articles Alexander Technique & Stress Audio Interviews Interview with Imogen Ragone Interview with Carolyn Nicholls Back to top >> Alexander Technique Videos Alexander Technique teacher Sharon Jakubecy demonstrates how the - [Reduce Stress at the Computer with the Power of Thought!](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/stress/) - by Imogen Ragone The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another - William James A while ago I did a series of blog posts giving tips on how to use our bodies in a more efficient, less stressful, way as we work at the computer. I looked at many - [Moses and Alexander – Between a Rock and a Soft Place](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/hardplace/) - by Robert Rickover Moses In Numbers 20, verses 2-12, The people are thirsty and Moses asks God to help. God gives Moses a staff and tells him to command a rock to supply the water. The pattern established over many years was Moses conveying the peoples’ needs to God, God taking care of the problem - [How the Alexander Technique can help you Alleviate Pain](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/pain/) - On this page you will find information about the Alexander Technique’s usefulness in reducing pain: Audio Interviews Videos Books Articles Alexander Technique and Pain Audio The lead investigator of a major UK study about the effectiveness of the Alexander Technique for alleviating back pain talks about the study A spinal neurosurgeon talks about ways in - [Alexander Technique for Back Pain and Neck Pain Relief](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/applications/ragone/) - by Imogen Ragone “One to one lessons in the Alexander technique…have long term benefits for patients with chronic back pain.” – British Medical Journal, 19 August, 2008* This was one of the basic conclusions of a study conducted in the UK, and published by the British Medical Journal, and something many Alexander Technique teachers and - [How the Alexander Technique can help you Improve your Posture](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/posture/) - Information about the ways in which the Alexander Technique can help you have an easy upright posture, without excess strain or tension: Audio Interview Videos Books Articles Alexander Technique & Posture Audio Listen to or download: How the Alexander Technique can help you improve your posture: This and several other podcasts about posture and - [John Dewey and F. Matthias Alexander](https://alexandertechnique.com/dewey/) - It (the technique of Mr. Alexander) bears the same relation to education that education itself bears to all other human activities. - John Dewey, from his Introduction to F. M. Alexander's third book, The Use of the Self John Dewey (1859-1952) was an American philosopher and the most prominent voice of the school of philosophy - [Preoccupation with the Disconnected](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/disconnected/) - by John Dewey The following is a talk given by Dewey to the New York Academy of Medicine, 1928. The very problem of mind and body suggests division; I do not know of anything so disastrously affected by the habit of division as this particular theme. In its discussion are reflected the splitting off from - [ABC's OF GOOD POSTURE BY THE FATHER OF AMERICAN EDUCATION](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/deweyjakes/) - by Will Jakes It is as reasonable to expect a fire to go out when it is ordered to stop burning as to suppose that a man can stand straight in consequence of a direct action of thought and desire. - John Dewey John Dewey (1859-1952) was an American philosopher and educator whose writings and - [A SICK WORLD](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/sickworld/) - by John Dewey First published in New Republic No. 33 (1923), pp. 217-18. It is significant that the callings dignified by the title of professions have to do with the troubles and evils of mankind. Priests cure souls saving from sin, or at least from its consequences; lawyers heal disputes and physicians bodily ills. Aside - [John Dewey and Frederick Matthias Alexander](https://alexandertechnique.com/cohen/) - By Mary Cohen “The technique of Mr. Alexander gives to the educator a standard of psycho-physical health—in which what we call morality is included. It supplies also the `means whereby' this standard may be progressively and endlessly achieved, becoming a conscious possession of the one educated . . . It bears the same relation to - [Frederick Matthias Alexander and John Dewey: A Neglected Influence](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/maccormack2/) - by Eric David McCormack, O.S.B. (Excerpt from a Thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Toronto 1958) (Complete version of the book here – PDF file) Of all of Dewey's published writings, Experience and Nature (1926, 1929) is the one in which Alexander's principles stand out - [Human Nature and Conduct and Frederick Matthias Alexander](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/mccormack1/) - by Eric David McCormack, O.S.B. (an excerpt from Frederick Matthias Alexander and John Dewey: A Neglected Influence, a thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, the University of Toronto, 1958) (Complete version of the book here - PDF file) There are echoes of Alexander's ideas throughout Human Nature - [Alexander Technique Students' Stories](https://alexandertechnique.com/personalaccounts/) - Learn about Alexander Technique Students' experiences with the Technique on this page. You can find their stories shared in: Audio interviews Videos A Book Articles. Alexander Technique Audio Three audio interviews with students of the Alexander Technique about their experiences which you can listen to or download: A retired pediatric surgeon talks about the benefits - [Achieving Flexibility of Mind and Body with the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/ross/) - by Bill Ross Several years ago I became fascinated with the connection between physical and mental rigidity. This article is my attempt to summarize what I’ve found and, hopefully, to encourage others to think about how they might become more flexible in mind and body. It all began when I took a series of lessons - [Alexander Technique Self Study](https://alexandertechnique.com/selfstudy/) - Anyone can do what I did, IF they will do what I did: F. Matthias Alexander, the developer of the Alexander Technique By the end of his life, in 1955, Alexander had come to the conclusion that attempts to put his teaching into practice without the help of a teacher were often not successful. Yet, - [Teaching the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/sweeney/) - by Holly Sweeney If you were to observe an Alexander teacher giving a lesson in the Technique, here are some of the things you would most likely see: The student would be wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing which would allow unrestricted movement of all limbs. The teacher may begin the lesson with the student lying down - [The Use of the Hips](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/useofthehips/) - by Nicholas Brockbank In spring 2007, I went surfing. The weather was wild, the water was cold, and although it was exhilarating being thrown about in the waves, it was also chastening to feel so helpless pitting my relatively puny body against the churning tide. At a certain point, turning one way but being propelled - [What’s the Use?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/use/) - by Robert Rickover In the Alexander Technique teaching community there are those who emphasize the importance of improving students’ conditions of use and others that lay greater stress on improving manner of use(1). I am very much in the latter camp. This is an issue of great importance to our profession, and I would like - [A Response to “A Crucial Distinction: Manner and Conditions of Use” by Joe Armstrong](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/response/) - by Robert Rickover After reading Joe Armstrong’s article in the Summer AmSAT News, I found myself in the unusual position of being in agreement with everything he wrote - except his primary conclusion! The article is thoughtful and very well written. I urge you to read it if you have not already done so as - [The Transistor and the Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/transistor/) - by Robert Rickover It was the spring of 1957 in Washington, D.C. I was in my senior year at Woodrow Wilson High School, thankful that I’d soon be leaving the city Lead Belly, the great Black American blues singer, aptly labeled a bourgeois town. “If you’re white, you’re all right, if you’re brown stick around, - [Back to Simplicity](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/ottiwell/) - by Frank Ottiwell A talk delivered at the 2009 Annual General Meeting of the American Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique, San Francisco, 2009. Periodically I discover for myself all over again what the Alexander Technique is really about – what the point is. I’m having one of those times again. Recently, Jean Clark - [Is the Monkey Out to Lunch?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/monkey/) - by Nicholas Brockbank (This article was written in response to a question about the use of monkey in tennis.) Maybe I haven't seen enough tennis lately; but I've always felt - as an occasional player myself - that some form of monkey was the only way to receive serve. In fact, it seemed to epitomize - [Rough Notes from Marjory Barlow's Workshop](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/marjorybarlow/) - San Francisco, California, April 1995 Taken by Bob Britton (so beware, they might not be exactly correct or gospel). Elizabeth Walker also gave us many illuminating demonstrations of how she works during the 5 days they were here. Michael Frederick should have a video available in the future against which you can check these notes. - [Lessons and learning](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/lessonsandlearning/) - by Nicholas Brockbank My main quibble with the traditional approach to teaching the Alexander Technique, which is predominantly hands on, is the dependence it appears to foster in students, which can make for a lengthy and problematic learning process. At least, it did with me; although not everyone responds in this way. My overriding impression - [Alexander Self-Study Made Even Easier](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/joshuaselfstudy/) - Four ways you can teach yourself or leverage the lessons you're getting from teachers by Joshua Myrvaagnes I want to get the most out of Alexander lessons I can. I am very lazy, or impatient, so I want the most bang I can get for my buck. Here are some things that I've found really - [F. Matthias Alexander and the Alexander Technique in Fiction](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/fiction/) - by Robert Rickover Most famously, Alexander shows up as a character in Aldous Huxley's book Eyeless in Gaza, published in 1936. Huxley introduced Alexander in the person of Miller, a medical anthropologist. Miller, in the words Frank Pierce Jones "..also incorporated a part of Gerald Heard, whom Alexander detested, and a part of Dr. McDonagh, - [Cultural Habits](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/cultural/) - by Richard Brennan In the Alexander profession we are aware of personal habits - our own and those of our pupils as well as the people around us. We have adopted many of these habits through imitation of those close to us, or when trying to cope with unfavourable conditions in our environment. We often - [Change](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/change/) - by Nicholas Brockbank Last summer I was in France with my wife's sister's family for a wedding. Her mother was visiting, too, from further afield. She was suffering from numerous ailments. She was taken to the doctor, who pronounced most of the problems were psychological. Depression was seen as the cause. One of the most - [The use of the Chair](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/chair/) - by Nicholas Brockbank I’ve just passed a couple of weeks in the presence of several adults and two young children. The adults spent most of their time lounging in various designs of chair, while pursuing a variety of ‘activities’ - reading, computing, talking, eating, drinking; occasionally, they would stand still, doing other activities - cooking, - [MONITORING AND ANALYZING “USE”](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/boland2/) - by Joe Boland Not monitoring and analyzing myself (…as I understand monitoring and analyzing myself...) doesn’t mean that I cease being conscious; on the contrary, the less do I become preoccupied with specific details, i.e., thoughts and feelings, sounds, smells, sights, anatomy, which are the raw material of monitoring and analyzing, the more wholly conscious - [Upon Reflection](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/boland/) - by Joseph Boland After almost forty years as a student (since 1969) and teacher (since 1979) of Alexander's work it has become my strong belief that the "Alexander Technique" is long overdue for a rigorous review and overhaul if the promise of Alexander's work is to ever be realized. Whether this conclusion has merit or - [HOW TO USE BODY MAPPING IN YOUR A.T. TEACHING](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/bodymap/) - by Barbara Conable (The following lecture was given by Ms. Conable to the Swiss Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (SVLAT) in the summer of 2005.) You have all received a copy of a scientific article documenting the effectiveness of the Alexander Technique in one case of back pain for which there was no - [Who Was Alexander?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/alexander/) - by Robert Rickover Who was Frederick Matthias Alexander and how did he discover the principles and develop the procedures which we now call the Alexander Technique? The standard answer to this question paints a picture of a man working entirely on his own with a heroic determination to find a solution to his vocal problems. - [articles3](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles3/) - html to Wordpress - [How You Stand, How You Move, How You Live: Learning the Alexander Technique to Explore Your Mind-Body Connection and Achieve Self-Mastery by Missy Vineyard](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/vineyardreview2/) - Book Review by Robert Rickover What qualities make for a good written introduction to the Alexander Technique? My own answer is that it should engage readers and entice them to find out more from a teacher. When I first heard about the Technique in the mid 1970s, Wilfred Barlow's The Alexander Principle served that function - [How you Stand, How you Move, How you Live: Learning the Alexander Technique to explore your mind-body connection and achieve self-mastery by Missy Vineyard](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/vinyardreview/) - Book Review by Jon Lightbourne Over six or seven years I have collected just about every AT book in print. This book stands out for me as being completely unique. I have learnt to withhold judgement on the quality of AT books because the process of learning from the author is not an immediate thing - [TIMSHEL](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/timshel/) - By Mel Weiss There is no novel that has shaped my way of thinking more than John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. The weight of the novel rests on the translation of one word: timshel. Lee, a principal character in the novel, is fascinated by divergent translations of timshel in the Old Testament. In the American - [The Alexander Technique: Thinking, Seeing, Knowing](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/thinking/) - (This article is taken from a post on the Alexander Technique Email Discussion Group by Jon, an Alexander Technique pupil in France) As soon as people come with the idea of unlearning instead of learning, you have them in the frame of mind you want. - F. Matthias Alexander I am uncertain how to unlearn - [articles2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/) - html to wordpress - [AN "ALEXANDERED" TENNIS LESSON](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/tennis2/) - Students Description of Problem by Joe Boland “I have played tennis for some years. However, recently I took some coaching for the first time in my life. It looked good to start with, but thereafter my tennis gradually became worse to the point that I stopped taking lessons. I have become very tense/stiff when I - [TENNIS AND THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/tennis/) - by Joe Boland The personal objective of tennis is to use the human organism in the most integrated and efficient manner possible in order to achieve a specific goal, be it competition, recreation, or simply exercise. The objective of the Alexander Technique is to teach people how to use the human organism in this manner - [Two Means to Freedom and Ease: The Taubman Approach and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/taubman/) - by Renee Jackson Pianists want to be able to play as they wish without pain, injury or limitations. Many methods currently exist for developing speed, agility and tone at the piano, though not all emphasize ease and as well. If free and efficient movements are primary ingredients in a virtuoso piano technique, the question becomes: - [The Tango Lesson and the Tango Principle: Getting to the Heart and Soul of the Dance with the Help of the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/tango/) - by Nickolas Knightly The movie The Tango Lesson quietly tells you everything you need to know about the essence of good tango dancing (or any social dancing for that matter). It puts this essence in terms of its most common manifestation between leaders and followers: the leader wants the follower to understand Lao-tzu's Tao Te - [A Conversation with Sally Swift](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/swift/) - By Constance Clare Sally Swift is the founder of Centered Riding(1), an innovative and respected method for teaching riding that combines the classical principles of horsemanship with ideas derived from her work in experiential anatomy. As a dedicated long-term student of the Alexander Technique, Sally has developed her Centered Riding method even further with the - [The Violinist's guide to the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/violinist/) - by Paul Collins (from THE STRAND) Stated in the simplest way, what are the basic aims of the violinist? The first is to arrive at the clearest concept of the music to be played. The second is to find the most complete technical means for expressing this concept in performance. Violinists will agree with the - [Self-Study Success Story](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/selfstudy/) - (The material below is taken from two emails from Lynda, a Toronto student, to Robert Rickover. She had one Alexander Technique lesson with Robert in 2007) Before the session I had with you, I read a few websites about it. I took four or five books out of our local library, read them, and practiced - [Pregnancy and Childbirth with the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/pregnancy/) - By Amy Likar and Constance Clare-Newman, AmSAT Certified Teachers of the Alexander Technique The Alexander Technique is a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement, balance, flexibility, and coordination. The principles of the Technique can be applied to anyone and can greatly enhance your comfort t during pregnancy, delivery, and recovery. - [The Alexander Technique and Poker](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/poker/) - by Ashley P. Adams All Rights Reserved by Author My wife’s an Alexander teacher. I’m a poker player. She’s a damn good teacher. Everyone says so and I believe them. I’m a solid poker player. I don’t know if anyone says so, but my bank account is the only index that matters to me. And - [](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/plantar/) - Plantar Fascilitis and the Alexander Technique by Robert Rickover I recently had a call about Plantar Fascilitis and the Alexander Technique from a journalist who had been assigned to write a short piece on the topic. I had to confess that I was not terribly knowledgeable about the topic, having had only a few students - [Be Wary Of Good Advice](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/plakemusicians/) - by Bill Plake One of the biggest challenges that arise when I teach the Alexander Technique to musicians is to get them to consider ideas about playing their instrument that seem to be contrary to what they believe to be absolutely true. Some of these ideas were imparted to them by well-meaning teachers. Unfortunately, a - [Poise, Posture and Performance](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/palmer3/) - by Roy Palmer Good posture is seen to have many advantages. From an aesthetic point of view it can enhance image, sending out the right signals (body language). For an athlete it is seen to be essential. But what is a good posture? We recognise poor posture when we see it, as it is evident - [ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE AND PERFORMANCE](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/palmer2/) - by Roy Palmer Why do we perform at the height of our ability one day and yet on others nothing goes right? Sometimes everything just seems to ‘click’; it’s easy and takes little perceived effort. But what happens in the opposite situation? Completely miss judging shots, unable to maintain composure at crucial moments or getting - [My Experience with the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/palmer/) - by Roy Palmer I first became interested in sport at an early age and soon began to enjoy competitive team games such as football and cricket. In my teens I represented my school at county level competing in 100m,200m and long jump. On leaving school I started karate and continued running. One of my ambitions - [Can you Learn the Alexander Technique on your Own?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/onyourown/) - by Robert Rickover Do you need an Alexander Technique teacher to learn the Alexander Technique? Most Alexander teachers would probably answer "yes". But what did F. Matthias Alexander - the developer of the Technique - have to say? After all, he had found a way without outside help. In his Preface to The Essential Writings - [OBOE WOES - CHALLENGES FACING THE OBOIST](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/oboe/) - by Andrea Newhouse Fedele I wouldn't be surprised to find someday in a dictionary under the word 'tight' a phrase such as "the state of the oboist" or "the state of most anatomical parts of the oboist". The challenges facing the oboist are considerable and the tendency to face these with painful tension is a - [Effects of Alexander Technique on Muscle Activation During a Computer-Mouse Task: Potential for Reduction in Repetitive Strain Injuries](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/mouse/) - Elyse Shafarman, M.A. & Mark W. Geisler, Ph.D. Psychophysiology Laboratory Department of Psychology San Francisco State University Previous studies indicate that Alexander Technique, a method of sensory-motor education, improves posture and reduces the psychological and physiological signs of chronic stress reactions. Because poor posture and stress are risk factors for Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI's), this - [Curing Voice Problems With The Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/moore2/) - By David Stuart Moore In the 1890’s in Melbourne, Australia a young actor called Frederick Mathias Alexander was struggling to save his career due to a problem with recurrent hoarseness and voice loss. His chosen career involved the projection of his voice to large audiences. Without the ability to do this his career was facing - [Correct Posture for Singers](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/moore/) - By David Stuart Moore A question singers often pose to me, as an Alexander technique teacher is "what is the correct posture for singing?" Singers come to the act of singing with an already established postural pattern. If this posture is faulty, as it most commonly is, then when they come to sing they try - [On the Alexander Technique and Mindful Eating](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/mindfuleating/) - by Shirley Wade-Linton - Registered Dietitian and Certified Teacher of the Alexander Technique Unconscious, automatic habits around food can have a negative effect on our health. In fact, far too many people have had to seek eating disorder treatment because of these habits. Mindful eating has been a large part of my work in counselling - [Alexander Technique and Massage Therapy](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/massage/) - Rita S. Corell, MA, LMT I have studied the Alexander Technique for over four years now, and I will be practicing it in one form or another for the rest of my life. Working with its principles in my massage practice has improved the freedom within my own body, as well as helped my clients - [Every Little Thing She Does Applying the Alexander Technique to working on your seat on the longe](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/longe/) - by Constance Clare-Newman Theoretically you know that every little thing you do on your horse affects him. But how often do you give yourself uninterrupted time to work on your seat, without worrying about what your horse is doing? The best way to do this is to work on the longe. The time-honored tradition of - [The Spiritual Dimensions of The Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/llosa/) - by Patty de Llosa Like many of you, I've been a spiritual seeker all my life, a student of many religions and mind/body practices. One of the paths I wrote about in my recent book, The Practice Of Presence: Five Paths For Daily Life, is the Alexander Technique, which is, in my opinion, a direct - [Know Thyself: Habits, Self-Knowledge and Our Future](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/knowthyself/) - by Robert Rickover "In the present state of the world, it is evident that the control we have gained of physical energies, heat, light, electricity, etc., without having first secured control of our use of ourselves is a perilous affair. Without the control of our use of ourselves, our use of other things is blind; - [Kitchens Where Every Last Detail Is Weighed and Measured](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/kitchen/) - By Katherine Salant Every designer brings his life experience to his work. But few do it as well or incorporate as much as British kitchen specialist Johnny Grey. Grey's unconventional kitchens are a radical departure from conventional American ones. They feature jazzy colors, original artwork, playful, custom cabinetry best described as "sculptural" and work areas - [How long does it take to learn the Alexander Technique?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/howmanylessons/) - by Jennifer Mackerras This was one of the questions that I was asked at the beginning of my group class at Bristol Folk House last night. I love my Folk House students for many reasons. One of them is that they aren't afraid to ask the questions that I know every student is thinking, but - [Voice and the Alexander Technique - Active Exploration for Speaking and Singing](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/heirichreview/) - by Jane Ruby Heirich Review by Andrea Matthews First published in the ATI ExChange, vol. 13 no. 2. When I taught my first opera workshop at Wellesley last year, I assigned Kelly McEvenue’s The Actor and the Alexander Technique as one of the texts. It’s an excellent book, but certainly not one specifically geared to - [Voice and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/heirich/) - By Jane Ruby Heirich Editorπs Note: The following essay is an edited excerpt from Voice and the Alexander Technique: Active Explorations for Speaking and Singing by Jane Ruby Heirich, published by Mornum Time Press. The Whispered [a] and re-education of the breath What happens inside my throat when I whisper? How is it different from - [The Teacher´s Body as a Teaching Tool: The Alexander Technique and Performance Skills for Teachers](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/harrietanderson/) - All the World´s a Stage (William Shakespeare) All the World´s a Stage, and most of us are unrehearsed (Sean O´Casey) Whether we like it or not, we are all performers. Everyday life is full of small stage entrances and exits. And whether we like it or not, every time we enter the classroom, we are - [Applying Ergonomic Principles in the Workplace: How the Alexander Technique can Help](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/ergonomics/) - by Holly A. Sweeney As early as the 18th century, doctors noticed that workers whose jobs required them to maintain certain body positions for long periods of time developed musculoskeletal problems. In the last 20 years, research has clearly established the connection between certain job tasks and repetitive stress injuries, or RSI’s. Two elements are - [“Strengthen Ye the Weak Hands”](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/hands/) - by Robert Rickover The title of this article comes from Isaiah 35, 3. The hand has long been a symbol for the power of manifestation. We speak of a person being handy. Someone who who does essential work for another is sometimes called his “right hand”. In Latin, the word for hand is manus and - [Dealing With Pervasive Habits](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/habits/) - by Franis Engel (This article was written in response to a question posed on the Alexander Technique Email Discussion Group. A slightly edited version of that question is reprinted below in italics. Although the question is about piano playing, the issue is raises applies to just about any activity. In her answer, Engel makes some - [THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/golding/) - by Roisin Golding Of all the misconceptions I have laboured under, those concerning the nature of the Alexander technique have endured longest. I knew the Alexander technique was concerned with posture. I remember once sitting on a tube train in London when a couple of air hostesses got on and sat opposite me. They looked - [Fibromyalgia, CFS and the Alexander Technique: Part 4. Inhibition and the Four Concepts](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/fibro4/) - by Dr. Mark Shaw Concept 3: Allow your legs to release away from the pelvis. The hip joints are basically where you can feel the crease that occurs in front of the pelvis when you are sitting upright. This concept of good use for the hips joints and legs is designed to allow the legs - [Fibromyalgia, CFS, and the Alexander Technique: Part 3 - Implementing the Four Concepts](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/fibro3/) - by Dr. Mark Shaw Alexander's 4 concepts of good use 1: Allow your neck to release so that your head can balance forward and up 2: Allow your torso to release into length and width 3: Allow your legs to release away from your pelvis 4: Allow your shoulders to release out to the sides - [The Alexander Technique, Fibromyalgia & CFS: Part 2; End Gaining and the Four Concepts of Good Use](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/fibro2/) - by Dr. Mark Shaw Society has made remarkable medical and scientific advances over the last few hundred years, but there are still many serious diseases that continue to baffle doctors and scientists. Indeed, many "diseases of modern society" are reaching epidemic proportions. These include backache, neck and shoulder pain, arthritis and spinal diseases, asthma and - [The Alexander Technique, Fibromyalgia, CFS and Musculoskeletal Balance: Part 1](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/fibro/) - by Dr. Mark Shaw In this article I do not want to repeat all the information on the internet about the history of FM Alexander and how he developed his techniques. What I do want to concentrate on is precisely how The Alexander Technique can be used as part of an adjunctive strategy along with - [Feeling, Seeing and Effective Self-Improvement](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/feeling1/) - by Robert Rickover I can still remember the first time I ever saw myself on TV. It was about 30 years ago during a public speaking course run by my employer. As I watched it, I thought that I would never in a thousand years would I recognize myself if I didn’t know I had - [What to Expect During an Alexander Technique Lesson?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/expect/) - by Nicholas Brockbank My idea of what to expect when I went for my first Alexander lesson was largely based on the books I had so far read, prominent amongst which was Dr Barlow's The Alexander Principle. I imagined the main instruction would be mental, with some physical 'measurement' and 'movement' thrown in. The lesson - [THE TOMATIS METHOD AND THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/tomatis/) - by Robert Rickover Tone, pitch, rhythm, harmony - these are among the many terms that can describe the condition of our bodies as well as the quality of sounds we make and hear. Our language is permeated with words and expressions that suggest a deep primal connection between sound and body. It was F. Matthias - [THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE TO SOMATIC THERAPIES](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/somatics/) - by Barbara Conable Over the last few decades a new field of inquiry has arisen called somatics. The field's development has taken a course opposite to many fields. Rather than branching into specializations from a common core of information as medicine and chemistry did, somatics began specialized and has gradually generalized as workers in one - [The Alexander Journey: A Group Participation Poem](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/creswell/) - Dedicated to Robert Rickover, Lincoln, Nebraska by John W. Creswell, Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Author and Poet To step out of my body A journey back in time To a natural poise Like a baby Sitting erect on the floor Playing with a toy. My teacher of the Alexander Technique Asks me - [The Alexander Technique as a Path to Harmony Between Horse and Rider](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/constance/) - by Constance Clare-Newman When you ride, you are engaging in a holistic partnership with your horse. If you’re feeling tense, how can your horse be soft and supple? If you’re sitting crookedly on your horse, how can he move in a straight path? If you feel out of harmony with yourself, how can you expect - [The Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/chanakira/) - By Fadzo Chanakira Everyone knows that exercise is good for you. Most people have heard the axiom that a strong body, mind and spirit are necessary for complete health of the individual. The busyness of our daily lives, however, frequently causes us to compartmentalize not only our activities, but also the above three facets within - [What did Alexander Discover - And why is it Important?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/brockbank/) - by Nicholas Brockbank When we consider what we pay attention to, from the minutiae of our daily lives to the big picture of the world around us, it is extraordinary how much we take for granted the continued smooth running of our bodies and minds, on which all else depends. The work we do, the - [Bodhisattva of the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/bodhisattva/) - by Nickolas Knightly The bodhisattva with 1000 arms can be a helpful figure for students of the Alexander Technique. This bodhisattva is an icon of non-doing, and allowing it to work on us can help us see more clearly into the nature of the four skills. There is a classic story about a grasshopper and - [Remarkable Success of a Flawed yet Upright Man](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/bloch2/) - by Wendy Champagne With no training but immense perseverance, Frederick Alexander devised a unique approach to posture. The life of Frederick Matthias Alexander - F.M. to his friends - is a classic Australian story: an enlightened young man (from Tasmania) has a bright idea, travels to England to seek his fortune, succeeds ... and never - [Book Review F.M. - The Life of Frederick Matthias Alexander, Founder of the Alexander Technique by Michael Bloch, with a Forward by Walter Carrington](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/bloch/) - Reviewed by Robert Rickover This is a wonderful new biography of F. Matthias Alexander. There have been earlier works including Up from Down Under by Rosslyn McLeod and Frederick Matthias Alexander - A Family History by J. A. Evans. And Frank Pierce Jones included quite a bit of biographical information in Freedom to Change. But - [HOW TO CHOOSE AN ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE TEACHER](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/conablechoose/) - by Barbara Conable Alexander teachers vary in competence in the same proportion as other professionals. If you don't know anyone who can recommend a teacher in your area, just go have a first lesson and keep careful track of your experience. If you leave the lesson feeling lighter and easier, more mobile, breathing easier and - [ALEXANDER THE GREAT](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/atg/) - by Juliet Warkentin From "applied common sense" to "the method for keeping the eye on the ball applied to life" tauntingly ephemeral definitions of the Alexander Technique abound. One the special preserve of musicians and actors, the concept is now gaining ground with a public in search of any relief from back pain, asthma, depression, - [Most of Us Live on Autopilot…](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/autopilot/) - By Constance Clare-Newman We really are creatures of habit. You’ve heard it said, but have you ever really thought about what it means to spend so much of your waking life on automatic? We are a collection of our habits to such an extent that we are not fully present to ourselves during much of - [Alexander’s Principles and the Martial Arts](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/ari/) - By Ari Gil One evening, I was watching Tai-Chi Master Ma Yueh-liang doing push-hands, the Tai-Chi form of sparring with an opponent, on You-Tube. Master Ma was ninety-three years old then. Within a minute of circling with his opponent, Master Ma gently gestured with his hand, and the opponent was thrown five or six feet - [The Art of Alpine Skiing and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles2/alpineskiing/) - by Erik Bendix I have been skiing for 44 years. When I started skiing as a boy, skiing scared me so much I hardly could budge when my skis were on. Now skiing nourishes me so deeply that no other activity can compare. In my many explorations in between, nothing has liberated my skiing quite - [Practicing Detachment: A short introduction to the F.M. Alexander Technique for Buddhist Practitioners](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/zen/) - by Mike Cross The fact to be faced is that the human self was robbed of much of its inheritance when the separation implied by the conception of the organism as 'spirit,' 'mind' and 'body' was accepted as a working principle, for it left unbridged the gap between the 'subconscious' and the conscious. I venture - [Yoga and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/yoga2/) - by Clare Maxwell From the upcoming book Alexander Technique and the Art of Working Out by Malcolm Balk and Andrew Sheilds I am a dancer and choreographer. I have been studying Alexander Technique for 16 years and teaching it for three at various studios throughout New York, particularly at the Energy Center in Brooklyn. I - [Yoga and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/yoga/) - by Anne Finlay, IYTA and Martin Finnegan What has the Alexander Technique got to offer the student of Yoga? As you are no doubt aware, Yoga is a complete system, so why would anyone seek to add something else to it? The answer to that question is simple. The Alexander Technique doesn't seek to add - [Walking well with the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/walking/) - by Ethan Kind Defining the Technique The Alexander Technique is an educational process that uses verbal and tactile feedback to teach improved use of the student’s body by identifying and changing inefficient habits that cause stress, fatigue and pain. A large part of my work as an Alexander Technique teacher is to show students how - [A Violinist's Experience with the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/violist1/) - by Stephen Brivati For somebody who has left the music profession but remains involved with the violin and music at many levels, the Alexander Technique can be both an inspiring and a depressing experience. In the latter case one can attend the concerts of major symphony orchestras and be acutely aware of a high level - [Alexander's Universal Use Test](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/usetest/) - Alexander does give a precise, if bizarre, method by which he claims allows one to measure the condition of use (in his words, “...an index to imperfect muscular co-ordination”) of anyone we encounter. It can be found in Chapter VII, Section III of MSI (“What are the outward signs of improvement to be noted during - [Learning from Tiger Woods](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/tigerwoods/) - by Robert Rickover The August 14, 2000 issue of Time Magazine features an article about Tiger Woods titled “The Game of Risk - How the Best Golfer in the World Got Even Better”. Although I have no specific interest in the sport of golf, I do have a long-standing fascination with the general theme of - [The Alexander Technique and Tai Chi](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/taichi/) - By Stacy Gehman Introduction Tai Chi Chuan is noted for its graceful beauty and subtle power. Its practice requires an attention that is both inwardly focused and directed outward to all that surrounds us. It is the realization of the Taoist practice of doing through non-doing. As such, learning Tai Chi presents the student with - [Swimming and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/swimming/) - by Ian Cross I have enjoyed regular Alexander lessons for the last three years. I believe the Alexander technique is changing my life significantly. The reason that I need the technique is the same reason I have such difficulty with it. I have grown up as an uncoordinated end-gainer known for my inability to stop - [Teaching the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articlessweeney/) - by Holly Sweeney If you were to observe an Alexander teacher giving a lesson in the Technique, here are some of the things you would most likely see: The student would be wearing loose-fitting comfortable clothing which would allow unrestricted movement of all limbs. The teacher may begin the lesson with the student lying down - [The Alexander Technique and Me](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/student/) - by Alana S. Cox My journey to the Alexander Technique began when I was injured in a car accident with whiplash and severely traumatized my right side. At the time, I never received any form of medical treatment for the injuries. I am convinced now that that accident was the origin of many of my - [A “Stiffnecked People”](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/stiffnecked/) - by Robert Rickover The Lord said to Moses, “I see this is a stiffnecked people. Now let Me be, that my anger may blaze forth against them and that I may destroy them...” (Exodus, 32: 9, 10) Moses had been up on the mountain top for awhile receiving God’s commandments. The people had lost faith - [The Alexander Technique for Musicians](https://alexandertechnique.com/articlesstein/) - by Ethan Kind Alexander teachers look at the movements and posture patterns of their students, and help them realize which are effective and which lead to discomfort and pain. Problem patterns are often increased by the repeated movements in playing a musical instrument. After observing the student while playing or during other activities, the teacher - [Taking a Stand with Awareness](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/stand/) - by Robert Rickover A few years ago, I happened to have two students who were both quite tall and who had lessons scheduled one right after the other on the same morning. Jack (not his real name) was in his late thirties, not very athletic, and was the director of a local charity. Bill was - [Sports and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/sports2/) - By Adam Bailey The Alexander Technique is a century-old discipline that helps athletes to improve their performance, among other applications. It involves an educational process in which the student learns a set of skills that he or she can apply in all facets of life. One of the assumptions underlying this process is that most - [The Alexander Technique - A Gift for Sports people](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/sports/) - by Michael Stenning What have British Olympic marathon runners, hammer thrower Howard Paine, many elite equestrians including Australian Olympian Mary Hannah and the entire British team, multi-disciplinarian Daley Thomson and many others in common? They have all used the Alexander Technique to improve some aspect of the way that they function - breathing, freedom or - [THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE AS A FOUNDATION FOR SPIRITUAL PRACTICE](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/spirituality/) - by Brian Tracey Enlightenment is not some special state of mind. The state you are in when you have 'right posture' is itself Enlightenment. These are the words of Suzuki Roshi, the foremost interpreter of Zen for the West, speaking to a group of close students some 25 years ago. Clearly Suzuki Roshi is not - [The Alexander Technique and Skiing](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/skiing/) - by Adam Bailey The Alexander Technique is a century-old educational process in which the student learns a set of skills that he or she can apply in all facets of life. One of the assumptions underlying this educational process is that most people carry more muscle tension than they need in order to carry out - [What is the Alexander Technique?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/sheldon/) - by Frank M. Sheldon Slings and Arrows It is the end of the day and you feel tense and tired. Or maybe you can not seem to get past a certain point in trying to improve the quality of a skill. Or maybe you are even in pain. You try the recommended solutions for these - [Self-Help Alexander](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/selfhelp/) - by Robert Rickover Imagine for a moment that you have a friend living on a distant island who can never hope to study with an Alexander teacher in person. Your friend is impressed with the many beneficial results you've obtained from studying and applying the technique and wants to know how he or she too - [ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE AND RUNNING](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/running/) - by Malcolm Balk and Andrew Shields The Alexander Technique is a method of becoming aware of and preventing the unnecessary tension we put into everything we do, so that we can learn to function in a more free and natural fashion. It was developed by FM Alexander (1869-1955), and can be applied to sporting activities - [Avoiding Repetitive Strain Injuries: What we can learn from Musicians](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/rsi/) - by Robert Rickover Before I became an Alexander Technique teacher, I assumed that the most impressive physical activities were performed by professional athletes. Their feats were regularly reported in the newspapers and on TV and radio and discussed by my friends and colleagues. So too were the all too frequent injuries that kept them out - [The Alexander Technique: How it Helps Horseback Riders](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/riding/) - by Adam Bailey The Alexander Technique is a century-old educational process in which the student learns a set of skills that he or she can apply in all facets of life. One of the assumptions underlying this educational process is that most people carry more muscle tension than they need in order to carry out - [Learning the Alexander Technique: A Personal Account](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/ragsdale/) - by Gretchen Ragsdale Twenty-five years ago I read a book about the Alexander Technique. The photos and detailed instructions opened my eyes to a new and exciting way of moving. As a teenager in the forties my family was always reminding me to, “Stand up straight.” I would throw my shoulders back and try, but - [ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE QUOTATIONS](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/quotes/) - “Alexander’s work is of first class importance and investigation by the medical profession is imperative.” - British Medical Journal “Mr. Alexander’s method lays hold of the individual as a whole, as a self-vitalizing agent. He reconditions and re-educates the reflex mechanisms and brings their habits into normal relation with the functioning of the organism as - [THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL GROWTH](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/psychology/) - by Adam Bailey The Alexander Technique is a century-old discipline that has many different applications. It involves an educational process in which the student learns a set of skills that he or she can apply in all facets of life. One of the assumptions underlying this process is that most people carry more muscle tension - [The Alexander Technique: Taking the Pressure Off Your Body](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/pressure/) - by Robert Rickover “Stand up straight!” “Pull your shoulders back!” As children, we were told to have good posture. Yet we were seldom taught effective ways to accomplish this. Indeed, we were often not even told just what “good posture” is. The consequences of this information gap can be seen all around us: stiff necks, - [The Alexander Technique: Managing Your Body during Pregnancy and Parenthood](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/pregnancy2/) - by Joan Arnold & Hope Gillerman Many women come to expect the symptoms that usually accompany pregnancy: lower back pain, sciatica, insomnia, shortness of breath, headaches. Medication may not be a good option when they seek relief. As the body changes rapidly, learning how to adjust and stay balanced can open up new possibilities for - [How the Alexander Technique can help during Pregnancy, Childbirth and Parenthood](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/pregnancy/) - by Joan Arnold and Hope Gillerman with Terry Zimmerer The Alexander Technique is useful during each phase of becoming a parent. Study of the Technique gets body and mind working together to unlearn old postural habits, solve movement problems and improve balance and coordination. It helps women understand and compensate for the many bodily changes - [Posture and Pain: Does Your Back Hurt?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/posturepain/) - by Michael Stenning We all know about the desirability of relaxation, flexibility, good posture and the absence of tension. There is no shortage of advice and injunctions. Yet by the end of the day your shoulders ache , or perhaps it's your neck or your lower back. You've tried to improve your posture. You've done - [Posture Mis-Education in our Schools](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/posturemiseducation/) - by Robert Rickover The other day I happened to see a half-hour video on posture designed to be shown in the public schools. It appeared to be aimed at middle-school students. I was quite impressed by the first twenty minutes or so of the video. The narrator covered a number of reasons why students might - [Posture Commands: Why They Don’t Work](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/posturecommands/) - by Robert Rickover It is as reasonable to expect a fire to go out when it is ordered to stop burning as to suppose that a man can stand straight in consequence of a direct action of thought and desire. - Professor John Dewey John Dewey is best known for the school of philosophy he - [The Alexander Technique - A Personal Journey](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/personaljourney/) - By Sue Whittingham I have heard happiness described as doing well something that you are interested in but until I had some Alexander lessons I did not realise that I was interested in the way I moved. Once I had passed that milestone and began to understand that I could move in a very different - [How to Do Things Better](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/performance/) - by Robert Rickover Have you ever taken lessons from an expert and been frustrated at your failure to master the skills being taught? Perhaps from a golf pro who was unable to help you improve your swing? Or a dance teacher whose own talents were obvious but who just couldn't seem to help you move - [Embodying Peace: An introduction to the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/peace/) - Ariel Weiss Holyst This article is intended as an introduction to the principles of the Alexander Technique for both those already familiar with the work and for those who are not. For the first group, it offers another possible lens with which to view the work. The discoveries Mr. Alexander made about human functioning are - [The Alexander Technique: How it Helps Alleviate Chronic Pain](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/pain/) - by Adam Bailey The Alexander Technique is a century-old educational process in which the student learns a set of skills that he or she can apply in all facets of life. One of the assumptions underlying this educational process is that most people carry more muscle tension than they need in order to carry out - [Posture Mis-Education in our Schools](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/miseducation/) - by Robert Rickover The other day I happened to see a half-hour video on posture designed to be shown in the public schools. It appeared to be aimed at middle-school students. I was quite impressed by the first twenty minutes or so of the video. The narrator covered a number of reasons why students might - [Some Common Misconceptions about the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/misperceptions/) - by Robert Rickover When the subject of the Alexander Technique comes up in conversation, I’ve found that people who have heard about it often have a very distorted idea of what it’s all about. This is not surprising because the Technique is concerned with the quality of how our bodies function as we go through - [MIND-BODY UNITY - A PRACTICAL APPROACH](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/mindbody/) - by Robert Rickover No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it. - Albert Einstein No one would deny that we ourselves enter as an agency into whatever is attempted and done by us. This is a truism. But the hardest thing to attend to is that which is closest to ourselves, - [What is the Alexander Technique?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/mellor2/) - by Nick Mellor I first got RSI in 1992 while working as technical editor for a computer magazine, and my healing didn't really start to take off until I started having Alexander lessons as a private pupil in 1999. I've just started my third year of teacher training in the Alexander Technique. (Click here to - [An RSI Success Story](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/mellor/) - by Nick Mellor WHAT ARE RSI'S? According to Pascarelli and Quilter, RSIs accounted for over 60% of workplace injuries at time of going to press in 1994. "Repetitive Strain Injury" (RSI) is the most common name for a series of closely connected conditions of the back, arms and hands. They are sometimes called "work-related upper - [MASSAGE THERAPY AND THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/massage/) - by Robert Rickover Do you ever experience pain or discomfort when you are giving a massage? Are you sometimes exhausted at the end of a day’s work? Do you worry about burn out? If so, the Alexander Technique could make a big difference in your life. The Technique is a simple, and very practical method - [Martial Arts and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/rticles/martialarts/) - by Martin Finnegan How can the Alexander Technique enhance Martial Arts performance? This was a question that popped into my mind when one of my first Alexander Teachers suggested we work on a Form that I was learning at the time. He admitted right up front that he knew only a little about martial Arts - [The Alexander Technique and the Professional Musician](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/mackie/) - by Vivien Mackie We see the makers in instruments devising finer strings, better reeds, more efficient fingering systems, and the players exploring the new possibilities; we see composers extending their own boundaries, and writing ever more challenging music. We see the less remarkable players catching up with yesterday’s best, and so on and on. Standards - [Why I study the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/kayhooper/) - Kay S. Hooper Ten years of pain, plain and simple. Ten years of cortisone shots, chiropractic, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Ten years of mega-doses of aspirin, ice and heat treatments, and exercises. Ten years of playing and teaching piano in pain. The exact moment of discovering the Alexander Technique came with the daily mail. A brochure - [A Technique for Musicians](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/jones2/) - by Frank Pierce Jones Part I -Awareness, Freedom & Muscular Control There are musicians---some say there were more of them in the past---who get as much pleasure from a performance as they give, who always perform easily and well, and who use themselves so efficiently that their professional lives and their natural lives coincide. There - [The Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/jones1/) - by Frank Pierce Jones A Lecture at Indiana University School of Music, Bloomington, Indiana, March 10, 1975 It may not seem logical to go to an Alexander teacher who can't sing or play an instrument and expect to learn something about musical performance. It isn't illogical, however. The reason is that an Alexander teacher is - [RESOLVING REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY WITH THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/joanarnrsi/) - by Joan Arnold Being a professional writer is hard enough without the distractions of pain and tension. Those working at computers often suffer from back problems, aching shoulders or repetitive strain injury. Such symptoms most often arise from our movement style: the way we sit, stand, type or concentrate. By slumping or tensing muscles, we - [IT and Us: The Segway and Human Balance](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/it/) - by Robert Rickover Late in 2001, a great deal of media attention was focused on Ginger, a.k.a. "IT" - a secret invention that the brilliant and eccentric inventor Dean Kamen had been working on for over a decade. Some reports said it would be an even bigger deal than the PC! What finally emerged in - [Alexander Technique Introduction](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/intro/) - by Robert Rickover One of the greatest challenges for an Alexander Technique teacher is to provide a short, meaningful answer to the question, “What is the Alexander Technique?” My own best attempts to do this have sometimes been met with blank stares of incomprehension, even from people who have heard good things about it, or - [Habits: Friends or Foes?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/habits/) - by Robert Rickover As a child, 'helping' in the kitchen, it was by watching my mother that I learned how to beat eggs with a fork. Along with the rapid forearm movement, I copied what she did with her shoulders - and soon began to feel cramped and tired. How could I know, young as - [The Alexander Technique and Golf](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/golf/) - By Leland Vall In the December 18, 2000 issue of Golf Plus, a Sports Illustrated supplement, there appeared a story about Jeff Jullian, a 39 year-old PGA golfer who “gave himself back his career” using an “unusual” method called the Alexander Technique. Jullian’s neck and back were in constant pain, causing him to lose his - [Fitness Without the Flaws](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/fwflaws/) - By Robert Rickover Several years ago I watched a man kill himself in the name of fitness. I was living on Manhattan’s lower West Side at the time and, morning and evening, I couldn’t fail to notice the grueling exercise program of one of my neighbors. Throughout nine months of a bone-chilling New York winter, - [A Life in Crisis Explored: Combining Focusing with the Alexander Technique to Overcome Carpal Tunnel Syndrome](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/focusing2/) - by Kevin McEvenue As a follow-up to my article entitled, “Wholebody Focusing – In Everyday Living”, published in The Focusing Connection in November 2000, I would like to offer an example of how Wholebody Focusing has helped my partner Paul Huschilt at a very critical moment in his life. This is a part of a - [The Alexander Technique and Focusing](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/focusing/) - Kevin McEvenue I have been working for 20 years integrating Alexander Technique with Focusing, in what I call Whole Body Focusing. The following is an attempt to share how all this has come together for me. I make no claims beyond my own experience. Alexander Technique is concerned with unconscious automatic body functioning, and the - [FITNESS - THE QUALITY FACTOR](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/fitnessquality/) - by Robert Rickover Spring is traditionally a time for renewed interest in fitness activities. But these days, our enthusiasm is often tempered by a growing uneasiness about the benefits of exercise. Increasingly, we are hearing concerns being voiced about the effectiveness of some fitness programs. “Are health clubs risky?” “How fit is your fitness instructor?” - [A Different Approach to Fitness](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/fitnessapproach/) - by Robert Rickover I recently overhead the following exchange in the locker room of my fitness club between two middle-aged men: “Hey Jim, I haven’t seen you in a couple of months.” “I’ve been taking it easy. I had an operation on my left knee a few years ago and now my right knee is - [Fear of Falling How the Alexander Technique can Help](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/falling/) - by Robert Rickover According to a New York Times article, “For Elderly, Fear of Falling Is a Risk in Itself” (March 15, 2003, page A1), an estimated 10,000 people 65 and over die each year from injuries related to falls. Studies show that 30 to 50 percent of elderly people fear falling. This fear can - [EYESIGHT IMPROVEMENT WITH THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE](https://alexandertechnique.com/aticles/eyesight/) - by Peter Grunwald (STAT, AmSAT), Alexander Technique and Bates Method Teacher THE DEPENDENCE ON GLASSES OR CONTACT LENSES Perhaps you or your spouse or one of your children, your parents, or a friend depend on them – that is on a pair of spectacles or contact lenses. Australian statistics show that nearly half of the - [THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE – WHAT IS IT?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/engel/) - by Franis Engel The Alexander Technique teaches how intention and habits affect physical coordination and learning capacity. It takes its name from Frederick Matthias Alexander, (nicknamed F. M.) 1869 – 1955, who originated it during 1891-1901. WHAT IS IT FOR? The Alexander Technique educates the sense of kinesthesia or proprioception. This sense is used to - [Life is not an Emergency! The Alexander Technique and Stress](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/emergency/) - by Richard Brennan Do you suffer from backache, neckache, headaches or migraine, insomnia, breathlessness, worry, anxiety fatigue or just fell tense for much of the time? If so, you may well be suffering from stress without realising it. As the pace of life increases, stress is affecting more and more people throughout the world. Stress - [How Children Develop Harmful Habits of Posture and Movement](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/develop/) - by Robert Rickover My Alexander Technique(1) students often ask me why people develop the restrictive physical patterns that cause back pain or a sore neck or restricted arm and leg movements. The great majority of small children, after all, carry themselves with grace and ease - yet the same cannot be said for most adults. - [Body Wisdom, Coaching, and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/deveer/) - By Connie de Veer, MFA, CPCC When corporate CEO’s head into the woods to read and write poetry,* and groups are gathering all around the world to re-learn the ancient (and almost forgotten) art of listening and sitting in silence to be present in the moment --- something’s up! When companies are willing to pay - [Dancing at the Edge of Balance](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/dancing/) - By Jean-Louis Rodrigue Trisha Brown is internationally known for her experimental choreographic genius. Since 1962, Brown has been creating dances in New York City, initially as a founding member of the famous Judson Dance Theater, and later, with her present group, the Trisha Brown Company. She has created a very individual way of moving for - [Good Dancers Make it Look Easy: An example of Somatic Movement Education in Dance Education](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/dance2/) - by Greg Holdaway Good dancers don't make it look easy - they make it easy; ease in movement and postural alignment is an underlying factor in the development of good dance practise and a long lived practical enjoyment of dancing. This paper discusses the way we use our bodies. It considers the role of muscle - [The Alexander Technique: It's Role in Dance Training](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/dance/) - by Glenna Batson, PT, MA (Dance) Dance is a performing art built upon the ebb and flow of muscular tension. Through muscular tension, dancers express their aesthetic sensibilities. The word "dance," in fact, stems from the Old High German "danson," meaning to stretch, and from the earlier Sanskrit root "tan," meaning tension. The building and - [Cranio-sacral Therapy and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/cranio/) - by Jane Turney Cranio-sacral therapy is becoming increasingly recognised as one of the most powerful natural therapies, penetrating deep into the central nervous system, releasing long-standing patterns of tension and trauma. Underlying the profound and very gentle nature of its work, is a therapeutic and philosophical approach that in many ways complements the Alexander Technique. - [COMFORT AT THE COMPUTER](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/computercomfort/) - by Joan Arnold If you’re sitting at a computer, you probably have a job to do. You'd no doubt prefer doing it without the distractions of pain and tension. Those working at computers often suffer from back problems, aching shoulders or repetitive strain injury. Such symptoms most often arise from our movement style: the way - [HOW CAN THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE HELP A COMPUTER USER?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/computer/) - by Joan Arnold and Hope Gillerman with Terry Zimmerer The challenges of computer work: You sit at your computer each day, eyes on the screen, hand on the mouse. You're deeply absorbed in your work or pressured to meet a deadline. For hours, you barely move at all. Late in the day you feel so - [Chronic Pain: How the Alexander Technique can Help](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/chronicpain/) - by Joan Arnold & Hope Gillerman with Terry Zimmerer I found the Technique to be so beneficial in alleviating my own condition that I have been referring some of my patients for Alexander lessons for several years. -Howard L. Rosner, MD, Director, Pain Management Service, The New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center New York, NY - [Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/chronicfatigue/) - An alternative view of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Thoughts about CFS, The Western Medical Model, Ayurveda and the Alexander Technique by Martin Finnegan What exactly is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?* Sometimes referred to as ME or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, it is a term that describes a chronic, debilitating disorder that affects the immune and central nervous system. - [The Alexander Technique and Early Childhood Education](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/childhood/) - by Robert Rickover In the course of my work as a teacher of the Alexander Technique (1), I’m often asked just how it is that so many of us have developed harmful patterns of posture and movement. I tell them about the horrible furniture children are forced to use in most schools (2), problems with - [Chapter Four - An Alexander Lesson by Jeremy Chance](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/chance4/) - Part IV How Many Lessons? Whenever anyone asks me this question these days, I ask them: how many lessons does it take to learn the piano Learning the piano is no more complicated than learning how to co-ordinate your body, but essentially: what’s your purpose? Do you want to be a concert pianist (read Alexander - [The Alexander Technique Chapter Four - An Alexander Lesson](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/chance3/) - by Jeremy Chance Part II The Chemistry of Your Personalities Some people want to be told. Others definitely don’t. Some pupils want to please their teachers, other couldn’t care less. We are all so different and the pedagogy of Alexander teachers reflects this: there are all kinds of teachers and teaching. If you’re someone who - [The Alexander Technique Chapter Four - An Alexander Lesson](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/chance2/) - by Jeremy Chance Part III The Actual Lesson Depending upon the lineage of your teacher, a lesson can proceed in many different ways. As I have discussed these differences at length in Chapter 6 "Teachers", here I will just describe the central components of any Alexander lesson, regardless of the ‘style’ the teacher is working - [The Alexander Technique: Chapter Four - An Alexander Lesson](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/chance1/) - by Jeremy Chance Part I "You can’t tell a person what to do, because the thing you have to do is a sensation." - FM Alexander There are three main reasons people take lessons. Firstly, and by far the most common, is the need to heal: it may be because of a bad back, or - [The Alexander Technique: Chapter One - Introduction](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/chance/) - by Jeremy Chance The Alexander Technique is really quite a remarkable thing. Is it like yoga? No. Is it like shiatsu or acupuncture? No. Is it a psychological thing? No. So what is it? Exactly. Aldous Huxley is famous in the Alexander world for inventing this metaphor: understanding Alexander’s discoveries without experiencing a lesson is - [Chairs, Posture and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/chairs/) - by Robert Rickover As a teacher of the Alexander Technique(1), I am frequently asked about chairs by my students, and about which designs are best. Some have been given very expensive, ergonomically-designed chairs at work and wonder if they are actually any better than ordinary ones. Others complain about their car seats, or about the - [Jane Brody on the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/brody/) - (Exceprts from an article which originally appeared in the New York Times' 'Personal Health' column on June 21, 1990) It would come as no surprise to teachers of the Alexander Technique, a method of adjusting body postures to relieve damaging stresses, to hear that my neck is plagued by perpetual tension, occasional pain and even - [Before and After - Uncovering the Obvious](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/brockbank2/) - By Nicolas Brockbank My experience is that sensory appreciation of what we are doing is not so much faulty as hidden, and that we can become aware of it quickly and effortlessly, if our attention is appropriately drawn in that direction. I think this requires insight and cleverness on the part of the teacher, but - [ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE SELF DISCOVERY](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/brockbank/) - by Nicholas Brockbank (Editing and Comments by Robert Rickover) (Editor's note: The Alexander Technique places a great emphasis on releasing any unnecessary neck tension in order that the head balance lightly and freely on top of the spine. F. Matthias Alexander, the originator of the Alexander Technique, coined the phrase "primary control" to describe the - [What is the Alexander Technique?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/brennan/) - by Richard Brennan The Alexander Technique is not so much something you learn as something you unlearn. It is a method of releasing unwanted muscular tension throughout your body which has accumulated over many years of stressful living. This excess tension often starts in childhood and, if left unchecked, can give rise in later life - [Body Mapping](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/bodymap/) - by Stacy Gehman "Body mapping" is the term given by William and Barbara Conable to the process of constructively applying an understanding of anatomy to improving how we move. Barbara has provided an excellent introduction to this work in her book How to Learn the Alexander Technique. If you are new to this work, I - [HOW TO DO THINGS BETTER](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/better/) - by Robert Rickover Have you ever taken lessons from an expert and been frustrated at your failure to master the skills being taught? Perhaps from a golf pro who was unable to help you improve your swing? Or a dance teacher whose own talents were obvious but who just couldn't seem to help you move - [A Musician's Journey into Wellness](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/bedford/) - by Robert Bedford After graduating from Music and Art High School in New York City, I entered The Juilliard School where I received my undergraduate and graduate degrees. My mentors at Juilliard, and later at Catholic University, Sasha Gorodnitsky and William Masselos, are well known as pianists and teachers. Moreover they seemed to possess remarkable - [Shall We Dance? Ballroom Dancing and the Benefits of the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/ballroom/) - by Jennifer Mizenko Social Ballroom Dance has made a tremendous come back in the past decade and promises to continue in popularity into the next millennium. People of all ages are returning to partner dances such as swing, waltz, tango and many others. Not only are they returning to these dances they are adding their - [Back Pain: How the Alexander Technique can Help](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/backpain/) - by Joan Arnold & Hope Gillerman with Terry Zimmerer The prevalence of back pain: Does back trouble keep you from playing your favorite sport? Does it stop you from bending or swinging your child into the air? Have you lost precious time from work, spent money on medications or undergone surgery, with little or no - [Backpacks and School Furniture - Threats to Our Children’s Well Being](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/backpacks/) - by Robert Rickover About fifteen years ago I read a book by Alice Miller, For Your Own Good: Hidden cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Roots of Violence, a book that left a lasting impression on me. Miller was a psychoanalyst who, after twenty years of practicing psychoanalysis came to the realization that she could do - [Aging Well with the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/agingwell/) - by Robert Rickover Along with the steady increase in life expectancy has come a growing interest in “quality of life” issues for older adults. It’s one thing to live into your 80s and 90s, but quite another to be able to function well during those advanced years. Quite a bit of attention is now being - [Asthma - A Breath of Fresh Air](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/asthma/) - by Robert Rickover Research as the Johns Hopkins Medical Center casts serious doubts about the prevailing medical view of the cause of asthma and suggests an entirely new way of thinking about a disease that affects a growing number of people today, particularly children. Until now, doctors assumed that asthmatics were hypersensitive to irritants like - [Alexander Technique and Aging Well](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/aging/) - by Andrea M. Matthews, Alexander Technique teacher and member of Alexander Technique International “Most of us, including members of the medical and educational professions, tend to look on pain and illness as natural concomitants of the stresses of living and old age. But such stresses are caused by uncoordinated movements which accelerate the process of aging.”(1) - [The Alexander Technique: One Student’s Story](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/albro2/) - by Mary Albro The following is a short story of how I came to the Alexander Technique and how it has benefited me. It begins with a diagnosis for chronic pain, and explains how treatment led me to embrace the Alexander Technique. At age 27, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder characterized by - [YOGA, POSTURE AND THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/albro/) - by Mary Albro This is a story of how I found a Yoga study guide to compliment my learning of the Alexander Technique. Almost every Yoga book gives advice on how to improve one’s posture. For example, some books were instructing me to lift my rib cage and pull my shoulders down and back. Other - [Aging Well with the Alexander Technique - 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/agingwell2/) - by Robert Rickover Along with the steady increase in life expectancy has come a growing interest in “quality of life” issues for older adults. It’s one thing to live into your 80s and 90s, but quite another to be able to function well during those advanced years. Quite a bit of attention is now being - [The Alexander Technique: An Acting Approach](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/acting2/) - By Tom Vasiliades "As long as you have this physical tenseness you cannot even think about delicate shadings of feeling or the spiritual life of your part. Consequently, before you attempt to create anything it is necessary for you to get your muscles in proper condition, so that they do not impede your actions." - [An Actor's Self-Exploration with the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/acting2/) - by Karen Libman I attended the 2000 Annual Barstow Institute on the Alexander Technique, which took place in Crete, Nebraska, from June 17-24, 2000. I was able to learn a great deal, both about the Alexander Technique, and about teaching in general-all of which will be useful to me in my own teaching. I grew - [OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR HUMAN BEINGS](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/instructions/) - by Robert Rickover I’m from the factory and I know how instructions are put together. You go out on the assembly line with a tape recorder and the foreman sends you to talk to the guy he needs least, the biggest goof-off he’s got, and whatever he tell you - that’s the instructions. The next - [Horse Sense and Sensibility](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/horsesence/) - by Robert Rickover Some time ago I showed a copy of the Equitation issue of Direction [Vol2 (1)] to Marjorie Barstow, the first person to graduate from Alexander’s first training course. Until her recent death at age 95, she was the world’s senior Alexander teacher. Knowing of her lifelong interest in horses, I asked, “Marj, - [The Pitfalls of High Heels](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/heels/) - by Robert Rickover My first Alexander Technique teacher taught group classes in his studio. Once in awhile, he would venture out into the anteroom where students left their coats and shoes and would return holding aloft a pair of high-heeled shoes, demanding in a booming voice, "Who belongs to THESE?" There would follow a moment - [aarticles](https://alexandertechnique.com/aarticles/) - former html articles - [The Alexander Technique and the Actor](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/acting/) - The following article, describes their work with the Alexander Technique in relation to acting training. Saura teaches Alexander Technique for actors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the Trinity Rep Conservatory in Providence, Rhode Island. Meade is on the faculty of the Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory in Washington, D.C., - [The New Physical Education](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/pe/) - by Robert Rickover One high-school subject stands out above all others in my memory: Physical Education. I detested everything about PE, from the endless runs around a large undeveloped property near my high-school to Friday afternoons in the gym where we played “murder-ball”, our own sadistic version of dodge ball. I quickly learned that if - [Horse Sense and Sensibility](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/horsesense/) - by Robert Rickover Waiting for an Alexander Technique lesson Many years ago I showed a copy of the Equitation issue of Direction Journal to Marjorie Barstow, the first person to graduate from the first Alexander Technique training course. Until her death at age 95, she was the world’s senior Alexander teacher. Knowing of her lifelong - [X-Rated Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/xrated/) - by Robert Rickover Back in the day, movies and books in America would sometimes be banned by church or state authorities.* Perhaps because of their scandalous content, or unacceptable political implications. A banned movie or book was often one that everyone wanted to see or get their hands on. For example Henry Miller’s books like - [Zen and the Art of Self Maintenance](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/zenmaintenance/) - by Robert Rickover I read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig in the mid-1970s, shortly after it was published and achieved instant fame. It may be the most popular philosophy book ever written, with over five million copies sold. One reviewer called it “a novel that is meant to both entertain - [Sex and the Alexander Technique – Part 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/sex2/) - by Robert Rickover In my previous post, Sex and the Alexander Technique – Part 1, I provided an overview of what was available on this topic 20 years ago. Slim pickings, to say the least! Fortunately for all of us, the situation is a far better today. In 2010, The Frisky (sic!) featured an interview - [Sex and the Alexander Technique – Part 1](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/sex1/) - by Robert Rickover About 20 years ago, I was somehow persuaded by Jeremy Chance to be the Guest Editor of the Sexuality Issue of Direction Journal. Why me? I have no idea, but it did seem like an interesting challenge. The main problem I faced was there was almost nothing about the topic to found - [Switch it Up](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/switchitup/) - by Robert Rickover The trouble is none of my pupils will believe that all they need to do is to think and that wish for the neck to be free will do the trick…We are so brutalized by our belief in doing and muscular tension.* – F. Matthias Alexander As an Alexander Technique teacher, I’m - [What would you do…](https://alexandertechnique.com/websites/whatwouldyoudo/) - by Robert Rickover Your guest has arrived. And he’s hungry! …if Alexander came to spend some time with you? That’s F. Matthias Alexander, of course, developer of the Alexander Technique. Country music lovers may recognize the question as a variant of the profound query – one I actually thought about a lot as a kid - [Throw it Away!](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/throwaway/) - by Robert Rickover I love this quote* by F. Matthias Alexander! For me, it gets to the heart of a major obstacle faced by students as they begin to explore Alexander Technique directions – the strong temptation to hold on to the nice changes they experience, whether from an Alexander Technique teacher’s hands-on guidance, of - [Athens to Australia](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/athensaustralia/) - by Robert Rickover Aristotle of Athens It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. – Aristotle I stumbled upon this quote in a Toronto health magazine when I was teaching there recently, and I have been thinking about it ever since. I keep coming back - [Free for All](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/freeforall/) - by Robert Rickover I am free. That’s a simple example of an Alexander Technique Freedom Direction.* Freedom Directions are both amazingly simple, and amazingly powerful. Would you like to do a little experiment to test that claim, an experiment that could change your life significantly for the better? One that can be done while you - [Autism, the Alexander Technique, and Me](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/autism/) - by Caitlin Freeman Caitlin Freeman As a person on the autism spectrum, I have struggled with sensory issues all my life. My mother describes that when I was a child, she needed to “tame me to touch like a wild animal.” When people would touch me, it felt like an electrical burning sensation. Over time, - [30 Second Alexander Technique – 1](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/30sec1/) - by Robert Rickover In my previous blog, Alexander Technique Speed Dating, I offered the challenge of choosing a group of your choice, on the assumption you would have 30 seconds of attention from everyone in the group to present something compelling about the Alexander Technique. Magdalena Portman, an Alexander Technique teacher in Lewes, East Sussex, - [Alexander Technique Speed Dating](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/speeddating/) - by Robert Rickover Imagine this: You have been granted 30 seconds of undivided attention from everyone in a group of your choosing to tell them something about the Alexander Technique that will make them want to get to know it better…maybe even intimately. The group you choose can be as big or as small as - [Freeing Alexander’s Dream from the Cage of his Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/fmdream/) - by Robert Rickover Photo of F. M. Alexander, taken towards the end of his life. In my previous blog, Alexander’s Dream, I wrote that while F. M. Alexander began his career with huge hopes about the future of his work, things were looking bleak at the time of his death in 1955. Since then, however, - [Fear of Falling](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/fearoffalling/) - by Robert Rickover According to a New York Times article a few years ago, “For Elderly, Fear of Falling Is a Risk in Itself,” an estimated 10,000 people 65 and over die each year from injuries related to falls. Studies show that 30 to 50 percent of elderly people fear falling. This fear can itself - [Presence and Performance](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/presence/) - by Robert Rickover Over the past few months I’ve been filming Alexander lessons with a student of mine. I then edit the recordings down to 7 minutes to share them on YouTube. Eric is a professional musician finishing his master’s degree at the Conservatoire Nationale Supérieur de Paris. For the first two lessons we worked - [A Dialogue with Mr Peter Habit](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/peterhabit/) - by Kay Cady Peter… “so I get the Alexander Technique now… I can do this, don’t you worry!! You want me to think your neck freedirectyourheadforwardandupsoyourbackcanlengthenandwiden… hey presto… how was that? Kay … “it’s not a mantra Peter! It is more than words.. The direction needs to be thoughtful otherwise there will be no energy - [Skill and Success: The Careers of Nellie Bly and F. Matthias Alexander](https://alexandertechnique.com/articlesnelliebly/) - by Robert Rickover Energy rightly applied and directed will accomplish anything – Nellie Bly In the present state of the world, it is evident that the control we have gained of physical energies, heat, light, electricity, etc., without having first secured control of our use of ourselves is a perilous affair. Without the control of - [Peter, My Subconscious](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/subsconscious/) - by Kay Cady Who’s in charge? In life we generally rely on our subconscious to direct our movement. We stand, sit, walk, and bend automatically with no thought to how we move. Our subconscious habitually does it for us, and it dominates us so that we don’t consider the best way to go about our - [Potential, Possibilities and Perspectives and Perceptions](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/possibilities/) - by Daska Hatton We could define health as “The body’s ability to constructively deal with all the stresses to which it is subjected”. As I discovered, the Alexander Technique can be a powerful tool for tackling depression by giving concrete help on a day to day level. There is no sensation or emotion that is not translated into a - [Are You an Innie or an Outie?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/innieoroutie/) - by Robert Rickover St Augustine was both an inne and an outie Men go forth to marvel at the heights of mountains and the huge waves of the sea, the broad flow of the rivers, the vastness of the ocean, the orbits of the stars, and yet they neglect to marvel at themselves. – Saint - [Parade of “P”s – Take Your Pick](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/paradeofps/) - by Robert Rickover Are you prepared for the Alexander Technique Parade of “P”s challenge? Read on! Posture Pain Performance Potential Power Prevention Poise Presence Pregnancy Parenting Potent Perception These are all “P” aspects, or applications, of the Alexander Technique. No doubt you can think of many others. Here’s your “P” challenge: - [It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Easy](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/ainteasy/) - by Robert Rickover Why do we hit the Hard Key so often? It’s more than just the catchy, somewhat risque, title of the 1982 country music hit by Janie Fricke. (And, yes, I’ve embedded a video of the song at the bottom of the page even though it’s a bit too crossover for my taste.) - [Be Here Now!](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/hereandnow/) - by Robert Rickover This little bird helps the people of Pala to be in the moment. In his final novel, Island, Aldous Huxley wrote about the adventures of a shipwrecked Englishman on Pala, an imaginary island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The society on this island had evolved to the point where there was universal - [To Outsource or to Insource, That is the Question – Part 3](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/insourceoroutsourch3/) - by Robert Rickover Two of today’s Alexander Technique teachers, Terry Fitzgerald, from Sydney Australia and Pamela Blanc, from Los Angeles, standing behind a sculpture of F. M. Alexander at the Wynyard Historical Society. Wynyard, in Tasmania, is where Alexander was born. In my previous blog, To Outsource or to Insource, That is the Question – - [To Outsource or to Insource, That is the Question – Part 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/insourceoutsource2/) - by Robert Rickover F. Matthias Alexander, in front of his portrait, perhaps reading about his discoveries in one of his books. In my previous post, To Outsource or to Insource, That is the Question – Part 1, I wrote about the moment when F. Matthias Alexander, the developer of the Alexander Technique* came to the - [To Outsource or to Insource, That is the Question – Part 1](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/outsourceinsource1/) - Post navigation by Robert Rickover Dinner has been successfully outsourced! Outsourcing has a bad reputation these days, conjuring up images of low wages and dangerous sweatshops in distant, impoverished lands, while our own laid-off workers end up on welfare But on an individual level, we’re all outsourcers – often in ways that are beneficial to - [Jeeves! Whatever Has Become of My Carriage?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/jeevescarriage/) - by Robert Rickover The Queen can always find her carriage. Jeeves: Why Sir, I believe it’s stored in the garage, behind your new motorcar. Sir: No, no Jeeves, my own carriage! Jeeves: But Sir, it is your carriage. And quite a handsome one at that. I confess I sometimes miss seeing seeing you in it, - [The Alexander Technique Prescription for Taking the Exercise Pill](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/exercisepill/) - by Robert Rickover I just read an excellent article in Slate, The Exercise Cure – How can we motivate people to take a free, safe, magic pill?. It’s by Jordon Metzl, MD, a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, and is a particularly good example of the growing recognition - [One Hundred and Forty Five Candles](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/candles/) - by Robert Rickover Happy, Happy Birthday FM! Sorry the other 137 candles couldn’t fit on top of your cake! Frederick Mathias Alexander, the developer of the Alexander Technique, was born on this day back in 1869. Let’s use this occasion to celebrate his discoveries, and his achievements in making them available to us today. Alexander - [A New Year’s Eve Conversation with Mr. Alexander](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/fmconversation/) - by Robert Rickover F. Matthias Alexander – deeply worried about the future of our planet I was totally caught off guard when I received a phone call yesterday asking if I’d like to do a short interview with F. Matthias Alexander, the developer of the Alexander Technique! Alexander has been dead for over 50 years - [Mr. Alexander uses his own Technique: Moving Up while Falling Down](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/moveup/) - by Robert Rickover F. Matthias Alexander – a quick thinker in an emergency! It can be interesting to ask Alexander Technique teachers how they use the Technique in their own lives. Imagine how much more interesting would it be to learn just how F. Matthias Alexander, the developer of the Technique, used it in an - [The Thief and the Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/thief/) - by Robert Rickover Could Alexander Technique lessons help him do a better job? Can the Alexander Technique make a thief a better thief? It seems logical that it could. Alexander Technique lessons have helped musicians play better. It’s helped office workers sit at desks and use their computer with less harmful tension. it’s helped actors - [Alexander’s Dream](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/alexadersdream/) - by Robert Rickover F M Alexander in 1910, the year MSI was published In my previous blog, Mr. Alexander in his Own Write: On Reading his Four Books, I wrote about the valuable legacy of Alexander’s writings. Although deeply flawed in many ways, they are filled with useful information, and insights into the ideas that - [Mr. Alexander in his Own Write: On Reading his Four Books](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/4books/) - by Robert Rickover F. Matthias Alexander, posing in front of his portrait, perhaps contemplating the wisdom to be found in one of his books Within days of my first Alexander Technique lesson, I was experiencing so many dramatic changes in my body – most spectacularly a gain in height of almost an inch – that - [Beyond the body with Mr. Alexander](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/beyondbody/) - by Robert Rickover When most people think about the Alexander Technique, and the discoveries of F. Matthias Alexander, they think about topics like posture improvement, pain relief, moving with greater ease, and more efficient breathing. In other words, how we can learn to improve our physical functioning. Yes, of course, there is a background understanding - [Uncle Sam talks about the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/unclesam/) - by Robert Rickover I recently interviewed Uncle Sam about his experiences with the Alexander Technique: Me: Uncle Sam, thanks so much for this interview. It’s an honor for me to speak with you. As a child growing up in Washington, D.C. I saw images of you everywhere and was very curious to learn more about - [The Dark Side of Fitness](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/darkfitness/) - by Robert Rickover A New York Times article, “Doctors See a Big Rise in Injuries As Young Athletes Train Nonstop” highlights a serious and growing health concern for teenagers and their parents. Typical injuries include stress fractures, cracked kneecaps and frayed heel tendons and damage to the alignment of the spinal column brought on by - [“Make it So”](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/makeitso/) - by Robert Rickover Make it so – Jean Luc Picard, Captain, USS Enterprise The phrase has entered our language thanks to the popularity of Star Trek. But have you ever wondered just how it (whatever it was) was “made so?” Obviously a lot of crew members, machinery and computers had to be mobilized to fulfill - [Mind your Manners](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/manners/) - by Robert Rickover Earlier I wrote about the impatience that students sometimes feel about their progress with the Alexander Technique. F. Matthias Alexander, the developer of the Technique, famously said: “We can throw away the habits of a lifetime if we use our brains.” Why then, after weeks, months – even years! – of Alexander - [When will you finally get it?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/finallygetit/) - by Robert Rickover Picture this Alexander Technique workshop scene: About 30 people of widely varying ages and experience with the Technique are seated in a circle in a basement classroom of a university music department. Standing in the center of the group is the teacher, a small frail looking woman in her 80s. The workshop - [Taking Mr. Alexander for a Drive](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/fmdrive/) - by Robert Rickover The late Alexander Technique teacher Marjorie Barstow had a special interest in the way automobile drivers carried their heads on top of their spines. She would frequently suggest we take time to look at other drivers while we were stopped at a traffic light. “You’ll be amazed at what people do to - [The Alexander Technique: A New Approach to Mind-Body Unity](https://alexandertechnique.com/aticles/mindbody/) - by Robert Rickover Albert Einstein No problem can be solved from the same consciousness that created it. – Albert Einstein No one would deny that we ourselves enter as an agency into whatever is attempted and done by us. This is a truism. But the hardest thing to attend to is that which is closest - [Misconceptions about the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/misconceptions/) - by Robert Rickover When the subject of the Alexander Technique comes up in conversation, I’ve found that people who have heard about it often have a very distorted idea of what it’s all about. This is not surprising because the Technique is concerned with the quality of how our bodies function as we go through - [Flexibility in Five Minutes a Day](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/fiveminutes/) - by Robert Rickover In her book, Life and Death in Shanghai, Nien Cheng describes her life in China during Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Because she and her late husband had worked for a foreign firm, her home and all her possessions were confiscated by the Red Guard, her daughter was tortured and then killed, and she - [Nirvana in your Neck](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/nirvananeck/) - by Robert Rickover I was chatting with some friends over dinner, attempting to explain the basic principles of the Alexander Technique. I spoke a little about the importance Alexander teachers attach to having a free neck so that the head can easily balance on top of the spine. If a person’s neck is tense, it - [Taking a Stand with Awareness](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/takingstand/) - by Robert Rickover A few years ago, I happened to have two students who were both quite tall and who had lessons scheduled one right after the other on the same morning. Jack (not his real name) was in his late thirties, not very athletic, and was the director of a local charity. Bill was - [Cupid talks about the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/cupidat/) - by Robert Rickover A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to interview Cupid about his experiences with the Alexander Technique. Me: Cupid, thank you so much for taking the time to speak to me. I know you’re busy at this time of year, gearing up for the special demands on you for Valentine’s Day. - [Narcissus and Alexander – Reflections on the Origins of the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/narcissusat/) - by Robert Rickover Beside the pleasant pool Narcissus lay And bending over, quenched his thirst, to find Within his heart a thirst of different kind… Narcissus the Greek Narcissus was an exceptionally beautiful sixteen-year-old Greek boy, hard and disdainful, who scorned everyone, including the nymph Echo who had fallen madly in love with him. But - [Learning how to Stop](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/stop/) - by Robert Rickover A STORY: “A man enjoys life. But it isn’t perfect. He sometimes experiences pain, frustration, and suffering. For a while he gets along okay. But the suffering builds over time, over a number of years. The suffering becomes a major intrusion in his life. He exclaims, “Something has got to change!” “He - [Alexander Technique: Who Cares?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/atwhocares/) - by Robert Rickover F. Matthias Alexander, standing in front of a his portrait, possibly reading one of his books to himself. What’s so special about his Technique? The other day while shopping in the supermarket, I happened to overhear part of a conversation between two middle-aged women. One said something like: “You’ll learn to carry - [The Power of Pause: Lyndon Johnson, Winston Churchill and F. Matthias Alexander](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/pause/) - by Robert Rickover President Johnson being sworn in a short time after Kennedy’s assination, standing next to Jacqueline Kennedy on Air Force 1 while on the tarmac at Love Field, Dallas. Mrs. Kennedy was in shock and her dress was still splattered with her husband’s blood. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on - [Backpacks, Kids and Us](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/backpacks/) - by Robert Rickover He was probably nine or ten years old. I suppose he would be about four feet tall if he were standing normally. But he wasn’t, thanks to his immense backpack. It was so heavy that his whole body curved sharply forward as he trudged along the sidewalk past my house on his - [Santa talks about the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/santaat/) - by Robert Rickover A few weeks ago I spoke with Santa Claus about his Alexander Technique experiences. We had to keep our talk short because it was the busiest time of year for him. Me: Santa, thanks so much for taking time for this interview. I know you’re knee-deep in wrapping paper and Christmas gifts - [New Look, Same Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/sameat/) - by Robert Rickover We’re living in a golden age of Alexander Technique information availability: websites, articles, blogs, audio and video resources. The amount of good information available in all these media is huge, and growing daily. Recently a whole new way of presenting the Technique – non-linear visual depictions – has emerged. A good example - [Marj Barstow: Master Teacher of the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/barstow/) - by Robert Rickover Marjorie Barstow of Lincoln, Nebraska. 1899-1995 Marjorie Barstow, who everybody called Marj, was the first person to graduate from F. Matthias Alexander’s first training course. She worked for a while with FM’s brother Albert Redden Alexander in Boston and New York and then on the eve of World War II she returned - [Gravity’s Sad Story](https://alexandertechnique.com/aarticles/gravitysadstory/) - by Robert Rickover Gravity rues the day he was discovered by Newton. What’s the first feeling you get when you hear or see the word gravity? For a great many people it conveys something negative, or heavy – something we need to fight against to keep our body from sagging as we get older. Or - [Technology and Us](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/technology/) - by Robert Rickover “What is the best use of technology?” This question is asked more and more as the pace of technological change has accelerated. Greater speed, power, inter-connectedness etc. can produce all sorts of obvious benefits. We visit distant places quickly and cheaply thanks to jet airplanes. We have access to cheap, reliable power - [Commit to Comfort](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/comfort/) - by Robert Rickover I got this title from a blog by PJ Balde , a student of the Alexander Technique. PJ also kindly allowed me to use the image at the left. PJ wrote about his teacher Michael Gillespie: In one of (his acting) classes he gave us these three words. Commit to Comfort. As - [Dewey and Me](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/dewey/) - by Robert Rickover Not this Dewey! Not Dewey of the TV show “Malcolm in the Middle”. Not Melvil Dewey, the originator of the Dewey Decimal Classification System. Not even Thomas E. Dewey, who ran unsuccessfully against Harry Truman in the close presidential election of 1948, and who is now best remembered for the photograph of - [Leap of Faith](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/leapoffaith/) - by Robert Rickover I never cared for this kind of leap of faith. When I was in Sunday School, many, many years ago, we were given a little pamphlet about – not surprisingly! – God. More precisely, our belief in Him (always a male, back then) and it was recommended for those who were not - [Who is the Alexander Technique For?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/atfor/) - by Robert Rickover “It’s for everybody.” says Judith Stern, PT, an Alexander Technique teacher for over 25 years. As she points out at the start of the short video below, “There isn’t anybody who won’t say to you in conversation: “My goodness, my neck is killing me.” or “My back is so sore.” or ” - [Class Struggle](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/classstuggle/) - by Robert Rickover For many years, swimming has been my favorite sport and I usually manage to get to the pool 4 or 5 times a week. As an Alexander Technique teacher I particularly love to explore being in a different medium, and in a different relationship with gravity. There’s something about swimming that, for - [Was God the first Alexander Technique teacher?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/firstatteacher/) - by Robert Rickover God. Was He the first teacher of the Alexander Technique? He doesn’t appear on any of the official teachers’ lists – but then neither does F. Matthias Alexander, developer of the Alexander Technique. Like Alexander, and teachers of his method today, God had a great interest in the condition of people’s necks. - [Chairs: The Seat of Wisdom](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/chairwisdom/) - by Robert Rickover Is there a perfect chair? A chair that encourages an easy upright posture, a minimum amount of harmful strain, and that is comfortable to sit in throughout the day? Most Alexander Technique teachers would say “no” – that the harmful postures people exhibit when sitting are primarily a function of the way - [Alexander joins the NeuroZone](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/neurozone/) - by Robert Rickover Marjorie Barstow, 1899 – 1995 Marjorie Barstow, a well-known teacher of the Alexander Technique used to say “Someday there will be a science of human movement that incorporates Alexander’s discoveries.” (Alexander is F. Matthias Alexander, the developer of the Alexander Technique.) I was always a bit taken off guard when I’d hear - [Alexander Technique tip from a Card Shark](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/cardshark/) - by Robert Rickover To paraphrase a verse in The Gambler by Kenny Rogers, it’s not a good idea to count your poker winnings while you’re still at the table. The time to do so after the game is over. (Because of copyright restrictions I can’t print the exact lines here, but you can listen the - [“Take a gambling chance”](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/gamblingchance/) - by Robert Rickover That’s a phrase the late Marjorie Barstow used a lot. When she was 90 years old, someone she had never met called and asked if she’d fly – by herself – across the country, to a city where she’d never been, to teach an Alexander Technique workshop. She agreed and when we - [Alexander Attitude](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/atattitude/) - by Robert Rickover I recently watched a short PBS News Hour piece about the American hero John Glenn. Fifty years ago, Glenn became the first person to orbit the earth and he was being interviewed about that historic – and extremely dangerous – flight and about his thoughts on today’s space program. Here’s the interview: - [Pity Poor Posture…So Terribly Misunderstood](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/poorposture/) - by Robert Rickover A British army recruiting poster from the 1930s showing a Sergeant Major’s “good posture”. You can see why Posture is so upset. I recently tried to do an interview with Posture for the Alexander Technique podcast, but he’d moved so far from civilization – and good internet connections – that the audio - [The Power of Negative Thinking](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/powerofno/) - by Robert Rickover Just say no. You’ve all heard this. Popularized by Nancy Regan in the 1980s as part of the “war on drugs” it later morphed into campaigns against violence and pre-marital sex. The phrase gained a lot of attention at the time, not all as intended. I remember the drug dealers in Washington - [“A Little bit of Nothing”](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/bitofnothing/) - by Robert Rickover That’s how Alexander Technique teacher Marjorie Barstow often described her work. Sometimes, towards the end of her four-week summer workshops she’d say to the group: “Now when you get home, and people ask you what you learned in Nebraska, you probably shouldn’t tell them you learned a little bit of nothing!” Her - [Chillin’ with Mister A](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/mistera/) - by Robert Rickover F. Matthias Alexander That’s Mister Alexander we’re talking about. F. Matthias Alexander, developer of the Alexander Technique and a pioneer in the field of mind-body studies. In his early teaching days, so the story goes, his students needed to take a short rest after lessons with him and there happened to be - [What’s the Use…of the Alexander Technique?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/use/) - by Robert Rickover There’s not a lot of jargon in the Alexander Technique, but the word “use” – as pronounced in the title above – has a special meaning that’s worth thinking about because it relates directly to just about everything we do. Use, in Alexander parlance, is a kind of shorthand word for the - [Devils, Tigers, a Hollywood actor and Alexander](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/devilsigers/) - by Robert Rickover Quick – what do you think of when someone mentions Tasmania? For a lot of people it’s the Tasmanian Devil, popularized by cartoons and comic strips. Characterized by its pungent odor, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding, it’s probably not Tasmania’s best ambassador to the - [Change your Password – Change your Life](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/password/) - by Robert Rickover When is a password more than just a password? When I teach new Alexander Technique students, I almost always give them “homework” based on experiments in thinking and moving that I’ve talked them through in their lessons. These experiments typically involve using Alexander Technique directions (more on these below). I emphasize that - [Life on Earth – Where Powerful Forces Collide](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/forcescollide/) - by Robert Rickover Check out the little guy in this 30 second video below. Known as a pond skimmer, he spends most of his life perfectly poised on the water’s surface. In some ways his situation is not all that different from ours. We spend most of our lives on the surface of the earth. - [Pinkie Power](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/pinkiepower/) - by Robert Rickover Our little fingers are a lot more important, and a lot stronger, than we think! I was introduced to the term brachiation a few months ago by my colleague Ellen Stafford, an Alexander Technique teacher in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in one of her blog posts, Everyday Poise: Brachiation Ellen is interested in the - [No Auto-Correct for Habitual Tension – Part 1](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/tension1/) - by Robert Rickover Auto-correct has made one area of my life easier. Others have required conscious intervention. I’ve never been a good speller. When I was about to graduate from high school and head off to university, our class was given a standardized test to measure our abilities across in a number of key areas. - [No Auto-Correct for Habitual Tension – Part 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/habitualtension/) - by Robert Rickover Habitual pain is unlikely to disappear on its own. In my last post, No Auto-Correct for Habitual Tension – Part 1, I explored the fact that habitual excess tension in our bodies will not resolve itself. Some sort of intervention is required to release it. This is quite different from the many - [Ask And You Shall Receive – Free Energy From The Earth](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/freeenergy/) - by Robert Rickover The Earth can be a wonderful source of free energy – if we know how to ask for it. A couple of weeks ago, I embarked on my usual after-dinner walk. I’d had a long day of teaching and was feeling a little tired and generally low energy. My inclination was to - [Mind and Body go to Couple’s Therapy](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/couplestherapy1/) - by Robert Rickover One day Mind and Body were having a chat about the challenges of their relationship. Body was annoyed that Mind had wandered while they were walking down the street, causing Body to hit a lamp post. “If you hadn’t put all you attention on that dog across the street – and, I - [Mind and Body go to Couple’s Therapy – Part 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/couplestherapy/) - by Robert Rickover In a previous post, Mind and Body go to Couple’s Therapy, Mind and Body talked about their issues with each other, and how they hoped the Alexander Technique would help. Arrangements were made to visit a teacher of the Technique. A few weeks later I thought it would be interesting to see - [The Posture of Power](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/posturepower/) - by Robert Rickover Since discovering the Alexander Technique many years ago, I’ve been fascinated by the posture and movement patterns I observe in others. When I see someone that appears to have a dysfunctional pattern, I ask myself: “How are they doing that?” and “Is it possible I’m doing something like that – or perhaps - [The Posture of Power – Part 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/posturepower2/) - by Robert Rickover In my last blog, The Posture of Power, I wrote about politicians and televangelists – two of my favorite groups to observe. I love to watch them because they generally have pretty good posture and use of their their bodies. And because they’re frequently on display for us to observe – particularly - [The Shockingly Easy Method To Improve Your Posture – And The Way You Do Everything You Do](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/shocklinglyeasy/) - by Robert Rickover It is natural for our bodies to work efficiently – Patrick Macdonald. MacDonald was one of the first people trained to be an Alexander Technique teacher, in the early 1930s, and his observation was based on over 50 year’s experience teaching the Technique. Our physical structure is perfectly adapted for our life - [What is Our Supreme Inheritance?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/supremeinheritance/) - by Robert Rickover Answer #1: It’s the title – almost! – of F. Matthias Alexander’s first book, Man’s Supreme Inheritance – originally published in 1910 and republished in an expanded version in 1918 with an added sub-title, Conscious Guidance and Control in Relation to Human Evolution in Civilization and an introduction by the American educator - [Change Your Tune](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/tune/) - by Robert Rickover I once assisted the late Marjorie Barstow on a teaching trip to a large mid-western university where she gave classes in the Alexander Technique to Music Department faculty and students. In one class, a professor asked for help playing the trumpet. He was clearly a talented musician, but he was adding quite - [What Is The Alexander Technique?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/whatisat/) - by Robert Rickover It’s a question that Alexander Technique teachers get all the time and, oddly, it’s frequently met with a hesitant response that suggests the teacher isn’t totally comfortable providing an answer. Why is this? There are probably several reasons, but I believe the main one is that the Technique has an approach to - [Stuck In The Middle With You: Your Neck](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/stuckinthemiddle/) - by Robert Rickover When our children were in middle school, my wife and I would attend “Classroom Visit Night” at the start of each term. This involved going to all their classes in the same order they did during the school day, and for about 10 minutes each teacher would talk about the class and - [How Bad Is The “P” Word?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/pword/) - by Robert Rickover “P” – as in Posture. In a previous blog, What Is The Alexander Technique?, I wrote about the curious reluctance of many of us Alexander Technique teachers to actually say what the Technique is. Another odd feature of our profession is the ongoing, sometimes heated, debate about whether the Technique is, or - [Striding Towards Freedom](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/striding/) - by Robert Rickover I have always walked a lot. As a child, my parents were just about the only people in the neighborhood without a car so if I wanted to go somewhere, I had to walk or take the bus. It was perfectly normal for me to walk 2 miles each way to see - [Lay Your Burden Down](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/burden/) - by Robert Rickover The other day I was working with one of my Alexander Technique students, showing her how she could stand with ease. Like a great many people, she had a habit of pushing her upper torso back and her pelvis forward a bit as she stood. As I gently guided her out of - [Taking A Walk Down Easy Street](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/easystreet/) - by Robert Rickover Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy. – Saadi As I was walking in my neighborhood yesterday evening, I experimented with some new Alexander Technique directions, based on an idea that originated with Alexander Technique teacher Imogen Ragone. She has cleverly synthesized Jenniifer Roig-Francoli’s Freedom Directions with Mio Morales’ - [What is the Alexander Technique? – Part 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/whatisat2/) - by Robert Rickover This is a question Alexander Technique teachers get all the time, and one I wrote about last January in What is the Alexander Technique? It’s something I keep coming back to. Teachers’ replies to this most basic of questions about the Technique vary dramatically. Some teachers are able to come up with - [Who’s Minding Your Brain?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/mindingbrain/) - by Robert Rickover Our minds influence the key activity of the brain, which then influences everything; perception, cognition, thoughts and feelings, personal relationships; they’re all a projection of you. – Deepak Chopra Alexander Technique teachers and their students have been successfully using their minds to influence their bodies, and parts of their bodies, for over - [Lilies of the Field](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/lilies/) - by Robert Rickover Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. This blog was inspired by a recent Facebook post from Fay Putnam, an Alexander Technique teacher in Portland, Oregon who thinks - [Walking the Floor with Alexander](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/walkingthefloor/) - by Robert Rickover My Alexander Technique students – both in person and on Skype – are often surprised when I ask, usually during their first lesson, detailed questions about the flooring in their homes and workplaces. After she’d had a few of lessons, one student said that my eyes seemed to light up when she - [Atlas Talks About the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/atlas/) - by Robert Rickover Sculpture of Atlas inaccurately depicting him holding the earth on his shoulders. I recently had an opportunity to interview Atlas, the Titan god of astronomy and navigation. Because he and his brother Prometheus found themselves on the losing end of the war between the Titans and the Olympian gods, Atlas was condemned - [The Art of Self Management](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/selfmanagement/) - by Robert Rickover I recently watched this PBS News Hour segment about Zappos, the Las Vegas based online retailer of shoes, and other clothing items. Zappos is famous for it’s amazing customer service, and for it’s unique and quirky corporate culture which emphasizes, among other things, an adventurous, creative, and open-minded approach to work. As - [Does the Alexander Technique Have a Leg to Stand On?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/legtostandon/) - by Robert Rickover I’ve been thinking about my legs a lot recently, and particularly since my recent interview with Atlas in which he described the huge impact he noticed from learning how to bring ease to his legs. Maybe I’m also a little obsessed about these 2 important parts of me because I do a - [The F. Matthias Alexander Story – It Ain’t Necessarily So](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/aintso/) - by Robert Rickover F. Matthias Alexander Who was Alexander? Well the simple and obvious answer is that Alexander was the founder of the Technique that bears his name. It’s hard to imagine today’s Alexander Technique without Alexander. But what do we really know about the man and what he did? We do have his four - [The F. Matthias Alexander Story – It Ain’t Necessarily So: Part 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/aintnecessarilyso2/) - by Robert Rickover F. Matthias Alexander and Student In the article, The F. Mathias Alexander Story – It Ain’t Necessarily So, I wrote that I consider F. Matthias Alexander to have been a genius – but a very different kind of genius that we have been led to believe. He was certainly not the lone - [Looking for Ease in all the Wrong Places](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/easeinwrongplaces/) - by Robert Rickover A few weeks ago, an Alexander Technique student emailed me the day after his first lesson. Here’s part of what he wrote: On my way home from yesterday’s lesson, I continued to experiment with the Alexander Technique direction you showed me – “I’m free”. I used it walking to my car, driving, - [Epiphany at 30,000 Feet](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/epiphany/) - by Robert Rickover I was flying from Chicago to Lincoln, the second leg of a trip back from a teaching trip to Toronto. Still a bit tired from getting up at 3 AM to catch my first flight, I dozed off for awhile. When I woke up, I peered down at the cornfields and little - [Not Even a Teeny Weeny Bit](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/teenyweeniebit/) - by Robert Rickover Marjory Barlow was F. Matthias Alexander’s niece, and a well-known teacher of the Alexander Technique for many years. In her book, An Examined Life, she quotes Alexander on the topic of giving directions: “This is an exercise and finding out what thinking is.” She then goes on to write: If that doesn’t - [Kami and Marj](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/kamiandmarj/) - by Robert Rickover Kami and Marj on Marj’s front porch. Marjorie Barstow (Marj) did some of her very best Alexander Technique teaching during the last 25 years of her life. Starting at around 70 years of age, she became quite well known in Alexander circles and for over 20 years she taught workshops in Lincoln, - [Auto-Correct](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/autocorrect/) - by Robert Rickover I’m fortunate that I don’t have to do a lot of driving, and most of my trips are only 15-20 minutes or so. But they do provide nice opportunities to put my Alexander Technique training into practice and I’ve come to use them as mini-lessons in self-awareness and self-direction. A few examples: - [Does Sitting Have To Be A Grave Mistake?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/sitting/) - by Robert Rickover We’ve all heard the phrase “Sitting is the new smoking”. The dangers of our sedentary life style have been well established at this point, and pretty much everybody now knows that sitting for long periods of time can pose serious dangers for our health. Just now, for example, we’re hearing about a - [Strange Bedfellows: A Monk and F. Matthias Alexander](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/strangebedfellows/) - by Robert Rickover I just finished listening to a podcast interview with Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Benedictine monk, teacher and author beloved around the world. His TED Talk about cultivating gratitude as a way to bring joy into our lives has been viewed over a million times and his practice is increasingly acknowledged by scientists - [Base Thoughts](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/basethoughts/) - by Robert Rickover In my experience as a teacher of the Alexander Technique, learning how to sit well is one of the greatest challenges for new students. And one of the most important. Most of the people who come to me for lessons sit many more hours a day than they stand, or do other - [The F. Matthias Alexander Story – It Ain’t Necessarily So: Part 3](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/notso3/) - by Robert Rickover F. Mathias Alexander – a man far ahead of his time in so many ways. The legacy of F. Matthias Alexander, the developer of the Alexander Technique, has come under a good deal of new scrutiny in recent years as we learn more about his early life. (See Part 1 and Part - [Slippery as an Eel: Just what is the Alexander Technique?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/eel/) - by Robert Rickover Years ago, I was quite intrigued with Neuro Linguistic Programing (NLP) and at one point was even certified as a “Master Practitioner” although I certainly didn’t think of myself as such and never actually had any NLP clients. I did find it very useful in a number of ways, one of which - [Am I Dreaming, or is this Constructive Rest?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/cr/) - by Robert Rickover For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a napper. In college, I’d break up my studies to rest my head on the desk and doze off for a few minutes once or twice a day. Occasionally I’d nod off in early afternoon classes and once, in graduate school, I fell - [The Alexander Antidote to Terror](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/terror/) - by Robert Rickover I was having an Alexander Technique lesson with the late Walter Carrington, a well-known and highly respected teacher in London in the early 1980s and somehow the subject of the civil war then raging in Lebanon came up. I had recently become certified to teach the Technique and having been immersed for - [Tuning Into FM: Have You Read Your Alexander Lately?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/readalexander/) - by Robert Rickover My friend and colleague, John Macy, attended the recent Alexander Technique Congress and chose that venue to do a little research about which of F. M. Alexander’s books teachers had read, when when they read them. In addition to being an Alexander Technique teacher himself, John is a physical therapist and the - [Why Did They Leave? – An Alexander Technique Puzzle](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/atpuzzle/) - by Robert Rickover Ever since I started teaching the Alexander Technique nearly 40 years ago, I’ve wondered why some students stop taking lessons after the first one or two – despite experiencing significant improvements in their posture and the way they move. Changes they and their friends and family have noticed. It’s a small percentage - [When You’re Your Own Worst Enemy](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/ownworstenemy/) - Emmet Fox was was a New Thought spiritual leader of the early 20th century and is well known for the insightful stories he told to illustrate important spiritual concepts. Here’s one that resonates nicely with basic Alexander Technique principles: A little girl was watering her garden flowers when suddenly the flow of water stopped. She - [The Alexander Technique: What Shelf Does It Go On?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/shelf/) - by Robert Rickover Years ago I had a good friend who whose job it was to visit bookstores on behalf of a major publisher and convince the owners to stock the publisher’s new books on their shelves. This was in the 1980s and early 1990s – pre-Amazon. Amazing as it may seem now, back - [Taming Your Inner Constrictor](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/innerconstrictor/) - by Robert Rickover I’m always experimenting with new Alexander Technique self-directions and the other day I came up with this one: “I am not constricting myself” – a variant of the more frequently used “I am not compressing myself”. Both of these are Negative Directions, and for both the Freedom Direction version could be “I - [For the Sake of Us All: Please don’t make an ASSumption out of Yourself](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/assumption/) - by Robert Rickover I recently listened to an On Being podcast titled When the Market is Our Only Language in which Krista Tippitt interviewed Anand Giridharadas, a journalist and writer. Here’s the official description of podcast: We Americans revere the creation of wealth. Anand Giridharadas wants us to examine this and how it shapes our - [Finding the Body](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/findingthebody/) - by Robert Rickover Where are you? How would you answer that question? You might say something like: “I’m in a pretty good place at the moment.” Or “I’m living in wonderful community.” Or even: “I’m in love!” But perhaps, especially if you’re a Country Music lover, something more like: “I’m in the doghouse now.” Or - [Listen Up! Your Ears Have Something To Tell You](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/articles/listenup/) - by Robert Rickover In the beginning was the word – The Bible The ear is the avenue to the heart – Voltaire The ear builds, organizes and nourishes the nervous system – Dr. Alfred Tomatis Tone, pitch, rhythm, harmony – these are among the many terms that can describe the condition of our bodies - [Apples to Apples: You’re not a Cat, a Dog, or a Child](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles-apples/) - by Robert Rickover British Alexander Technique teacher Marcus Sly recently published a blog titled Is Good Use Innate? in which he writes about the tendency of Alexander teachers to use examples from the animal kingdom to illustrate the kind of graceful co-ordination we should aspire to. As he says, “Alexander teachers sure do like cats!” - [Pause Power](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/pausepower/) - by Robert Rickover I’ve just started reading Eckart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now. It’s somewhat of a spiritual classic and has been recommended to me by several people over the years. This is not a book review, but let me begin by saying I can already see why it is so highly regarded, and - [Beware of Body Bullies Behaving Badly!](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/bullies/) - by Robert Rickover A recent article in the New York Times, When the Bully is the Boss, explores the effects that a bullying leader has on organizations. Not surprisingly, it turns out bullying doesn’t really lead to better productivity: …the vast majority of findings point to the same conclusion: Bullying bosses tend to undermine their - [Unconscious Destructive Control](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/unconsciousdestructivecontrol/) - by Robert Rickover When I started reading The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle I was puzzled by what seemed to be a negative view of the human mind, and of thinking. As an Alexander Technique teacher it’s always seemed to me that our ability to direct our thinking in a useful way is what - [Power Up: Extend and Amplify Your Alexander Technique Directions](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/amplifydirections/) - by Robert Rickover Learning how to usefully self-direct yourself in an effective way is one of the most important skills an Alexander Technique student acquires from lessons in the Technique. It is, to use the title of F. M. Alexander’s second book, truly what “Constructive Conscious Control” is all about. And to borrow from the - [Smile!](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/smile/) - by Robert Rickover OK, I’m going to confess. I was seduced by a clever bit of click bait titled: Neuroscience Says Doing This 1 Thing Makes You Just as Happy as Eating 2,000 Chocolate Bars. 2000 chocolate bars! I do love chocolate, especially very dark chocolate. But I hesitated because I wasn’t sure I wanted - [A Simple Hack That Brings A New Ease Into Your Walking](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/hackforwalking/) - by Robert Rickover The late Alexander Technique teacher Marjorie Barstow would sometimes say to a student who was about to walk: “Your legs are just tagging along.” She also had figured out a very simple and effective way to use her hands to give the student some actual experience of allowing that that to happen: - [It’s a Rushin’ Plot!](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/rushinplot/) - by Robert Rickover I’ve been somewhat obsessed with my walking patterns over the past couple of months, ever since I realized that for for most of my life, I’d been pushing my torso a forward a bit when I walked. As I wrote in my previous blog, A Simple Hack That Brings A New Ease - [Is A Picture Worth A Thousand Slurs?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/thousndslurs/) - by Robert Rickover The use of imagery to teach or learn the Alexander Technique is, to put it mildly, a controversial topic. The diverse views were on full display in recent exchanges on the Alexander Technique Forum Facebook Page(1) include everything from general disapproval of using images to endorsement in some or many teaching situations. - [What’s So Special About The Alexander Technique?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/specialaboutat/) - by Robert Rickover How am I functioning now? How can I improve the way I’m functioning? Those two projects, not necessarily in that order, could provide a 5 second description of what a student of the Alexander Technique learns. They could be the basis a short answer to the question, “What is the Alexander Technique”, - [The Burden of Shame](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/shame/) - by Robert Rickover I’m thinking about how, sometimes, when we look at our history, we have a visceral response of shame. It’s no wonder we don’t want to look at it. Shame begins in the body. Shame’s first language is the body, and then we put language around it. And then we put protections around - [Gravity’s Sad Story – Part 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/gravity2/) - by Robert Rickover Eight years ago I managed to arrange an interview with Gravity, Gravity’s Sad Story, during which he expressed a great deal of unhappiness about his negative image in the popular imagination, and the blame he so unfairly receives. I thought about that interview while reading an Alexander Technique blog post, Using Knees - [Journey through Neck Surgery](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/necksurgery/) - by Robert Rickover It was a Monday evening in mid-February of 2020. Our four year old grandson had just spent a couple of days with us, and my wife Anne was relaxing after the excitement and extra activity. A couple of days earlier, I had noticed some unusual neck pain and a bit of weakness - [The Veep’s Speech](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles-veepsspeech/) - by Robert Rickover You may remember The King’s Speech, a 2010 movie about King George VI who, after his brother abdicated the throne in 1936, needed to be able to speak effectively in public despite the stammer he had since childhood. He enlisted the help of Lionel Logue, an Australian speech and language therapist - [There and Back Again, My Journey through Neck Surgery – Part 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/necksurgery2/) - by Robert Rickover In a previous post about my neck surgery in early March of this year, There and Back Again, My Journey through Neck Surgery, I expressed some concern about my ability to teach the Alexander Technique while my left arm was still weak and I needed to wear a neck brace which limited - [Annie Get Your Gun](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/annie-get-your-gun/) - by Robert Rickover I stumbled onto this photo of Annie Oakley and couldn’t stop thinking about the amazing ability it must take to hit a target behind you, something she did in all her performances. As any marksman will tell you, their profession requires the ability to be completely still, without any undue tension. A - [Fork in the Road](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/forkintheroad/) - by Robert Rickover Suppose a man starts out to reach a certain destination and comes to a place where the road branches into two. Not knowing the way, he takes the wrong road of the two and gets lost. He asks the way of someone he meets and is told to go straight back to - [Metronome Therapy and the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/metronome/) - by Robert Rickover In the process of recovery rehab from a mild stoke, I was introduced to metronome therapy by Guido Rodriguez, my Physical Therapist at the Methodist Hospital in Omaha. It had an almost immediate beneficial effect on many of my activities, particularly when I incorporated Alexander Technique self directions. I did a - [Mind Your Mind](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/mindyourmind/) - by Robert Rickover F. Matthias Alexander, the developer of the Alexander Technique, believed that if we want to improve the way we function, we need to make the best use of our ability to think. Only then can we engage in what he called “constructive conscious control” of ourselves. He even titled his second book - [What Part of No Don’t You Understand?](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/no/) - by Robert Rickover Once again* a catchy country music title helps illuminate a fundamental Alexander Technique idea. And, yes, I’ve embedded a video of the song – a nice example, by singer Lorrie Morgan, of the growing feminist influence in country – at the bottom of the page. Saying “no” to harmful habits is key - [articles](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/) - Articles about the Alexander Technique - [Concentration](https://alexandertechnique.com/concentration/) - F. Mathias Alexander, the developer of the Alexander Technique, wrote a lot about concentration, particularly in Man's Supreme Inheritance and Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual, his first 2 books. He saw concentration as a harmful habit, and many AT teachers today would agree. At the same time, concentration is seen as a powerful skill - [Gravity’s Sad Story – Part 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/gravity2/) - by Robert Rickover Eight years ago I managed to arrange an interview with Gravity, Gravity’s Sad Story, during which he expressed a great deal of unhappiness about his negative image in the popular imagination, and the blame he so unfairly receives. I thought about that interview while reading an Alexander Technique blog post, Using Knees - [A Fork in the Road](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/forkintheroad/) - by Robert Rickover Suppose a man starts out to reach a certain destination and comes to a place where the road branches into two. Not knowing the way, he takes the wrong road of the two and gets lost. He asks the way of someone he meets and is told to go straight back to - [Walking the Floor with Alexander – Part 2](https://alexandertechnique.com/articles/floor2/) - by Robert Rickover If you’re experimenting with Alexander Technique directions, walking is an excellent activity to use for those experiments, and equally important, to test whether a direction is actually useful. Hard surfaces such as wooden floors make that process far easier than, say, thick carpets, not least because they can provide auditory, as well - [Find Alexander Technique teachers who use Zoom or other on-line video services as part of their teaching practice](https://alexandertechnique.com/teacher/distancelearning/) - In the view of many Alexander Technique teachers, "hands-on" work is an important, even crucial, element of Alexander Technique teaching. On the other hand, Alexander teachers are excellent observers of human movement, and much of our work involves teaching our students how to usefully direct themselves out of harmful patterns of posture and movement. And - [Find an Alexander Technique Teacher in Countries Other than the USA, Canada and Great Britain](https://alexandertechnique.com/teacher/other/) - On this page you will find links to the websites of Alexander Technique teachers in countries other than the USA, Canada and Great Britain. (For AT teachers in the US and Canada click here, and for Great Britain click here.) Please bear in mind that the links to teachers’ websites are links, not recommendations or endorsements. - [Who was F. Matthias Alexander?](https://alexandertechnique.com/fma/) - F.M. Alexander (1869-1955) was an Australian actor who began to experience chronic laryngitis whenever he performed. When his doctors could not help him, Alexander discovered a solution on his own. He had not been aware that excess tension in his neck and body were causing his problems, and began to find new ways to speak - [What is the Alexander Technique and what are its Benefits?](https://alexandertechnique.com/at/) - "The Alexander Technique is a way to move with less stress in your body." "The Alexander technique is a way of learning how you can get rid of harmful tension in your body." Although certainly not a full definitions of the Alexander Technique, these short definitions are a good start. Actress Juliette Binoche has described - [What happens during an Alexander Technique Lesson or Class?](https://alexandertechnique.com/lesson/) - One way to see and understand what Alexander Technique lessons are like is to take free lessons yourself. You can easily do this by taking advantage of the No Cost Alexander Technique Project's 14 actual lessons. They cover a 14 week period and are divided into short segments here: No Cost Alexander Technique Project You - [Walter Carrington - Teacher of the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/waltercarrington/) - May 4, 1915 - August 7, 2005 Walter Carrington was a leading figure in the teaching and development of the Alexander technique, the system evolved by the Australian actor Frederick Matthias Alexander to promote well being through awareness of balance, posture and physical co-ordination. (This site has been inactive for years and is now undergoing - [The Use of the Feet](https://alexandertechnique.com/feet/) - F. Mathias Alexander writes about the importance of foot use, and placement, several times on Man's Supreme Inheritance (MSI) and in The Use of the Self (UOS). (There are also 4 references to feet in Constructive Conscious Control and another 4 references in The Universal Constant. However those references do not deal with foot use.) - [Related Websites](https://alexandertechnique.com/relatedwebsites/) - Alexander Podcast Body Learning Blog Alexander Video Up With GravitySM Posture Page Centered WalkingSM Pilates and Alexander Technique Physical Therapy and Alexander Technique Ergonomics and Alexander Technique Alexander Technique Teacher Training Alexander Audio Alexander Talk Marjorie Barstow - Master Alexander Teacher - [Other Alexander Technique Applications](https://alexandertechnique.com/other-alexander-technique-applications/) - Aging Fear of Falling – How the Alexander Technique can Help Alexander Technique and Balance – Research at the University of South Carolina (Video) Aging Well with the Alexander Technique Aging and the Alexander Technique back to top Pregnancy, Childbirth and Parenting The Alexander Technique and Pregnancy, Childbirth and Parenthood Natural Childbirth and the Alexander - [Miss Goldie - Teacher of the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/margaretgoldie/) - Ellen Avery Margaret Goldie (1905 - 1997) If I ask you not to do something, there is no way you can do it right. - Miss Goldie by Robert Rickover Margaret Goldie - "Miss Goldie" as she was called by many - was an assistant to F. M. Alexander but was not part of any - [Medical and Scientific Research and Endorsements of the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/research/) - "Neck problems are virtually an occupational hazard for Ear, Nose and Throat surgeons. I had serious problems during my working years, but hoped for relief on early retirement. This was not the case and limitation of cervical (and thoracic) movement became quite an intrusion on my life. Physiotherapy and medication gave only short-term improvement. On - [Massage Therapy and Other Forms of "Bodywork" Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/mt/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. Rubenfeld Synergy Method - Comprehensive information California Massage Therapy School - - [Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. Massage Therapy and Other Forms of "Bodywork" Links Physical Therapy Links - [How the Alexander Technique can help Actors, Dancers and Other Performers](https://alexandertechnique.com/performers/) - With the best of intentions, the job of acting can become a display of accumulated bad habits, trapped instincts and blocked energies. Working with the Alexander Technique to untangle the wires has given me sightings of another way; mind and body, work and life together. Real imaginative freedom. — Alan Rickman For me, something that - [How can I Find a Teacher or Course?](https://alexandertechnique.com/teacher/) - There are several thousand Alexander teachers worldwide. Most are members of one or more professional societies and most of these societies publish both a written and an on-line teachers' list. Under each of the country listings below, you'll find links to individual teacher's websites as well as links to the relevant certifying professional societies where - [Deborah Caplan – Master Teacher of the Alexander Technique](https://alexandertechnique.com/deborahcaplan/) - Deborah Caplan having a lesson with F M Alexander in the early 1940s by Robert Rickover Deborah Caplan (1931-2000) was an Alexander Technique teacher and physical therapist. She was the daughter of the novelist and essayist Waldo Frank and of Alexander Technique teacher Alma Frank, who trained with F. M. Alexander. She received her Alexander - [Contact Information and Support for my Alexander Technique Websites](https://alexandertechnique.com/support/) - by Robert Rickover – Click here for Robert’s Contact Information Listen to or download a short podcast interview about what your support can help accomplish There are three ways which you can use help support the Alexander Technique websites: sponsored links, liability insurance for massage therapists and Alexander Technique teachers and others, and Donations. Sponsored - [Alexander Technique Illustrated Quotes](https://alexandertechnique.com/illustratedquotes/) - A great many quotations from F. Matthias Alexander, the founder of the Alexander Technique, and later Alexander Technique teachers and students, are available here as illustrated quotes. They are all free for anybody to download and use - for example as part of a blog, article, or website. They can also be shared as is - [Find an Alexander Technique Teacher in Great Britain](https://alexandertechnique.com/teacher/gb/) - On this page you will find links to the websites of Alexander Technique teachers in Great Britain. (For AT teachers in the US and Canada click here, and in other countries click here.) Please bear in mind that the links to teachers' websites are links, not recommendations or endorsements. The following links provide useful suggestions - [Alexander Technique Bookstore USA, Canada and Great Britain](https://alexandertechnique.com/books/) - Welcome to the Alexander Technique Bookstore. Here you will find a comprehensive array of Alexander Technique books and DVDs. Below you can order the best-known and most widely-read books, and most popular DVDs, about the Alexander Technique from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.ca. They are organized in the following categories: Introductory AT Books and Videos Books - [Alexander Technique Applications](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/) - Because it helps improve your physical functioning, the Alexander Technique can be applied to a wide variety of skills and situations. Below you will find a large collection of resources describing these applications. Posture Pain Relief Stress Breathing Sports and Fitness Seniors Pregnancy/Childbirth/Parenting Horseback Riding Martial Arts Yoga Spiritual Development Surgery Other Applications and Articles: - [Alexander Technique Interactive Resources](https://alexandertechnique.com/online/) - In recent years, a large and rapidly growing number of Alexander Technique teachers and students have become active on Facebook and Twitter. You can search either Facebook or Twitter for "Alexander Technique" to see what's available. Here are a few suggestions: The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique Page on Facebook provides up-to-date information about - [Digital Imagination: How AI Tools Expand Adult Storytelling](https://alexandertechnique.com/ai/) - Large language models have moved beyond weather reports and recipe ideas. Novel platforms now focus on adult fantasy, offering users tailored scenes that adapt to every prompt. Many early adopters explore dirty ai services to test how well algorithms handle playful themes while respecting limits. This increasing interest is representative of a broader phenomenon: individuals - [F. Matthias Alexander Photos](https://alexandertechnique.com/fmphotos/) - F. Matthias Alexander (1869-1955) was the developer of what today is called the Alexander Technique. Below you will find several photographs of Alexander taken at different stages in his career. A video of Alexander Teaching towards the end of his life can be found here.. A short video showing Alexander and some students on his - [How to Keep Up Your Movement Routine Between PT Sessions](https://alexandertechnique.com/pt/) - When you're in physical therapy, having a regular schedule can be a helpful way to stay focused. The structure, feedback, and encouragement that come with scheduled appointments can make staying consistent feel easier. But once you're between sessions, it’s easy to feel unsure about how to keep up your movement routine. You might wonder if - [Health Product Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/healthproducts/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. Matress-Guides - A guide about the choice of mattress for those who - [How Physical Alignment Improves Workspace Efficiency](https://alexandertechnique.com/physicalalignment/) - Meta Description: Discover how physical alignment can enhance workspace efficiency and improve overall well-being. Physical alignment in the workplace is essential for both comfort and productivity. Historically, office environments were designed with little consideration for ergonomics, leading to poor posture and discomfort. Over time, it became clear that physical alignment—proper posture, furniture, and workspace arrangement—plays - [The Posture Problem](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/the-posture-problem/) - by Joan Arnold You look in the mirror and you're not happy with what you see. Maybe your shoulders round forward. Your butt sticks out. Your knees point in. You don't like your walk. You can't stand that stoop. Maybe you try to fix the problem by listening to the familiar voices in your head - [Taking A Stand With Awareness](https://alexandertechnique.com/taking-a-stand-with-awareness/) - A few years ago, I happened to have two students who were both quite tall and who had lessons scheduled one right after the other on the same morning. Jack (not his real name) was in his late thirties, not very athletic, and was the director of a local charity. Bill was a former - [How Does the Alexander Technique Improve Oral Health](https://alexandertechnique.com/oralhealth/) - We can never deny the fact that healthy teeth have a direct impact on our overall well-being. Apart from making us feel more comfortable, optimal oral health can also protect us from bacterial infections and improve our bodies’ ability to absorb nutrients. There’s more than one way to ensure healthier teeth. Going beyond a balanced - [Margaret Goldie Illustrated Quotes](https://alexandertechnique.com/illustratedquotes/margaretgoldie/) - Margaret Goldie was one of the first people trained by F. M. Alexander. She assisted him on his teacher training course and taught in London for many years after his death. Click on a quote to enlarge. Other illustrated Alexander Technique Quotes - [The Alexander Technique's Usefulness after Surgery](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/surgery/) - Surgery of any kind produces trauma in your body that not only requires healing, but may also require you to modify the ways in which you sit, stand, and move through life. On this page, you can learn how Alexander Technique students and teachers have used the Technique to aid in their recovery process. If - [How to Use the Alexander Technique for Pain Management](https://alexandertechnique.com/painmanagement/) - Research indicates that the Alexander Technique (AT) is effective for various types of pain, prompting many individuals to seek it out for pain relief. Two significant clinical trials have demonstrated decreases in long-term back and neck pain following a series of lessons, while another trial has shown a reduction in knee pain. These favorable outcomes - [Fitness, Posture, Sports and Breathing Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/fitness/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. Runnerclick: Detailed reviews about running GearWeAre: Outdoor gear reviews TheGearHunt: Hunting - [Alternative, New Age and Complementary Medicine Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/alternative/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. Bloch Healing Cheshire - Person-centered, evidence based, hands on healing MysticMag - [10 Key Advantages Of The Studocu Educational Platform ](https://alexandertechnique.com/10-key-advantages-of-the-studocu-educational-platform/) - Studocu is one of the best educational startups. This is not just a platform on which many educational materials on various topics are collected, but a full-fledged project that helps to exchange valuable information. The founders state that it is designed to provide the best tools for effective learning, and it must be said that - [5 Tips for Landing Your Dream Allied Health Job](https://alexandertechnique.com/aliedhealthjob/) - Working as an allied health professional can be personally and professionally rewarding. Since most health allied positions include working with people while helping ensure good patient health, it can be pretty satisfying. Considering that healthcare is a basic necessity, the industry is properly-established and constantly growing, providing job security. Unlike most professions, an allied health - [Yoga Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/yoga/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. Yoga Mandala Store - Mandala themed products store, yoga supplies and spiritual yoga jewelry. - [Celebrity Alexander Technique Illustrated Quotes](https://alexandertechnique.com/illustratedquotes/celebrity/) - A great many famous people studied with F. M. Alexander and have endorsed his work. Click on images to enlarge Other illustrated Alexander Technique Quotes - [John Dewey Illustrated Quotes](https://alexandertechnique.com/illustratedquotes/johndewey/) - Professor John Dewey was America's best-known philosopher. He also had a huge influence on American education and is known as "The Father of American education. He had many lessons with F. M. Alexander and was a strong proponent of his work. He wrote the introductions to three of Alexander's four books. Click on an image - [Marjory Barlow Illustrated Quotes](https://alexandertechnique.com/illustratedquotes/marjorybarlow/) - Marjory Barlow was F. Matthias Alexander's niece, a well-known teacher and - along with her husband Dr. Wilfred Barlow, ran an Alexander Technique training course in London for many years. Click on images to enlarge Other illustrated Alexander Technique Quotes - [Marjorie Barstow Illustrated Quotes](https://alexandertechnique.com/illustratedquotes/marjoriebarstow/) - Marjorie L. Barstow (1899 – 1995) was the first person to graduate from F. M. Alexander’s first teacher training course in 1934. She assisted his brother, Albert Redden Alexander, in Boston and New York for a few years after graduating, and then taught in Lincoln, Nebraska and at workshops around the world until her death. - [F. Matthias Alexander Illustrated Quotes](https://alexandertechnique.com/illustratedquotes/fmathiasalexander/) - F. Mathias Alexander (1869 - 1955) was the founder of the Alexander Technique Click on images to enlarge Other illustrated Alexander Technique Quotes - [Other Alexander Technique Illustrated Quotes](https://alexandertechnique.com/illustratedquotes/other/) - Click on images to enlarge - [Walter Carrington Illustrated Quotes](https://alexandertechnique.com/illustratedquotes/waltercarrington/) - Walter Carrington trained with Alexander in the 1930s and after the War, worked as Alexander's teaching assistant until Alexander's death in 1955. Walter then went on to run his own Alexander Technique teacher training course in London. Click on a quote to enlarge. Other illustrated Alexander Technique Quotes - [How the Alexander Technique can help Horseback Riders](https://alexandertechnique.com/applications/riding/) - Many riders have found the Alexander Technique helpful in developing their riding skills. Sally Swift, the developer of Centered Riding, placed a great deal of emphasis on the Technique in her program. Click for audio Interviews about the Alexander Technique and riding. Find videos about the Alexander Technique and riding here. Books about Alexander Technique - [Contact Information for Robert Rickover](https://alexandertechnique.com/support/rrcontact/) - Email: robert@alexandertechnique.com Please make the entire subject heading of your email one of the following words/phrases: Alexander Technique, Movement Coaching, Nebraska or Toronto. Phone: 402-475-4433 - Central Time Zone (USA) Mailing address: 337 South 127th St., Omaha, Nebraska 68154 Before you phone or send an email, please check the information below: 1. If you are - [Herbs, Herbal Products, Vitamins and Supplements Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/supplements/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. Focused Nutrients - Wide variety of health supplements VitaLiving - Vitamins, - [An Invitation to join the Alexander Technique Forum Facebook Group](https://alexandertechnique.com/atforum/) - This relatively new discussion group is for anyone with an interest in the Alexander Technique and welcomes everyone. If you have never heard of the Alexander Technique before and are curious, this group is for you. It is also for you if you have been practicing and teaching the Technique for many years. It is - [John Dewey’s Prefaces to F. Matthias Alexander’s Books](https://alexandertechnique.com/dewey/prefaces/) - John Dewey (1859-1952) was an American philosopher and the most prominent voice of the school of philosophy known as pragmatism. He also had an enormous influence on American education – indeed, he is sometimes referred to as the “father of American education”. Dewey wrote the introductions to three of Alexander’s books which you can read - [Internet Directory Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/directory/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. SelfGrowth.com - Online self improvement and self help encyclopedia Alternative Medicine - [Miscellaneous Topics Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/misc/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. BT Office Ergonomic Resources - From leading UK supplier Effective Writing - [Insurance and Financial Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/insurance/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. Long Term Care Insurance Quotes Wiz.com - Long term care insurance - [Hotel, Travel and Real Estate Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/travel/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. (No links at present.) Return to the Main Links Page - [Tai Chi and Other Martial Arts Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/martialarts/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. CloudWater.Com - LearnTai Chi and Qigong at home; free online video, - [Music and Music-making Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/music/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. Royal College of Music Alexander Technique Page - London, England Subreel - [Specific Health-Related Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/health/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. List of US based concussion clinics - this list was compiled - [Physical Therapy Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/pt/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. (No links at present.) Return to the Main Links Page - [Massage Therapy and other Forms of "Bodywork" Links](https://alexandertechnique.com/usefullinks/mt/) - Here you can find some of the thousands of Web Sites that have linked to The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique. If you would like to exchange links, contact us at: Email Contact. Please bear in mind that these are links, not recommendations. Rubenfeld Synergy Method - Comprehensive information California Massage Therapy School - - [Sample Page](https://alexandertechnique.com/sample-page/) - This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there! I'm a bike messenger - [Contact Information for Robert Rickover](https://alexandertechnique.com/support/contact-information-for-robert-rickover/) - Welcome to my contact page. Due to ever-increasing problems with spam, I have consolidated the contact information for all of my websites onto a single page and applied a spam filter to all emails. Here is how you can reach me: Phone: 402-475-4433 (Central Time Zone) Address: 2434 Ryons St., Lincoln, Nebraska 68502, USA Email: ## Categories - [Uncategorized](https://alexandertechnique.com/category/uncategorized/)