Alexander Technique FAQ
What is the Alexander Technique?
How does the Alexander Technique work?
Why is the Alexander Technique so helpful, in general?
Why is the Alexander Technique so helpful for creative professionals / artists?
Will the Alexander Technique improve my posture?
What can I do if I’m interested in learning more about the Alexander Technique?
What is the Alexander Technique?
The Alexander Technique a method of mind-body reeducation that helps all of your parts communicate with each other more efficiently and effectively.
One of the results of this process is that you may experience less muscle tension or discomfort and move towards feeling more balanced and coordinated, so that you can sing/breathe/move/live with more balance and ease.
In his book The Alexander Technique Workbook, Richard Brennan describes the Alexander Technique as integrating the “human” and “being” parts of ourselves. Putting “consciousness back into whatever you are doing: it is the practical application of being in the here and now” (p. 11).
Here’s what you can expect when you take lessons in the Alexander Technique:
Physiological You - We will explore how your physical parts are interconnected, and all work together to create a cohesive, coordinated whole so that you feel more balanced and less stiff when you sing, speak, breathe, and move.
This is your DOING self. Action, making things happen, engaging with the world around you.
Psychological You - We will explore how your thoughts, feelings, and intentions have a DIRECT impact on your voice, breath, and body, AND what do to with that information so that you have more CHOICE in how you approach your art, work, creative projects, and daily life.
This is your BEING self. Being, experiencing, receiving, consciousness.
Our DOING and our BEING selves are interwoven, inseparable. You are actually ONE cohesive, integrated, whole self.
This practical teaching method is over 100 years old - it is tried, tested, and true, and is constantly evolving to adapt to the constantly changing needs of people today.
“The Alexander Technique is a way of learning to move mindfully through life. The Alexander process shines a light on inefficient habits of movement and patterns of accumulated tension, which interferes with our innate ability to move easily and according to how we are designed.
“It’s a simple yet powerful approach that offers the opportunity to take charge of one’s own learning and healing process, because it’s not a series of passive treatments but an active exploration that changes the way one thinks and responds in activity. It produces a skill set that can be applied in every situation.
“Lessons leave one feeling lighter, freer, and more grounded.”
How does the Alexander Technique work?
The Alexander Technique is an experiential method of self-discovery that is based around a set of principles. These principles (listed below) work together to help you to recognize and (re)assess your habitual tendencies of movement and behaviour, so that you can speak/breath/move with ease, flexibility, and spontaneity.
The principles grew out of F. M. Alexander’s process of self-exploration as he sought to get to the bottom of his own vocal and breathing difficulties.
Through a process of self-observation and trial and error, he found that he was able to figure out what he was actually doing - which was often different from what he thought he was doing - which was interfering with his voice and breathing.
Interestingly, he also found that by bringing awareness to his habitual tendencies - rather than doing something to fix it - he was already allowing something new to emerge in the use of his vocal and breathing coordination. “Do nothing” was a radical approach at the turn of the 19th century … and in many pedagogical paradigms today, awareness is still a radical - and effective! - approach.
What’s unique about the development of the Alexander Technique is that the theory and principles came AFTER Alexander’s process of self-discovery. And this experiential, exploratory process is still how lessons tend to unfold today: experience before theory (or at least, an interdependent relationship between the two).
The foundational principles of the Alexander Technique are:
Faulty Sensory Appreciation
Noticing your Force of habit
Inhibition and Nondoing
Sending Directions and Allowing
Noticing an End Gaining process
The Alexander Technique approach has moved through many evolutions over the last 100+ years, thanks to the dedicated work of thousands of intrepid teachers, but the principles have remained essentially unchanged, reinforcing the timelessness of this process of self-discovery.
Our work together is to start to see what’s interfering with your performance - in any activity, not just voice-related! - so that you can start to make changes and move toward different experiences in your chosen field (again not necessarily singing!).
We do this by building awareness around your unconscious tendencies, so that you can have some choice in how you move and react to situations, so that you can prevent tension and discomfort from building up in your system.
These tendencies - habits, patterns, what word would you use? - are often a tangle of the physiological, psychological, and emotional, and so we explore them whole-istically and piece by piece … sometimes we zoom in, sometimes we zoom out, always exploring within the context of your whole experience.
We also build new awareness by clearing up misconceptions about anatomy stuff so that you can work WITH your design, rather than against it.
Your body has a way of storing past experience for future use. These past experiences might include:
injury
physical and emotional stress
a sudden shock to your system (this could be physical, emotional, or psychological)
performances that didn’t go as planned
inherited conditions
what else would you add?
Sometimes past experiences go unnoticed for a long time, and we build up resistance and tension around them without realizing it. We don’t usually try to look at this stuff until there’s some kind of problem:
“my voice feels tight”
“my breathing feels restricted”
“I’m tired all the time”
“I can’t sing/breathe/move as easily as I used to”
“my neck/shoulders/back aches when I’m sitting at the computer”
This is often when clients make their way to me - when they’re at their wits’ end.
When nothing else seems to be working.
Every experience we have in life translates directly into a particular coordination.
Human beings are remarkably good at adapting.
It’s just that sometimes we adapt AWAY from our natural design.
The Alexander Technique can help you get back on track so you can get back to singing/running/dancing/computing with more choice and awareness.
So we will work together to help you uncover, rebuild, repattern, reinvigorate, recuperate … what would YOU add to this list?
Some benefits of the Alexander Technique from Richard Brennan’s book The Alexander Technique Workbook (pp. 12-18):
moving through life with greater ease
becoming more aware of yourself physically, emotionally and mentally
preventing unnecessary wear and tear on your body
detecting and releasing excessive muscular tension
conserving energy by finding new ways of moving
recognizing and changing your patterns of behaviour
recognizing and changing your habitual ways of performing actions
recreating the grace of movement you had as a child
becoming free
what else would you add to this list?
We will work together to improve communication between your mind and your body - including your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sensations - and to build a more reliable relationship with your whole self so that you can have more ease in performance and daily life.
We will work together to build understanding around how your body parts are interconnected so that you can make informed choices about how you move, sing that song, breathe for that phrase, sit at your computer, work on your lesson plans, write your script, speak in front of your colleagues, etc.
We will work together to understand how your thoughts and intentions translate into muscular engagement, so that you can reframe how you think about certain activities to achieve more reliable results.
Why is the Alexander Technique so helpful, in general?
Before I found the Alexander Technique, I honestly thought that if I didn’t feel like I was “working hard” - a.k.a. if my voice wasn’t tired after singing, if my body didn’t ache after dancing - then I wasn’t doing a good job.
When I was little, I sang and danced with wild abandon! I was THAT kid: always singing to herself, always playing make-believe and dress-up, always making everything into a SHOW. I made my own fun and didn’t worry what anyone thought.
But somewhere along the way I lost that childlike unselfconsciousness and started to hold myself in and hold myself back. I became obsessed with getting good grades. I compared myself to others constantly. I only danced or sang when no one was listening or watching. I became painfully self-conscious in performance, and developed crippling performance anxiety. My body grew stiff and awkward. Singing and dancing felt like an effort all the time, and I was always tired and sore when practicing and performing.
My back hurt constantly.
I lost my confidence. I lost my self, in a way, because my body no longer made sense to me.
I didn’t know what I was doing wrong, but I knew I wanted to FIX IT.
Making art wasn’t fun anymore. It was WORK.
Cue the Alexander Technique.
After my first Alexander Technique lesson with my teacher, here’s how I felt:
an overall sense of quiet calm that felt VERY NEW to me
I felt like I was walking on air
I felt taller
The idea that I didn’t have to work so hard at EVERYTHING I was doing - singing, practicing piano, writing essays, walking up the stairs - was radical to me.
With my teacher’s gentle and patient guidance, I slowly learned how very little extraneous muscular effort was actually required to do simple things like sit in a chair or type at my computer.
I gradually learned how to achieve this feeling of balance and effortlessness on my own, so that I wouldn’t have to wait around in agony until my next one:one session with my teacher.
I didn’t even know I needed help with my body until I experienced what it felt like to sing without squeezing my ribcage.
I began to see the ripple effect of the benefits of the Alexander Technique for artists and educators, and I knew I wanted to share this work with the world.
Why is the Alexander Technique so helpful for creative professionals / artists?
Creatives, artists, and educators are often deeply sensitive humans. We unknowingly absorb a lot of what’s going on around us. It’s our JOB to “read the room,” to listen with more than just our ears … so it makes sense that our bodies are often highly sensitive and attuned to what’s happening around us.
All of this happens unconsciously, without awareness, usually. And when we are happy and healthy, our systems process these experiences without us having to do anything about it. Because BODIES ARE SO COOL AND SELF-REGULATING AND AMAZING.
Here’s something super important I want you to know: We store these unconscious reactions in our bodies. Even the uncomfortable, less-than-ideal situations live inside of us. And sometimes we don’t have the resources or awareness to process everything that we experience in life as it is happening. Eventually these unprocessed experiences build up, and result in tension that interferes with our performance, not just in a physical way, but emotionally and psychologically, too.
As artists and educators, we want to be able to communicate and connect from a deeply personal and authentic place. We intuitively understand that in order to do that effectively, we need to be able to connect to our bodies.
Maybe you’ve heard this phrase:
your body is your instrument
Right? So, getting your body to be finely-tuned and in tip-top shape is super important for us as artists and educators.
The Alexander Technique offers a way for artists to connect the dots between voice and breath and body and intention and purpose, so that we can GET OUT OF OUR OWN WAY so that we can DO THE CREATIVE THINGS, so that we can feel and spread JOY, and sing and create and fly with WILD ABANDON.
(Still not convinced? Read on for some #truths about CREATIVITY…)
What is the connection between “posture” and creativity? (Thanks for this GREAT question, Elle Denny!)
We carry our lived experiences - our stories - in our bodies. Which is incredible and amazing, as you know.
Think of a time when you felt absolutely free and “in the moment.” When you were taken over by inspiration. When you were in a “flow” experience.
When you were in that creative zone, often called a “flow” experience, what did you feel?
alive
open
buzzy
electric
focused
soaring
like I was taking a deep dive
loss of sense of time
lack of sensation, less aware of my body (no pain, no distractions)
When you’re in a “flow” experience, you don’t even feel you have a body, do you? You’re just BEING.
This is your felt, lived experience of creativity.
It’s only when you feel BLOCKED that you’re aware you even have a body - because it’s not working as you expect or need it to!
Now think of a time when you did NOT feel like you were in the “flow.” What did you feel?
stiff
blocked
closed off or shut down
frustrated
stuck
dumb
imposter syndrome
aware of how I’m sitting, keep changing position, fidgeting
awareness of registration changes in my voice
thinking of all the things I “need to do” in order to achieve this task “properly”
Sound familiar?
Here’s what I want you to know:
That creative “flow” that you’re chasing? That totally free breath you’re trying to achieve? It’s not something that can’t be FORCED or MANIPULATED. It’s not an end result you need to be striving for - because as I’m sure you’ve noticed, the HARDER you work for it? The more elusive that feeling becomes. Right?
Here’s another #hardtruth:
The Alexander Technique isn’t going to magically fix all of your problems. It’s not a step-by-step guide to getting out of writer’s block. It’s not a cure-all for every ailment or pain you’ve ever had.
Here’s what it CAN offer you, though: a tool for recognizing your habitual interferences, and a strategic process for changing what’s no longer serving you.
Your body is a vessel for creativity and expression. The Alexander Technique is a practical method for nourishing the vessel so that when inspiration strikes, you are READY for it.
Will the Alexander Technique improve my posture?
#soapboxalert
Some musings on the word posture……
The goal of having good posture is not new to you, I’m sure. There are countless blog posts and products out there promising to solve all of your posture woes. There are many qualified health professionals who can assist you in your postural predicaments. I am not here to disqualify or diminish these approaches.
I am here to offer you some new perspectives on posture, and to illuminate how your preconceived ideas about how you should sit/stand/sing/be-a-human-person-in-the-world are impacting how your body is functioning - you may be surprised by what your body already knows about how to coordinate itself without interference from y-o-u.
What even IS posture?
When we talk about posture, we are generally referring to the ways in which you hold yourself while sitting, standing, walking, singing, teaching, vacuuming, sitting at the computer, etc.
When we talk about bad posture, we are usually talking about ways of coordinating yourself that lead to the shortening or constricting of certain muscles due to misalignment/misuse/malcoordination, and the weakening or flaccidity of other muscles that would usually be supporting a particular shape or movement.
Over time, we can get stuck in particular ways of moving that reinforce poor postural habits, and lead to strain, pain, and even injury. The Alexander Technique is one way of examining the habitual tendencies that have been keeping you stuck in a rut.
Try this:
What do you think of when you think of good posture? More importantly, what does your body do when you think about having good posture?
shoulders back
chest lifted
“noble” posture
sit up straight
rigid
perfect
open, lifted ribcage
Okay, cool. Now I want you to do all of those things right now: put your shoulders back, lift your chest, “open” your ribcage (like…what does that even MEAN?). Now, go be creative.
Can you sing from here?
Can you write like this?
What’s your body doing?
The longer you stay here, what thoughts do you have?
I’m willing to bet that creativity isn’t as accessible from this good posture place.
Not to mention, I’d imagine it’ll get real tiring real fast staying in this good posture position for longer than a few minutes. And that’s likely because you’re recruiting muscles to support this imposed good posture position that are either not usually responsible for doing the job you’re asking them to do, AND/OR long to be free to support ongoing processes like balancing in a chair or speaking or breathing.
When we attempt to manipulate body parts into a “better” alignment - without understanding the underlying causes of pain and tension OR how your natural human design actually works most efficiently - sometimes we unwittingly add MORE unnecessary muscular tension and actually make things harder for ourselves.
Which is why I’ve stopped using the word posture all together in the studio.
Posture is static. It’s a position. And it doesn’t speak to how your system ACTUALLY works best.
Instead, I use words like coordination and balance. These words imply movement and ongoing coordinating, and take into consideration the INTERRELATEDNESS OF ALL OF YOUR PARTS.
Believe me. I’ve tried allllll of the good posture tricks and you know what? None of them worked as well as leaving myself and my body the heck alone and just LETTING IT DO ITS AMAZING INNATELY EFFICIENT COORDINATION THING.
[steps down from soapbox]
What are some things I can start doing right away to address my neck/shoulder/back pain? (especially during this work-from-home time)
Book a free 20min consultation with me! You’ve read this far! Seriously! What are you waiting for??
But truly, having a supportive, objective outside perspective is hugely helpful as you start to explore your habits - because up until now, those habits have been unconscious, right? So you’ll need help as your starting out.
In the meantime…
Your whole house can become your “lab”!
Every daily task - brushing your teeth, making your bed in the morning, carrying the laundry basket - can become a light-hearted study in movement and intention and awareness.
What happens in your shoulders as you’re cutting tomatoes while making dinner?
Is there anything funky going on in your neck and shoulder as your applying mascara or shaving cream in the morning?
Is it possible to UNSCRUNCH (thank you for this term, Cathy Madden!) as you do these tasks?
As yourself, “Can I do less?”
Also, you can take breaks and LIE DOWN multiple times during the day. Yes, for real! This is THE simplest way to quickly interrupt an unhelpful postural or movement habit before it causes you pain and gets you stuck.
In the Alexander Technique world, we call this practice of lying down Constructive Rest. It’s a wonderful way to pause, arrest a habit, rest your body, increase body awareness - ESPECIALLY if you’re spending more time at the computer than you’re used to. I have a 30-day course coming out soon to help you get into the daily habit of Constructive Rest moments. Sign up for more info.
Try this simple noticing sequence:
Pause and notice - UNSCRUNCH (“Can I do less?”)
What do you notice? What does it feel like to UNSCRUNCH your neck?
delicious
taking away the scrunch, not adding anything
to just be a loose piece of cloth, unfolding
de-stressing
release
playful
like a baby who doesn’t have any pain
not people-pleasing
not trying to achieve anything
It may seem IMPOSSIBLE that such simple, effortless activities could start to improve your coordination and balance and “posture,” but TRUST ME.
I’ve been doing this for over 20 years.
IT WORKS.
“These are things I can think about on my own in specific daily tasks like chopping a tomato. I can become aware of when the scrunching is happening, and then I can pause and notice what’s actually happening.”
Elle Denny, actor and playwright
What can I do if I’m interested in learning more about the Alexander Technique?
I’m going to say it again:
Talk to me! For real! You’re STILL reading this??? Reward yourself with a free consultation already! ;)
Okay but seriously. We are fortunate that the Alexander Technique is so widely practiced and trusted now, that there are SO many resources available to you if you’d like to deepen your learning.
There’s an avenue of inquiry for every level of time/bandwidth/financial capacity:
minimal time/energy/financial investment
quick google search - the top 3-5 hits are going to give you LOTS of info
try searching for “Alexander Technique and [insert your THING here]”, for example, “Alexander Technique and swimming” or “Alexander Technique and computers” - every teacher has their own specialization (mine is the voice and your emotional wellbeing), so you’re guaranteed to find something that pertains to your unique needs
YouTube search - many teachers and training schools have created great content to provide an intro to the Technique, and to supplement your at-home practice
moderate time/energy/financial investment
try a one-off drop-in session with 2-4 different teachers to get a sense of which teaching style works best for you
larger time/energy/financial investment
commit to a series of regular lessons - most teachers recommend at least 10-12 one:one sessions (online or in person) to really start experiencing changes and results
many certified Alexander Technique teachers offer lesson packages and/or courses designed for people who are new to the Technique and want to learn what it’s all about (teachers such as, oh I don’t know, yours truly!). So don’t be shy in asking if this is on offer!
Alexander Technique Resources