The Alexander Technique

From scrutinizing what exactly the Alexander Technique is to offering guidance on more advanced elements, such as core postural support and psycho-physical unity, this book offers a holistic insight to the Alexander Technique for practitioners and artists. It is difficult to explain the Alexander Technique without hands-on instruction by a qualified teacher. Written by expert Alexander Technique practitioner Peter Ribeaux, who has a wealth of pedagogical and practice experience spanning 45 years, this book steps into that space. In doing so, it refuses to shy away from some of the most alienating elements of the practice (e.g. the arcane language often used), instead breaking them down to make them more easy to understand, while also setting out the most elementary aspects of Alexander Technique for someone who may not yet be familiar with its principles. The author uses his own extensive experience of the Technique to offer tried-and-tested advice and posits that the Alexander Technique is not just about posture, but about choice and the control of reaction. Overall, the book provides a wide scope of the field, from concepts to techniques, as well as an exploration of its application within many different domains.

From scrutinizing what exactly the Alexander Technique is to offering guidance on more advanced elements, such as core postural support and psycho-physical unity, this book offers a holistic insight to the Alexander Technique for practitioners and artists. It is difficult to explain the Alexander Technique without hands-on instruction by a qualified teacher. Written by expert Alexander Technique practitioner Peter Ribeaux, who has a wealth of pedagogical and practice experience spanning 45 years, this book steps into that space. In doing so, it refuses to shy away from some of the most alienating elements of the practice (e.g. the arcane language often used), instead breaking them down to make them more easy to understand, while also setting out the most elementary aspects of Alexander Technique for someone who may not yet be familiar with its principles. The author uses his own extensive experience of the Technique to offer tried-and-tested advice and posits that the Alexander Technique is not just about posture, but about choice and the control of reaction. Overall, the book provides a wide scope of the field, from concepts to techniques, as well as an exploration of its application within many different domains.

" Excellent ... An in-depth look at all of the factors that go into moving well, this book challenges quite a few of our long-held ideas on coordination, posture and natural movement. With the Alexander Technique as a backdrop, we get brought up to speed on recent thinking in the various fields of functional anatomy, biomechanics, neuroscience and polyvagal theory, and explore the effect of a quiet embodied awareness on our general functioning." Reader review " Depth of perception ... Ms. Easten approaches the subject with more current scientific knowledge than one encounters in most books on the Alexander Technique" Reader review Our entire human structure is built for movement, for all aspects of life. This book offers a new theoretical framework for understanding integrated movement, based on the latest scientific models and practical explorations. Presenting a new interpretation of how Alexander developed his work, Easten covers twelve fundamentals of movement and shows how optimal movement is organised around sensory and spatial awareness, and our focus and goals. The book describes how to reawaken innate balanced movement possibilities. Up-to-date scientific research is woven into Alexander's concepts to give a whole picture of how the human body feels, perceives, and self-organises. Clarifying the functional anatomy that underpins the Alexander technique, this book explains how to utilize the power of the autonomic nervous system and spatial awareness to allow us to change old harmful movement habits and enable new body learning. Written accessibly and supported by illustrations and video demonstrations of techniques, this book is ideal for Alexander technique teachers and trainees, movement educators and somatic therapists, posture and ergonomics specialists and those with chronic pain.

" Excellent ... An in-depth look at all of the factors that go into moving well, this book challenges quite a few of our long-held ideas on coordination, posture and natural movement. With the Alexander Technique as a backdrop, we get brought up to speed on recent thinking in the various fields of functional anatomy, biomechanics, neuroscience and polyvagal theory, and explore the effect of a quiet embodied awareness on our general functioning." Reader review " Depth of perception ... Ms. Easten approaches the subject with more current scientific knowledge than one encounters in most books on the Alexander Technique" Reader review Our entire human structure is built for movement, for all aspects of life. This book offers a new theoretical framework for understanding integrated movement, based on the latest scientific models and practical explorations. Presenting a new interpretation of how Alexander developed his work, Easten covers twelve fundamentals of movement and shows how optimal movement is organised around sensory and spatial awareness, and our focus and goals. The book describes how to reawaken innate balanced movement possibilities. Up-to-date scientific research is woven into Alexander's concepts to give a whole picture of how the human body feels, perceives, and self-organises. Clarifying the functional anatomy that underpins the Alexander technique, this book explains how to utilize the power of the autonomic nervous system and spatial awareness to allow us to change old harmful movement habits and enable new body learning. Written accessibly and supported by illustrations and video demonstrations of techniques, this book is ideal for Alexander technique teachers and trainees, movement educators and somatic therapists, posture and ergonomics specialists and those with chronic pain.