The Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique is an alternative medicine and educational discipline focusing on bodily coordination, including psychological principles of awareness. It is applied for purposes of recovering freedom of movement, in the mastery of performing arts, and for general self-improvement affecting poise, impulse control and attention.

The Technique takes its name from F. Matthias Alexander, who, in the 1890s, developed its principles as a personal tool to alleviate his breathing problems and hoarseness and hence enable him to pursue a career as a Shakespearean actor.

Teachers use demonstration, explanation, and repeated examination of what spontaneously occurs in the student. Light hand contact is also used to detect the student’s unnecessary physical and mental stresses. Hands-on suggestions are offered in the context of everyday actions such as sitting, standing, walking, using the hands, and speaking. Assistance with sports, hobbies, or the performing arts may be requested by students as further topics of personal interest.

Below we’ve embedded part one and part two from the British Medical Journal on YouTube.

Part 1

Part 2

Tags: Back Pain, Medical Questions