Resources
In the News
Listen here to a 4 minute feature on the Alexander Technique from NPR’s morning edition.
In ScienceDaily (Oct. 5, 2009) — Sitting up straight in your chair isn’t just good for your posture – it also gives you more confidence in your own thoughts, according to a new study.
From UC San Diego Moores cancer center: read how Alexander Technique can help cancer patients cope with treatment.
An article in Bloomberg Businessweek talks about the effects that sitting in chairs has on our bodies and here is Brian Leher’s interview with the author on NPR.
Read Oprah’s thoughts on the Alexander Technique.
Websites on F.M. Alexander and the technique
Alexander Technique International (ATI) is an open professional society that recognizes and certifies teachers and training courses, dispenses information about the Alexander Technique and lists its teaching members and training courses worldwide.
Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT) is the site of the first professional Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique founded in England by F.M. Alexander’s graduates in 1958 three years after his death.
American Society for the Alexander Technique (AmSAT) is the site of the American Society for the Alexander Technique a STAT affiliated professional Society. Here you can find lists of certified teachers and training courses in the US.
The complete guide to the Alexander Technique and Alexander technique center are two good sites for all Alexander info, articles, etc.
LearningMethods.com– David Gorman’s site with articles on Anatomy, the Alexander Technique and info about his new LearningMethods work
Tommy Thompson’s site with articles on the Technique and site of the Alexander Technique Center at Cambridge, a training course for Alexander Technique.
Site of Alexander Techniek Opleiding Nederland, a training course for the Alexander Technique run by Arie-Jan Hoorweg.
Books on the Alexander technique to get started
Find on www.amazon.com
The Use of the Self, F.M. Alexander (Shortest, clearest and best book of his to start with)
Body Learning, Michael Gelb
The Alexander Technique, a skill for life, Pedro de Alcantara
Indirect Procedures: A Musician’s Guide to the Alexander Technique, Pedro de Alcantara.
How you stand, How you move, How you live, Missy Vineyard
Find on www.mouritz.co.uk/
The Expanding Self: Godard Binckley
F.M. Alexander, the Man and His Work: Lully Wesfelt
The Philosophers Stone
Find on www.mtpress.com
Freedom to Change: Frank P. Jones
Dare to be Wrong: Judith Leibowitz
Books by F.M. Alexander
F.M. wrote 4 books and published articles and lectures that can be ordered onhttp://www.mouritz.co.uk/
Man’s Supreme Inheritance (MSI) 1910
Constructive Conscious Control of the individual (CCCI) 1923
The Use of the Self (UoS) 1933
The Universal Constant in Living (UCL)1942
Lectures and Articles.
Articles and further applications of the technique
For musicians, writers and all creative people
http://www.co-bw.com/Musicians_health_Alexander_technique_for_musicians.htm
http://www.pedrodealcantara.com/
For runners, swimmers and other sport fans
http://www.theartofrunning.com/
http://www.artofswimming.com/
For those working on improving their vision naturally
http://www.janetgoodrichmethod.com/
http://www.eyebody.com/introduction/index.cfm
http://www.naturalvisioncenter.com/
http://www.seeing.org/
Scientific research on the Alexander Technique from most recent
Alexander technique enhances surgical proficiency of surgeons performing minimally invasive procedures: This is the conclusion of new research from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center presented Oct. 2nd 2010 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in San Francisco. You can also read about it here.
A major clinical trial in England, published by the British Medical Journal in 2008, found that lessons in the Alexander Technique have long term benefits for patients with chronic back pain, and are the most cost-effective way to treat back pain. The full paper is available online from the British medical Journal website. Read the abstract here.
A video produced by the British Medical Journal summarizing the above study.
Another video about what ABC thinks of this important study.
Alexander Technique helps lower back pain: published in Harvard Women’s Health WatchVolume 16 Number 4 | December 2008 (See page 7).
Randomized controlled trial of the Alexander Technique for idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.Click here to find out more.
Improvement in automatic postural coordination following Alexander Technique lessons in a person with low back pain. Click here to find out more.
Preliminary evidence that neuromuscular education reduces low back pain and improves coordination of automatic postural adjustment. Article
Functional Reach Improvement in Normal Older Women After Alexander Technique Instruction. Article
Enhanced Respiratory Muscular Function in Normal Adults after Lessons in Proprioceptive Musculoskeletal Education without Exercises. Read the abstract or full article.
Frank Pierce Jones was a student of the both F.M and A.R. Alexander in Boston. He conducted an experimental study at Tufts University on the physiological correlates of the kinesthetic effects that can be produced in a single Alexander lesson. His research is published in his book, Freedom to change (chapter 12). More about Frank Pierce Jones