Friday 15 August 2008

Alexander Technique


The Alexander Technique is used to help to teach people about how efficiently and effortlessly they can use their bodies in everyday life. Often, we develop bad posture and habits without being aware of this, and expend too much energy or muscle force to achieve a task. Alexander Technique teachers help to adjust the client's posture to recognise the difference between current habits and what it feels like to use muscles with minimum effort and in a relaxed, fluid way. The Technique teaches how to become more aware of your own posture, balance and movement in everyday life.
The Alexander Technique was developed by an Australian actor, Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955). He suffered from respiratory problems as a child, which later affected his voice and career in the theatre. He tried many remedies without success and eventually began a process of self-observation to try to find a way of curing himself. He realised that the voice problem was a result of muscular tension in his whole body and that his thought patterns also had a great part in contributing to the tension that had become an ingrained habit. Alexander studied his posture with the aid of mirrors to see how this was affected when he recited and as a result could see that his body alignment was incorrect. He gradually taught himself to correct his posture and found that he had cured his voice problem. He went on to pass the technique to others and eventually opened a clinic to help people to learn about their own use of posture.

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