"You translate everything, whether physical or mental or spiritual, into muscular tension". F.M. Alexander

What is the Alexander Technique ?
The Alexander Technique is a method developed by F.M. Alexander (1869-1955) which re-educates the way we "use" our selves - that is to say how we move and coordinate our bodies. We learn to reduce stressful and unnecessary muscle tension which limits functioning and causes pain.

Alexander developed the Technique in the 1890's in response to his recurring voice problems as an actor.

Who can benefit ?
Individuals from 6 to 106 can learn the Technique! Many people take lessons because of health problems: chronic pain conditions in the back, neck, or joints; tension, stress, anxiety; posture and spinal problems; headaches; asthma and other breathing problems; disorders of the digestive tract, among others.

Others have lessons because of a curiosity about themselves and a desire for personal development.

It is also taught in drama and music colleges and is seen as an essential element in a performer's training. Sports people (including horseriders) find their performance improves with better "use", and pregnant women find it helps them cope with the rapid changes they are experiencing, as well as with giving birth.

What will a lesson be like ?
A teacher will show you how to release tension so you can align and balance your body better. Lessons are on a one-to-one basis. A combination of hands-on work and verbal instruction is used as a teacher guides you through a range of everyday activities - walking, bending, sitting, breathing and talking. Pupils also lie on a table and learn to release tight muscles while the teacher gently moves the limbs and encourages the back to lengthen and expand. For comfort, loose-fitting clothes should be worn.

An Alexander lesson is never painful: the teachers hands are always gentle. By the end of your first lesson you feel physically more comfortable and mentally relaxed.

What can it do for you ?
As the lessons progress, the technique becomes a powerful tool to be applied to all aspects of daily life. Students of the technique experience improved poise, both physical and mental, and movement is lighter and freer. Self-confidence often improves along with an upright, graceful carriage. Pain is relieved and fatigue is often lessened. As one learns to release unnecessary tension, one's ability to enjoy life increases too!

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Will I be manipulated or massaged ?
No. Alexander teachers use their hands in a unique way that is completely different from chiropractors or massage therapists. Clients remain fully clothed.

Is it like yoga ?
No. The technique does not consist of a set of exercises or meditation practices.

Is there is a spiritual/religious value system involved ?
No. The technique is not derived from a religious belief system. It is a scientific discipline for attaining optimum human functioning.

Is the technique recognised by the medical profession ?
Yes. Doctors, chiropractors and physiotherapists recommend it for their patients, and in several instances have lessons themselves. Your doctor may not yet know about the Alexander Technique. We will be happy to provide you and your physicians with any information you require.

Is it recognised by Medical Aid companies ?
No, but the situation is currently being assessed by RAMS (the Representative Association of Medical Aid Schemes in S.A.).

What will it cost ?
A minimum of 20 lessons is recommended to learn the technique properly, although even a few are said to make a difference. Lessons cost from R70 -R80, and last 30 - 45 minutes.

Professional information
Alexander teachers complete a 3 year, full-time, training and are required to belong to a professional body with a code of conduct and carefully monitored standards of training. The local body, the South African Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (SASTAT), is internationally recognised and affiliated with the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique in the U.K. (STAT).

Quotes
"I find the Alexander Technique very helpful in my work. Things happen without your trying. They get to be light and relaxed. You must get an Alexander teacher to show it to you."
John Cleese - Comedian and actor

"We teach people to become aware of the unnecessary strain and overtension they make in everything they do, so that they need not continue to misuse themselves in this way."
Marjory Barlow - Teacher of the Technique for over 60 years

"I recommend the Alexander Technique as an extremely sophisticated form of rehabilitation......many types of underperformance and even ailments, both mental and physical, can be alleviated, sometimes to a surprising degree, by teaching the body musculature to function differently."
Prof. N. Tinbergen - Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1973

"When an investigation comes to be made, it will be found that every single thing we are doing in this work is exactly what is being done in Nature where the conditions are right, the difference being that we are learning to do it consciously."
F.M. Alexander