January 2010
With the Alexander Technique, the eyes have it
Take a moment as you're reading this to stop, and look up with your eyes only. Then look straight ahead again. Do this a few times. You may notice that there is an ever-so-slight tensing [...]
December 2009
Alexander Technique Lessons In Stopping
Sometimes in the early stages of Alexander Technique lessons, I might ask a student to ‘do nothing’ while they're lying on the massage table, or to 'let go' as I move their arm...I'm asking the Alexander Technique student (we're all Alexander Technique students) to inhibit. This isn't inhibition as in suppressing; it more has to do with stopping your initial response giving you a chance to do something in a new, conscious, beneficial way...
Alexander Technique But Not All the Time
Often at the start of an Alexander Technique lesson here in New York City, I'll ask 'how did it go this week?' A few responses: 'I did the Alexander Technique, but not all the time,' or, 'I thought about the Alexander Technique, but not all the time.' To me, these are honest answers, but does anyone think of the Alexander Technique all the time? Would we want to be thinking about it constantly, and thinking of nothing else? Is that any way to enjoy a movie, a book or a companion? The Alexander Technique definitely becomes part of life, and new, more beneficial habits are formed. Even without directly thinking about the Alexander Technique, we've changed. We begin to have less tension with everything we do. We sit at the computer, stand, walk, bend, play the bassoon and bowl in a different way without the Alexander Technique being in the forefront of our thinking...
November 2009
What Does The Alexander Technique Do?
The Alexander Technique calms you down as it wakes you up. The Alexander Technique lets you know what you already knew but forgot so that you can remember it when you forget it again. It gives some un-namable things names, reinforced by a guiding touch. The Alexander Technique gives you words, strategies and directions to get the feelings you want. It opens you up. All you have to do is think of it. The Alexander Technique has plenty of side effects, only they're all good ones...
Benefits Of Alexander's Technique
Here are some of the benefits of the Alexander Technique, indicated in the book "Alexander Technique" by Chris Stevens. This book was published in 1987. Edward Maisel, Director of the American Physical Fitness Research Institute [...]
October 2009
The Alexander Method And Touch
NEW YORK TIMES August 2009 Since touch can be such an important part in the Alexander Technique, this New York Times article is especially apropos. Although not specifically about the Alexander Technique, it has strong relevance. It was printed in the August 11th, 2009 New York Times by Nicholas Bakalar. Please note the last line, referring to touch: "This is a sophisticated differential signaling system that we haven't previously known about." Alexander Technique teachers have been using touch to convey ideas, concepts and feelings for well over 100 years. Please enjoy the following article. Researchers have found experimental evidence that a touch can be worth a thousand words, that fleeting physical contact can express specific emotions — silently, subtly and unmistakably...