How will I learn?The Technique is a practical learning process which will show you how to help yourself. During a course of lessons, I will help you to step outside of the limitations that you have come to think of as normal. Using a thoughtful and reasoning approach, we will investigate more beneficial solutions to working and playing.
Initially we will look at simple activities such as sitting, standing and walking. Depending on your particular requirements, we can then relate these ideas to more specialised activities. At times I will use a gentle form of manipulation to demonstrate certain concepts more clearly. The sessions are informal and relaxed. You can dress however you feel comfortable.
"ITM lessons start with activities that are of interest to the student. The variations are therefore endless. I have used lessons to explore, challenge and refine my ideas on activities varying from maintaining a contact on the reins when riding, throwing a ball for my dog, and working on a computer. In the past I have suffered a repetitive strain injury in my wrist and this has improved greatly as I have applied the Alexander Technique to my use of the mouse and keyboard.
Groups lessons are great fun and allow learning through observation of others as well as sharing understandings and insights. I find I improve in myself as I watch others' lessons and many of my insights have come from other students' observations of me or explanations of their own journeys."
Pat Y, University Lecturer, Bristol
How many lessons will I need?This is a very personal choice. Because Alexander's work is a learning process, how many lessons you have will depend on what level of understanding and application you wish to reach. The Technique itself is practical and full of common sense. Practising it, however, requires an open mind and a willingness to let go of old ways of thinking and reacting.
Most commonly I will recommend an initial 10 week course of once or twice weekly lessons, which will give you a basic foundation in Alexander's work. Following this, we can reassess your situation. Some people are happy with what they have accomplished at this stage; many chose to go on studying for longer periods of time.
Will I be given exercises to do?No. When we exercise we only exercise what is already there. If we are tense and distorted, we exercise in a tense and distorted way, and sometimes succeed in aggravating our problem. Instead of giving you exercises to make you better, the Technique teaches you how to stop doing the things that are causing your problem in the first place.
Does the Alexander Technique deal with specific medical problems?Alexander's work does not deal directly with any specific medical problems. However, it is not unusual for people with medical conditions to develop reactive strategies in order to cope with their condition. Unknown to them, these very strategies are ones which add to their long term problems. These reactions often involve creating unnecessary muscular tension which they mistakenly attribute to their medical problems. The Technique helps you to address these issues. Consequently, after students have adopted more helpful strategies, they report great improvement even though we have not dealt with the specific medical problems.
On occasions, the unnecessary muscular tension that a person is creating is the primary cause of their problem. In Alexander lessons, we look at ways to prevent this tension, and in the process the condition can improve enormously.
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