Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique (AT) is concerned with the use of the self: how we think, react, move, and coordinate ourselves in all activities of daily life. A practical way of working and learning self-help, the AT was developed by Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869–1955) as he sought to discover a solution for a recurrent voice problem. Early in his investigations, Alexander became convinced of the psychophysical unity of the self, rejecting the prevailing orthodoxy of mind–body dualism. His “holistic” model was relatively unusual at the time (late 19th century), but it is more readily accepted now.

People are generally unaware of habits of excessive effort and tension that adversely affect their general functioning, particularly the postural and balance mechanisms. AT teachers do not set out to treat ...