What is the Alexander Technique?

The Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique helps you discover a new balance and poise by releasing unnecessary tension. It can be applied to sitting, lying down, standing, walking, lifting, and a wide variety of specialized skills and daily activities.
Many renowned individuals have studied the Technique, including John Dewey, William Hurt, Aldous Huxley, Kevin Kline, Paul and Linda McCartney, Paul Newman, Mary Steenbergen, and Nikolas Tinbergen (recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology/Medicine), to name just a few.

The Alexander Technique is endorsed by and included in the curriculum of many major institutions including:
The American Conservatory Theatre
American Dance Festival
Brandeis University
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Manhattan School of Music
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London
The Royal College of Music, London
San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Frequently asked questions

The Alexander Technique is a profoundly simple, educational process for learning to improve freedom and ease of movement while regaining natural coordination. The Technique teaches the use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity, giving you more energy for all your activities. 

Marjorie Barstow was the first graduate from F.M. Alexander's first teacher training course in 1934 and continued teaching worldwide, until her death at the age of 95. 

Marjorie Barstow was an innovator. Her style of teaching was light, precise, and joyful. She asked her students to take an active part in the learning process; to think, to experiment, and to stick to the principles discovered by F.M. Alexander. What she did to help students apply Alexander's discoveries seemed created in the moment, specifically for that student and situation. She always sought simpler, more practical ways to communicate her understanding and love of the Technique, and the teachers at the Barstow Institute feel happily challenged to continue her tradition. 

Those who study the Alexander Technique learn how to:
reduce tension and stress in everyday activities
enhance performance skills (such as dancing, singing, playing an instrument, acting, and athletics)
prevent injuries and fatigue
help relieve chronic pain
produce more efficient movement
improve posture, coordination, and self-image
increase energy and self-awareness
allow for greater efficiency in movement 

This workshop is designed both for those who are new to the Alexander Technique and for anyone interested in refining their understanding and practical applications of the Technique. The emphasis of this workshop is on facilitating each student's ability to confidently apply the Alexander Technique in all their activities. Each student will gain a greater awareness of how to move efficiently while learning to free themselves of unnecessary tension. The Technique is taught through verbal exchange, delicate hands-on guidance, and observation.

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