An Education For Life: The Process Of Learning The Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique is an educational, self-development, self-management method with therapeutic benefits. The primary focus of the Alexander Technique is learning about the self, conceptualised as a ‘mind-body’ unity. Skills in the technique are gained experientially, including through ‘hands-on’ and spoken guidance from a certified Alexander teacher, often using everyday movement such as walking and standing. In this article we summarise key evidence for the effectiveness of learning the Alexander Technique, and describe how the method was developed. We attempt to convey a sense of the unique all-encompassing and fundamental nature of the technique through exploring the perspectives of those engaged in teaching and learning it. We conclude by bringing together elements of this account with relevant strands of qualitative research to view this lived experience in a broader context.