How it works
“When I first discovered this work I just wanted someone to fix me, but it has led me to something better: a changed point of view of myself” – Bethan, yoga teacher.
Cause and effect
What is it that determines the way you move?
Not the sort of question that keeps most people awake at night, but if there is something limiting you, or restricting your activities, wouldn’t you like to know what it is?
Mr Alexander spent a very long and frustrating time trying to solve his physical problems directly, but it wasn’t until he understood that all of his movement behaviours were caused by something else that he began to make serious progress.
The short version: movement is driven by muscles contracting, muscles contract because nerve impulses tell them to, these impulses come from the brain and are sent out in definite sequences determined by the perceived requirements of the task.
The even shorter version: how you move is determined by what you think and how you think it.
“In the mind of Man lies the secret of his ability to resist, to conquer and finally to govern the circumstances of his life…”F Matthias Alexander
In the ITM (Interactive Teaching Method) approach to teaching the Alexander Technique, we focus on the cause: the mental processes that determine your movement behaviours. We start from the premise that if your movement is restricted, if you are suffering from excess tension, or if you are moving in a way that’s not helping you, there is some kind of thinking that causes that behaviour. You can exercise and practise “good posture” until the cows come home, but to effect a real and lasting change you need to go to the root cause in your thinking.
From your first lesson we will attack some common movement myths and I will help you begin to think more constructively about movement. Then, by applying Alexander’s principles to simple every day activities, or more specialised activities, you can have the direct experience of moving in new ways.
More importantly, with increasing understanding and experience you will be more and more able to do all this for yourself.
"This work has helped me to live an increasingly comfortable, enjoyable life, even as I've taken on more and more responsibility."Danny, musician & teacher
About me
Lessons and workshops
