Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Alexander Technique?
A:  The
Alexander Technique (AT) is a method of self-help, a psycho-physical re-education, which teaches people how to recognize and overcome habitual limitations of movement and thought. If you have ever watched people respond to a sudden, loud noise, you might have noticed ‘the rabbit effect’: they hunch their shoulders, pull their head down into their necks and freeze. But it doesn’t need a sudden
shock to be affected by 'the rabbit effect': over time, the repeated stress and tension of everyday life can leave the muscles ‘fixed’ and unresponsive, leading to compensatory patterns of muscle use which result in stiff necks, back-pain and other persistent problems.
 Q: How does it work?
A:  It is an indirect technique. The teacher gently guides (not manipulates) the student in every day activities, such as sitting, standing and walking, encouraging the
release of old, fixed patterns which allows muscles to regain their natural length and tone.
Q: Is it an alternative therapy or complementary medicine?
A: No. AT does more than address particular problems in isolation. However, in the course of lessons, many people find that long-standing problems
that they had ‘learned to live with’ are improved or even resolved.
Q: Is it a form of exercise?
 A: Definitely not. F. M. Alexander believed that his technique was a form of re-education which would become the basis of all other
activity. The goal is to bring the student back into balance, so that they can pursue whatever activity they wish with balance and poise- including sports.
Q: Why do I need a teacher? Why can’t I learn it on my own or from a book?
A: Could you describe the colour red to a person blind from birth, or the taste of wine or coffee or chocolate to someone who had never experienced it? The same is true of the Alexander Technique. F. M. Alexander was a remarkable person: it took years of observation for him to discover what he was doing that caused his problems in public speaking. Skilled teachers can shorten the learning process. AT deals with long-standing habits which are so familiar that we aren’t even aware of them: it takes a skilled teacher
to gently direct us toward other possible ways of ‘doing’ and ‘being’. |
