The Alexander Technique doesn’t add anything. The Alexander Technique does not make anything more complex.
The core idea of the Alexander Technique is that people in general are beset with unconscious habits, in body as well as thought.
The individual will bring all these habits with him into any activity. Often people will not pay attention to bad habits, which they often label “clumsiness” or “bad posture” – until they cause an acute symptom, like pain.
For the past half century, Alexander Teachers have successfully worked with musicians, singers and performers around the world. Alexander himself, the originator of the technique, was a Shakespearian reciter and was thus relying on his voice at all times.
The Technique is taught at the Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York, The Royal College of Music in London, The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and at many other schools of music, universities and colleges.
If you are a musician, singer or performer, you have a direct understanding of the value of Alexander work, because you can appreciate the value of increased sensitivity.
When you work with a teacher of the Alexander technique, you will raise your knowledge of what you are doing in any activity, you will learn when and why you tense up, and you will discover and deal with blocking behaviours you were not aware were hindering your performance.
Through the Alexander Technique, we learn to stop the superfluous, destructive and unnecessary. This is referred to as “Getting out of the way”.
Get out of YOUR OWN way.
Get out of YOUR TEACHERS way.
Get out of IT’S way.
Some interpret this axiom as an indication towards the state an individual is manifesting when he is participating fully the activity of the present moment. This is particularly true for artists.
