The Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique is notoriously difficult to define because learning it is based very much on ones’ own experience. From an early age, we build up habitual patterns of movement and over time they become established as familiar and are our norm.

Our ‘habits’ develop in a variety of ways and include genetic make-up, environment, growth development, stress levels, trauma and many other such influences. It is these habitual patterns of thought and movement that determine the way we sit, stand, read or indeed perform any of our daily activites.

In a lesson, the AT teacher uses gentle hands on guidance and manipulation whilst the client carries out a few simple daily activities such as walking, sitting, standing, lying down or using a computer. The teacher is, in effect attempting to unravel muscular distortions whilst encouraging the skeleton & muscles to work as they originally did when we were children. Together the client and teacher seek to change and improve the individuals’ underlying patterns of movement.

Following a course of lessons, pupils generally experience a feeling of lightness and freedom of movement. Gait, poise and posture will improve together with an overall lengthening in stature.