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F. Matthias Alexander (1869-1955)
was an Australian actor who suffered from chronic laryngitis while performing.
After physicians failed to help him, he began a nine-year period of self-study.
In the process of effecting his own cure, he discovered the key to optimal
coordination and freedom. Among Alexander's students were Aldous Huxley,
John Dewey and George Bernard Shaw.
The Alexander Technique looks at the habits
that govern how we view ourselves and use ourselves -- habits that develop
at an early age and are reinforced as we grow older. We move around all
day without thinking about the body -- straining the musculature, compressing
the spine, and making ourselves shorter. Our bodies are a low priority
until something breaks down and draws our attention.
The Alexander Technique is like an owner's manual for the body; it teaches
you to use the body according to its inherent design. You learn to notice
and change poor postural habits in order to restore coordination and poise.
It relieves pain and improves performance in artists and athletes. The
Technique gives you tools to take charge and move beyond your limitations
in everything you endeavor to achieve.
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