What is the Alexander Technique?
Recently I was asked to provide a brief definition or description of the Alexander Technique for an interview I was giving. This is always such a challenge, because the work needs to be directly experienced to be understood. However, I am rather pleased with the following, and I hope it helps you understand what AT is and does. If you want to find out more, contact me -- amy@wayopenscenter.com -- or find another Alexander teacher -- www.ati-net.com or www.amsatonline.com.
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 interfere 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.
That’s vitally important in the modern culture we live in. It is so easy to become overwhelmed by the constant barrage of information and other stimuli coming at us every day, and so we shut down and get disconnected -- from ourselves and from one another. Alexander Technique is the work that reintegrates. It is a completely sustainable approach to living.