• WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?
• HOW DID THE TECHNIQUE DEVELOP?
• HOW DOES THE TECHNIQUE WORK?
• WHY DO WE NEED TEACHING?
• WHERE DO I START?

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WHAT DOES IT INVOLVE?

It isn't the latest health fad, and it certainly isn't intended as a one-off, short term cure. Although just a few lessons can make a real difference, its full benefits emerge over the long term through a sustained period of tuition on a one-to-one basis.

HOW DID THE TECHNIQUE DEVELOP?

Frederick Mathias Alexander (1869-1955) was an Australian actor who had problems with his voice and breathing. Unable to gain relief from medical treatment or conventional voice training methods, and convinced that his problems were to do with the way he was using his voice, he set out to discover for himself what he was doing wrong and how to change it.

His investigation took him over ten years! He had continual setbacks which forced him to observe more closely and think more deeply. The discoveries he made in this time not only enabled him to overcome his original problem, but also led to the eradication of a number of other disorders from which he had suffered since childhood.

He came to see that most people had the same underlying problems that he had discovered in himself. He also found they had the same lack of awareness as he had when he began his research. He began to teach others his technique, first in Australia and then in Britain and America, and continued to do so until his death at the age of 86, by which time the Alexander Technique had become recognized throughout the world as an original and distinctive branch of the study of human behaviour and a major contribution to preventative medicine and health promotion.

At its heart is Alexander's insistence that we cannot separate the 'mental' and 'physical' components of activity. To do so is to create an artificial divide which prevents us from identifying the real nature of our problems and developing satisfactory, long-term solutions to them. Such views are expressed quite commonly nowadays, but Alexander was a true pioneer in this field and the Alexander Technique carries this principle into practice in a way that few other disciplines do.

HOW DOES THE TECHNIQUE WORK?

Imagine yourself carrying out an everyday activity like tidying a room. Think how often you have to bend, turn and twist, and how many joints and muscles you use in different combinations as you do so. Consider too how you think your way through the activity: deciding what to do next, changing your mind, forgetting one half-finished task as another claims your attention. And think also about your feelings as you work; are you hurrying to get it done or enjoying the activity for its own sake? Is your mind on what you are doing or does it wander? Are you physically comfortable or is it something of a strain?

Can you imagine being able to perform every activity with total ease and fluidity; being able to concentrate effortlessly on any task for as long as you need to, and still finish the day feeling light and free from physical and mental stress: Alexander discovered the simple, natural principles which enable everyone to achieve this... and much more.

The over-all co-ordination of the body in activity is governed by the dynamic relationship of the head to the spine - Alexander called it the 'primary control' in the use of ourselves. By gaining a conscious understanding of this critical relationship we can improve our efficiency, general health and well-being.

More so than any other parts of the body, the head and neck are rich in sense organs that control our balance and muscle tension. When we over-tense our neck muscles they pull the head back and down and throw the whole system out of equilibrium, spreading tension from the head and neck right through the body, even to the face, fingers, and toes. By learning to allow the head to release in a forward and upward direction in relation to the spine a healthy muscle tone and a relaxed pattern of responsiveness - our natural poise - is restored.

As has already been suggested, this is much more than merely a matter of posture training or body mechanics. The ways we think and move are indivisibly linked. Maintaining bodily freedom in the modern world requires us to develop our powers of conscious reasoning to observe and analyze our activity and its consequences. We can then develop these powers further in all spheres of life: personal, professional, social, political and ethical. The mind and body are one, and the Alexander Technique the iPAC way shows us how to treat ourselves accordingly.

WHY DO WE NEED TEACHING?

Habitual patterns of misuse are acquired progressively and largely unconsciously from early childhood. We feel their effects in pain and discomfort, loss of vitality and well-being, deteriorating performance, difficulty in acquiring new skills, and impairment of attention and memory, but we are rarely conscious of the habits themselves. Alexander Technique the iPAC way brings them to light and empowers you to rid yourself of them - effortlessly.

Everyone can benefit from studying the Alexander Technique the iPAC way at any stage of life. Children can learn how to preserve their natural poise and put it to good use in mastering life skills, developing an inner confidence which guarantees personal and educational success. Adolescents can draw on the same confidence to help negotiate that self-conscious phase when they are acutely vulnerable to peer pressure to conform to stereotypes. Adults can use it to combat stress, avoid physical deterioration, and keep themselves alive and learning. And the elderly can keep mobile and flexible without the need for vigorous exercise.

WHERE DO I START?

Members of Alexander Technique Atlantic (ATA) are experienced teachers who maintain the tradition of high quality individual tuition that has helped so many people over the years whilst continually seeking to present the Alexander Technique with freshness and relevance.

More and more GPs and hospital consultants are recognizing the positive health benefits of the Alexander Technique, and we are happy to consider referrals from them.

There is a growing interest in the business community about the benefits the Alexander Technique can offer in relation to stress management and health and safety. We welcome this interest and are more than happy to organize in-house induction courses. We have run successful programs for large organisations.

Musicians and actors readily appreciate the Alexander Technique. We have worked in the UK with players from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, The Welsh National Opera, and the Welsh College of Music and Drama, as well as individual amateurs and professionals. Our growing presence in university theatre and music departments, conservatories of performing arts and other arts institutions in Atlantic Canada now make us increasingly accessible to a wider performing arts community.

Whatever your main concerns, if you have taken the time to read through this explanation you are likely to be the kind of person who will benefit from the Alexander Technique. Why not invest in a healthier and happier future with clarity and certainty by studying the Alexander Technique with us the iPAC way.