FAQs

In my experience most people can gain a good understanding in ten lessons. Becoming independent enough to develop your understanding without frequent lessons probably takes about 30 lessons for most people. As with anything this can vary a lot. Everyone is different. Some people can teach themselves the guitar with just a few introductory hints. For others it takes far longer. It depends what experience and attitude people bring with them. As with expert sportspeople and musicians who often continue to work with coaches and teachers, even people with a lot of Alexander Technique experience, including teachers of the technique continue to have lessons from time to time to enhance their practice and to continue to deepen their understanding.

Yes you can. Lessons are sensitive to any pupils specific circumstances. It is a good idea to consider consulting a medical practitioner if your injury seems serious in any way. It is common for people to report that Alexander Technique  has helped them to deal with and/or recover from injury

​No Alexander Technique is not a therapy it is education. This is why I am a teacher of the Alexander Technique not an Alexander Therapist. The relationship in a lesson is between teacher and pupil not therapist and client. A therapist such as a physiotherapist, acupuncturist, psychotherapist, chiropractor or occupational therapist has special knowledge and methods that she or he will use to help a client deal with their problems. The client doesn't necessarily need to understand the deep background of that knowledge and those methods. The client becomes independent when they feel well enough to continue without the support of therapy. A teacher's aim is to make themselves unnecessary by sharing knowledge and understanding to the point where the pupil becomes independent through knowing and understanding as much as, or more than, the teacher. 

​The Alexander Technique is not meditation. However, it does encourage an attentiveness in everyday activities which some people compare to the heightened experience in some forms of meditation. In my own and other people's experience, for those who practice some sort of meditation or mindfulness, Alexander Technique can really help deepen the practice.

​No, pupils do not need to undress. Generally I would suggest that people remove heavy outer clothing but this isn't an absolute necessity.

​In general I find it is helpful if pupils wear something comfortable and reasonably loose so that movement is not restricted. However, a lesson is possible in whatever a pupil chooses to wear. I generally ask my pupils to take off their shoes but F.M Alexander often taught pupils who were wearing their high heels. So, its about what the pupil finds comfortable. After all, the application of the technique is in daily life so it can sometimes be helpful to attend a lesson in whatever clothes a pupil normally wears. There is an en suite bathroom connected to my teaching room where pupils can change if they wish.

​I use a combination of my hands, my movement and my words to guide the attention of the pupil. The use of the hands is not manipulative. Rather they are used to help the pupil to understand more deeply and subtly the principles of the Alexander Technique and how to apply those principles in whatever they do. I use my hands gently to help guide the attention of the pupil to aspects of the way they move that they would otherwise remain unaware of. The aim is simply to help the pupil to let go of unnecessary tension and fixing and to allow movement to happen at its smallest scale. It is very rare for this sort of practical and sensitive touch to feel uncomfortable or awkward. I emphasise that my pupils should immediately tell me if at any time the use of my hands feels uncomfortable, awkward, inappropriate or unhelpful in any way. This is essential to support effective learning.

​Of course my hope is that pupils will take what they learn in a lesson and begin to apply it in the different activities of their daily lives. I sometimes suggest a special focus of attention or a particular context where the exploration of the technique might be interesting. Occasionally I might suggest a particular activity that I think might help to deepen understanding.

​I think it is common for people to find the Alexander Technique helpful in dealing with and reducing stress. Better attention to how we respond to stimuli, and how we "use ourselves" generally, means we can make more adaptive choices in response to challenging circumstances.

It is quite common for people to arrive for lessons with chronic back problems and very often pupils report that lessons have been helpful in managing or overcoming them. My own original reason for starting to take lessons was a recurring back problem that severely limited me. The technique was a revelation for me in this regard, giving me a previously unavailable level of agency in relation to pain, recovery and avoidance of recurrence. In my experience the technique can be very helpful in relation to chronic and recurring physical problems generally.

​It makes sense that moving better, being more functionally efficient, letting go of unnecessary tension and giving better attention to the way we organise ourselves will be helpful in recovering from injury. The Alexander Technique is not medicine and there is no process of diagnosis and prescribing so it is also important to consult with a medical practitioner if you feel that any injury or problem may be in any way serious.

No. I don't diagnose anything. I may notice particular patterns in the way a pupil moves and attends to themselves, but this isn't about right or wrong. It is about understanding and change.

Some Alexander teachers do offer group classes but I have found them far less helpful than one-to-one lessons. In my experience small group lessons can be really good for pupils with significant experience in one-to-one lessons. I can offer one-off talks, with a practical exploratory element, that can introduce the ideas, concepts and history central to the Alexander Technique.