The Technique

The crux of the matter…
The Alexander Technique enables us to re-discover natural poise through awareness and prevention of habits which may be causing stress and pain and impeding our personal performance.

Alexander discovered that the "way that we do what we do" has become largely habitual, so much so, that even though it could be hindering or harming us, we do not realise it. What may seem very normal to us, may not be at all natural.

Crucially, he realised that all of our activities are dependent for their efficiency on the proper and natural relationship of the head, neck and back. This is achieved when the head is balanced on the top of the spinal column by the appropriate small muscles allowing a beneficial lengthening of the spine, and not held by the larger outside muscles of the neck leading to a harmful shortening of the spine.

How have we gone wrong?
Civilisation has evolved rapidly, particularly in recent centuries, and humankind has not adjusted adequately to the new and different activities in which it engages - for example, sitting on chairs at length, working in office environments, using computers and driving cars.

We may unknowingly cultivate harmful habits of employing inappropriate tension in our desire to excel and these habits are then compounded through the generations as young, naturally coordinated children imitate their increasingly dis-coordinated elders.