THE SIMPLEST WAY to describe the Alexander Technique is that it is a way of learning how to move and think naturally: to do all that we do easily and with awareness.

We upright humans possess a delicate and innate antigravity mechanism. This is governed by the way our heads are poised in relation to our spines. When this relationship is working well, our movements at all levels of complexity are well coordinated, deeply integrated, natural and conscious.

We all have habits that interfere with this coordination. Some save us time but more often than not, we use ourselves in ways that produce tension, make things harder than necessary, and overtime, can cause pain and impaired functioning. We can learn to recognize and reduce our habitual patterns of misuse. With guidance, we can learn not to overwork the delicate muscles that connect our heads to our spines. And we can learn to understand the ways in which our movements are connected to the way we think.

Briefly, F. M. Alexander was born in Tasmania in 1869. He had a stage career in London when he developed difficulty with his voice and breathing that baffled the medical profession of his day. Need, persistence and genius led to his discovery of the importance of the relationship of his head to his spine in governing all movement. He developed his now classic way of working with the connection between body and mind and was able to resume his career and transmit his knowledge to others. (Aldous Huxley, John Dewey and George Bernard Shaw were among his early admirers) Much current research is going on that confirms the importance of what Alexander learned over a hundred years ago.

Please use the links provided for further information. It is a fascinating story. Click here for more on the history of the Alexander Technique. Click here for information on scientific research.