Alexander Technique

Application

The Alexander Technique is a concept which can help you perform all your usual activities without any unnecessary tension. It can be applied to sitting, standing, walking, lifting and speaking: to whatever you do during your day.

Physical therapists often feel pain in their neck, shoulders and back. During the therapy the patient gets better, but the therapist slowly gets worse. The Alexander-Technique can be a benefit to physical therapists as it provides a set of guidelines for using the body efficiently in their daily activities. It also has proven to be helpful as an addition to the treatment protocol for patients with back problems, arthritis, muscular spasms and asthma.

A common complaint amongst pregnant women is that they often suffer from lower back pain, digestive problems and shortness of breath. When the baby is growing, it occupies more internal space and the woman’s internal organs become compressed. During an Alexander session she will learn how to protect her back so that it remains pain-free and how to reduce compression by allowing the torso to expand, so that she feels more comfortable and can breathe deeper and easier.

Its use in athletes has been increasing, especially amongst swimmers, equestrians and, golfers; including the former PGA tour member, Jeff Julian.

Horse riders will improve through greater balance and integrate this with special reference to posture and movement. Because Alexander-Technique uses visualization rather than force and muscle power, it creates better riding. The result is a softer, more sensitive rider who can influence nearly every movement of the horse, because the rider is now in full control over its own body.

By helping musicians to improve the quality of the physical movements involved in playing an instrument or singing, the Alexander-Technique also helps improve the quality of the music itself. As musicians learn to release undue tension in their bodies, the performance becomes more fluid and lively, less tense and rigid. Today, musicians and other performing artists use the Alexander-Technique extensively. It is part of the required curriculum at the Juilliard School and the Royal Academy of Music.