Alexander technique

What is the Alexander Technique?

The Alexander Technique is a re-educational process of your body and mind.

Through a teacher’s gentle hands-on and verbal instruction, you as a student learn to be aware of your habitual misuses of your body which cause pain and fatigue, inhibit them consciously, and restore your coordinated function and potentiality of your body which you already have.

The Alexander Technique is for everybody who has the physical problem and wants to improve the use of the self. For over 100 years people have been helped by the benefits of the Alexander Technique worldwide.

Who is Alexander?

F.M. Alexander was born in Australia in 1869. He was a Shakespearean actor with great zeal, but lost his voice during his performances.

After many years of his own research and observation using a three-way mirror, without medical help, he finally found the cause and recovered from it: The cause was brought by his physical misuse of the head, neck and back relationship and his unnecessary mental attitude to end his aim to perform.

He was invited to England and US to teach his discovery to many people who suffered from various symptoms until the age of 86 in 1955 when he passed away.

What does a lesson look like?

A lesson takes about 50 minutes, and mainly consists of two parts: a chair lesson and a table lesson. In the chair lesson, in the process of the movement of sitting down and standing up, you as a student learn to notice your unconscious unnecessary reactions in your body and mind which causes the muscular tension, especially in your neck, head and back relationship; inhibit them consciously; and get the subtle kinesthetic sense of the functional use of your body with ease and minimum effort to move. In the table lesson, as lying on your back with some books under your head, you learn to let your body free from the unnecessary tension.

In the both lessons, a teacher observes your movement and guides you by verbal instruction and putting his or her hands on you in a gentle way to let your kinesthetic sense know how to release the tension. And the teacher always let you pay your attention to your breathing. During the lesson, you also work on some daily movements such as walking, bending, reaching and lifting objects, or your own activities such as writing, speaking, reading, singing, dancing, playing instruments, sports, computer work, holding a baby, etc. The lesson is not a passive work, but through your thinking process positively.

What are the benefits?

The Alexander Technique is for all-age. It is beneficial for people who have discomfort, fatigue and chronic pain due to habitual misuses of the body and mind: poor postural coordination, neck, shoulder, back and knee pains, old injuries, migraine, asthma, breathing and vocal difficulties, etc. It brings people the great use and ease of the body, and freedom of movement. At the same time, as a mental effect, they may newly discover the potential and happiness in themselves.

It is also so useful for musicians, singers, dancers, actors or athletes who have repetitive pains or want to improve the ability to perform and play with maximum efficiency and ease. The Alexander Technique has been taught at many academic institutes such as The New York University, The Juilliard School, The New School, Barnard College, etc.

How many lessons should be taken?

It depends on what you want and need from the work and the condition of your body. Fundamentally you are recommended to take a lesson once a week. A series of lessons for about six months generally gives you the improvement of the use of your body and mind.

What should I wear during the lesson?

You may wear loose, comfortable clothing. Especially women are recommended to choose pants rather than skirts for the table lesson.

Herndon, VA. (Washington DC Metropolitan area)
satoko@satokokajita.com