Arthur Goodhart ‘Poggea’ Pite (1896-1938) was headmaster of Weymouth College, and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Arthur Goodhart Pite served in the RAF during World War I and later gained a First Class in Modern History Tripos at Cambridge. He …

Albert Redden (‘A. R.’) Alexander (1874-1947), teacher of the Alexander Technique and F. M. Alexander’s younger brother.   Life After service in the Boer War he joined F. M. Alexander’s teaching practice in 1901 in Melbourne which he continued aft …

Aaron Sussman (1903–1991), Russian-born US journalist, author, advertising executive, and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Aaron Sussman studied chemical engineering at The City College of New York and journalism at New York University. He started …

Despite Alexander’s acting and performing experience there is no discussion of acting in his books. See Stage Fright for brief references to stage fright in his writings and lectures.   The Alexander Technique was taken up by acting colleges, firs …

‘Alexander and Chinese Acupuncture – Different approaches to similar conclusions’ by Nilly Bassan; on the similarities between Chinese medicine philosophy and the Technique.[1]   References [1] ‘Alexander and Chinese Acupuncture – Different approa …

F. M. Alexander F. M. Alexander discusses the nature of addiction in MSI, referring to the examples of drugs, tea, alcohol, wine, sugar.[1]   It is important to keep in mind that different men and different women fall victims to some particular st …

The benefits of the Alexander Technique for aging and older adults have recently been more well documented.   The term ‘older adults’ refers to people in what is also termed old age, the elderly, or senior citizens (US: seniors).   F. M. Alex …

Aikido is a modern Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969). Aikido is often translated as ‘the way of harmony’ or ‘the way of unifying life energy’.   A key element of Aikido is to defend yourself while also protecting your a …

Alan Murray (1897–1975), Australian teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Alan Murray studied acting and music and worked with a theatre company in Melbourne. After a tour of America in the 1920s Alan Murray settled for some time in New York …

Alan Rowlands (1930?–2012), pianist and teacher of the Technique.   Alan Rowlands learned the piano at the Royal College of Music, and later became a Professor of piano at the RCM. He had lessons with Marjory Barlow, and later trained as a teacher …

Aldous Leonard Huxley (1894–1963), English essayist and novelist; pupil of Alexander.   Life Aldous Huxley was a prominent man of letters and author of more than 38 books. His early novels (Crome Yellow, 1921, Antic Hay, 1923) were satires on the …

Alexander Leeper (1848–1934), principal of Trinity College, Melbourne University, and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Alexander Leeper was born in Belfast and completed his education at Trinity College, Dublin, and St. John’s College, Oxford. He …

  Three annotated bibliographies on the Alexander Technique have been published:   The Reader’s Guide To The Alexander Technique by Phyllis Sanfilippo (1987).[1]   From Stage-Fright To Seat-Height – An Annotated Bibliography on the Alexa …

Diaries of Lessons with F. M. Alexander The most comprehensive diary is The Expanding Self by Goddard Binkley, covering lessons 1951–1953.[1]   Walter Carrington wrote a diary of his first 17 lessons with Alexander in 1935.[2]   The diaries o …

‘Teaching Alexander Technique in the community’ by Astrid Holm reports on teaching mainly women in Whitehawk, outside Brighton, an area with more poverty and crime than neighbouring areas.[1]   References [1] ‘Teaching Alexander Technique in the c …

F. M. Alexander successfully sued the actor Robert Loraine for non-payment of lessons in 1909.   The Case On the evening of 5 March 1909 the actor Robert Loraine contacted F. M. Alexander because he had lost his voice. Loraine was due to perform i …

F. M. Alexander F. M. Alexander made many grand claims for his technique, but he did not advance the argument that it was scientific. Alexander wrote, however, that his technique did not contradict contemporary science:   The physiological side of …

Alma (Mae Magoon) Frank (1898–1953), US teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Frank received an M.A. from Teachers’ College of Columbia University. She heard about the Technique from Margaret Naumburg while teaching at Naumburg’s nursery scho …

Andrew Rugg-Gunn (1884–1972), Scottish eye surgeon, and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Rugg-Gunn graduated in medicine in 1907 from Edinburgh University and went into general practice. During WW1 he served in both Italy and India. After the War …

Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that affects the spine. Ankylosing spondylitis symptoms include pain and stiffness from the neck down to the lower back. The spine’s bones (vertebrae) fuse together, resulting in a rigid spine.   Two t …

Anorexia Nervosa, often referred to as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterised by low weight, fear of gaining weight, and a strong desire to be thin, resulting in food restriction.   Writings ‘Anorexia Nervosa and the Alexander Technique’ by …

In Alexander’s writings antagonistic action may refer to the stretch obtained when two parts are releasing away from each other; however the term appears too infrequent to deduct any useful definition.   In anatomical terms the antagonist is the m …

‘Antagonistic pulls’ in Alexander’s writings probably refer to a toning up of the musculature under conditions of stretch (and therefore may be identical to what is known in physiology as eccentric contraction).   Antagonistic pulls may also be sy …

Anthony Mario Ludovici (1882–1971), English translator and author, and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Ludovici began as an artist and illustrator of books and was at one point secretary to Auguste Rodin. Ludovici translated six volumes of Nietzs …

Anthony Spawforth (1919-2003), British teacher of the Alexander Technique, who started his training with F. M. Alexander.   Life Anthony Spawforth started training with F. M. Alexander in February 1951, and was qualified by Walter Carrington in 19 …

The ‘application approach’ is a way of teaching the Alexander Technique by applying the Technique to an everyday activity, or an activity which is relevant to or common for the pupil. It is frequently used in group teaching. It was predominantly develo …

Apprenticeship training here refers to individual, personal training which may involve assisting in teaching. For teacher training in classes see Teacher Training.   Apprenticeship Before the first teacher training course Alexander trained a numbe …

There are three archives open to the public dedicated to Alexander Technique material.   STAT Archives STAT maintains an archive of material on the Alexander Technique and related subjects. Website: http://www.statarchives.org.uk/   Frank Pie …

Arthur J. Busch (c. 1900–66), aka Michael March, was a US journalist, photographer, and a pupil of Alexander.   Life Arthur J. Busch was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was a drama critic for The Brooklyn Times and features editor of The Jacksonvi …

16, Ashley Place, London SW1, was F. M. Alexander’s home and teaching practice from 1911 until his death in 1955.   History F. M. Alexander first lived in 1, Army and Navy Mansions, 109 Victoria Street, between his arrival in London in 1904 and 19 …

F. M. Alexander F. M. Alexander made several references to a number of conditions, including asthma, which were relieved or ‘eradicated’ (in the sense of disappearing) as a result of the general level of health from better use and functioning.   A …

‘Ambient awareness’ by Kay S. Hooper; on training children with ADD using sensory awareness games.[1]   References [1] ‘Ambient awareness’ by Kay S. Hooper in Direction vol. 3, no. 8 edited by Paul Cook (Direction Journal, 2010), pp. 9–13.

The importance of attitude for learning the Alexander Technique is emphasised by Alexander throughout his writings.   Several of his early articles emphasize the need for a ‘correct mental attitude’ for learning the Technique, although he never st …

Books Autism and Alexander Technique by Caitlin G. Freeman argues that the Alexander Technique is ideally suited for helping people with ASD form sensory integration and body awareness, and comprises a system of physical training that is especially ben …

The term ‘back problems’ here includes back pain, disability, injury, and deformity.   History Alexander only makes passing reference to back problems, mainly because Alexander emphasizes the educational aspect of the Technique, but probably also …

‘Believing isn’t seeing’ by Missy Vineyard Ehrgood; on keeping the eye on the ball when batting.[1]   See also Eyes & Vision.   References [1] ‘Believing isn’t seeing’ by Missy Vineyard Ehrgood in AmSAT News issue no. 68 (Fall 2005), pp. …

‘I think, therefore I am’ by Tom Michel; on how spatial thinking helped shooting more accurately, and how the fear of missing the shot interfered with shooting.[1]     References [1] ‘I think, therefore I am’ by Tom Michel in AmSAT News issue …

This 1960 court case revolved around the right of teachers of the Alexander Technique who were no longer teaching at Ashley Place to use the name ‘Alexander Technique’.   In July 1958 the plaintiffs   Beaumont Alexander, Ivy Lilian Ada Johnso …

William (‘Billy’) Morris Hughes (1862–1952), Australian politician, Prime Minister of Australia (1915–1923), and pupil of Alexander.   Connection with Alexander In 1909 Alexander Leeper presented his ‘The Report on Physical Culture in the United K …

‘Brass tax’ by Patrick Gundry-White; some observations on brass playing, including on the diaphragm, the ‘jazz pelvis’, on playing while sitting or standing.[1]   References [1] ‘Brass tax’ by Patrick Gundry-White in Papers from the 4th Internatio …

F. M. Alexander There was a period in Alexander’s early years of teaching where his method focused on breathing. Between 1903 and 1909 he wrote short pieces such as ‘A Respiratory Method’ (1905), ‘The Theory and Practice of a New Method of Respiratory …

F. M. Alexander F. M. Alexander mentions a number of breathing problems in his early writings. ‘Excessive and harmful lowering of the air pressure in the respiratory tract’ tends to ‘cause congestion of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract on t …

‘Working with a cancer support group’ by Penny Ingham; on working with a local cancer support group since 1988, seeing pupils referred by medical staff, around 16 people a week, about two thirds of whom are cancer patients, the rest supporting partners …

Carl Stough (1926–2000) developed a way of approaching breathing which has similarities with the Alexander Technique. His method is used by some Alexander Technique teachers.   Jessica Wolf, a teacher of the Technique, developed a teaching based o …

Carol McCullough (1957-2003), US teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Carol McCullough taught violin at Illinois Wesleyan University before she trained in the Alexander Technique. She was a Doctor of Musical Arts and lived in Minneapolis.[1] …

Case histories here refers to reports on or by teachers or pupils of the Alexander Technique on the effects of the Technique.   F. M. Alexander F. M. Alexander relates his own story of the loss of voice while reciting and how the discovery of what …

The ability of a falling cat to turn in the air, from whatever starting position, to land on its feet has been used in the Alexander Technique by some teachers to illustrate 1) the righting reflex existing in most mammals and some other animals, and, i …

Countess Wielopolska, née Catherine (‘Kitty’) Merrick (1900-1988), US teacher of the Technique.   Life Wielopolska had a degree as a nurse-midwife and worked in a Maternity Center. She was a friend of Lulie Westfeldt and both joined Alexander’s fi …

Books Just Play Naturally by Vivien Mackie and Joe Armstrong. An account of studying with Pablo Casals in the 1950s and the similarity with the principles of the Alexander Technique.[1]   Cello, Bow and You by Evangeline Benedetti.[2]   Artic …

Chair work was Alexander’s favourite device for teaching his technique, and is used by many teachers of the Alexander Technique.   It allows the teacher, in a confined space, to put hands on a pupil and monitor the pupil during an activity. It tra …

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, aka Hereditary Motor and Sensory Neuropathy.   Writings ‘Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease’ by Claire Quinn writes on how the Alexander Technique is helping her manage her condition.[1]   References [1] ‘Charcot-Marie-T …

Dr Charles Bage (1859–1930), Australian doctor who was Alexander’s doctor in the early 1890s.   Life Dr Charles Bage (1859–1930). He obtained his medical degree in 1881 and became doctor of medicine in 1884. He ran a private practice in South Yarr …

Charles Alexander Neil (1916–58), British teacher of the Technique, who developed his own version of the Alexander Technique and started the Isobel Cripps Centre (1948-1958).   Biography Charles Neil suffered from severe asthmatic attacks which th …

Christopher (‘Chris’) Stevens (1943-2003), British teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Chris Stevens was a yoga teacher, and was the British Wheel of Yoga’s first National Organiser in October 1971. He was instrumental in introducing other …

Christopher Stevens wrote on the science of the Alexander Technique and related science. This entry only covers Stevens’ own research into aspects of the Technique.   Stevens’ own research broadly covered the following topics: sit-to-stand movemen …

Chronic fatigue syndrome also referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).   Writings ‘The Alexander Technique and M.E.’ by Jan Ellan describes how she developed ‘illness management’ over some time, coping with ME while teaching the Technique.[1 …

‘Classical Procedures’ is a term used to denote the activities used by F. M. Alexander to teach his technique. Generally accepted as classical procedures are:   Chair work Going up on the toes Hands on back of chair Lunge ‘Monkey’ (a position of m …

The issue of communication here is chiefly divided into 1. the use of words, 2. the use of hands (see Hands-on work), 3. the use of observation, i.e. demonstration, illustrations, or video (see Observation work). This entry deals with the use of words …

F. M. Alexander would use the terms ‘conception’, ‘mental conception’, ‘preconception’ and ‘misconception’ in his writings. He first refers to ‘conception’ in 1908,[1] and the term appears in all of his books.   In summary it may be said that sinc …

‘Conditioning’ here refers to the process by which a subject comes to associate a desired behavior with a previously unrelated stimulus, also known as ‘classical’ or ‘Pavlov’ conditioning.   The word ‘condition’ in the sense of causing to be in a …

Conscious guidance and control may be described as the aim of the Alexander Technique. It is necessary for man’s adaptation to the rapid changing circumstances of modern life.   The Technique involves the process of substituting conscious control …

‘Giving consent’ is used to indicate a conscious decision to respond, e.g. to a stimulus, to carrying out an activity. Similarly, not giving consent is used to indicate a decision not to do something, e.g. to withhold consent to a request or a wish. …

Walter Carrington (1915-2005) founded the Constructive Teaching Centre (CTC) in 1960, and the school continued as part of the Walter Carrington Educational Trust in 2010.   History After F. M. Alexander’s death in 1955, Walter Carrington continued …

Articles ‘Contact improvisation classes’ by Lucia Walker; on using the Technique to help contact improvisation and how contact improvisation can help one’s use.[1]   ‘Contact improvisation/movement’ by Lucia Walker describes some of the issues she …

The term coordination was used frequently by F. M. Alexander up to and including CCC, and infrequently thereafter.   History ‘Coordination’ first appears in ‘Introduction to a New Method of Respiratory Vocal Re-Education’ (1906), concerning vocali …

Cranio-Sacral therapy uses gentle touch to palpate the synarthrodial joints of the cranium, spine and pelvic bones to help regulate the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.   Writings ‘The Cranio-Sacral System’ by Hil Boode is an introduction to Cranio-Sa …

‘Seeds of imagination: Developing creativity in teaching the Alexander Technique’ by Cathy Madden covers her four levels of AT-facilitated exercises for creativity; 1. retraining basic image-making skills; 2. responding to imagined stimuli; 3. linking …

The ‘critical moment’ refers to the moment when proceeding to perform a movement whilst consciously continuing to give the new directions, i.e. when gaining a familiar end by new means-whereby. It is an almost universal difficulty to keep the direction …

This covers criticisms of Alexander Technique teaching in general.   Criticism of Alexander’s teaching Lulie Westfeld criticised Alexander’s teacher training course for not taking questions seriously:   Questions were not only not answered bu …

Alexander’s books have been attacked for their style, for being incomprehensible, for being wordy, for their terminology, mostly, but not exclusively, by reviewers who have not experienced the Technique. In addition his evolutionary philosophy, his rac …

This section only covers criticisms of Alexander’s character, his personality traits. For other criticisms see below.   Criticism of personality   Leonard Wolff wrote in his diary that ‘he [Alexander] was a quack but an honest and inspired qu …

Teaching the Alexander Technique in other cultures ‘Sticking to principle – Teaching Alexander in Ecuador’ by Glenna Batson; on teaching a group of artists in 1993 and 1994 in Ecuador and how a different culture challenged the author’s teaching to a ne …

F. M. Alexander mentions using the principles of his technique for learning cycling in MSI:   I have personal knowledge of a person who, by employing the principles of conscious control which I advocate, mounted and rode a bicycle downhill without …

F. M. Alexander There is a short criticism of dance as a ‘free expression’ in MSI, where Alexander writes that ‘unrestrained, unguided efforts of the children to dance are likely to prove extremely harmful.’[1] He goes to relate the story of a six-year …

The Dart Procedures refer to a series of movements which parallel the evolution of human infant movement and, to a lesser extent, the evolution of vertebrate movement. (This section also contains material on developmental movement patterns not attribut …

Dr David Garlick (1933–2002), Australian scientist and teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Dr David Garlick was a physiologist and medical research scientist at the University of New South Wales. He trained as a teacher of the Technique with Kri …

  ‘Observations on the use of respiratory muscles in posture’ by David Garlick, et al. The breathing measured using a bellows pneumograph system for measuring the frequency and size of respiratory movements and the relative contributions of the ri …

Deborah Caplan (†2000), US physical therapist and teacher of the Alexander Technique who pioneered the Alexander Technique specifically for back problems.   Life Deborah Caplan was the daughter of the novelist and essayist Waldo Frank and of Alexa …

F. M. Alexander did not define the Alexander Technique, partly because he did not use the name ‘the Alexander Technique’ himself, but in later years only referred to it as the ‘work’.   F. M. Alexander Although F. M. Alexander did not define his w …

‘Alzheimer’s-related dementia’ by Ulli Pawlas reports on how the author works with people with dementia.[1]   References [1] ‘Alzheimer’s-related dementia’ by Ulli Pawlas in The Congress Papers 2008, From Generation to Generation Vol. 2 edited by …

‘Fascism and democracy in the human mind’ by Israel Charny compares a ‘fascist’ attitude of the mind – of power, of control, of a singular idea – with a democratic attitude, characterised by complexity, process, diversity, contradiction, paradox.[1] …

Several first-generation teachers wrote and spoke about F. M. Alexander, in particular Lulie Westfeldt, Erika Whittaker, Marjory Barlow,[1] [2] Walter Carrington, F. P. Jones and Elisabeth Walker. See individual biography for details of their writings. …

Diagnosis in Alexander’s writings refers both to medical diagnosis, and to people’s own diagnosis of their own problems. Alexander also uses it to refer to the assessment of a person’s use and functioning.   In UoS, in the chapter ‘Diagnosis and m …

The Alexander Technique does not advocate a certain diet. However, it can be inferred from Alexander’s writings that he was in favour of wholesome and nourishing food, and against foods which could adversely affect use and functioning. F. M. Alexander …

Dilys M. G. Carrington (1915–2009), British teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Dilys Carrington was the Co-Director of the Constructive Teaching Centre and made important contributions to the development of the teacher training programme. …

A directed activity is the application of the Technique to a simple, everyday movement, frequently broken down into a progressive series. It may include the classical procedures.   Directed activities were developed by Walter Carrington after Alex …

Direction has two meanings: 1) the psycho-physical act of directing (the process referred to above), and 2) the instructions (preventive guiding orders such as ‘neck free, head forward and up’, etc.) – verbal or not – used for the process of directing. …

Distance learning includes correspondence courses and online (internet) teaching.   In recent years people have offered lessons or courses via the internet, also called ‘distance learning’.   Correspondence courses There was a correspondence …

Doing A first step in learning the Technique often consists of ceasing to ‘do’, i.e. refraining from performing an activity in the familiar, habitual manner. For F. M. Alexander this was the first step in evolving the Technique; he identified the loss …

Don Burton (1943–1996), UK teacher of the Alexander Technique and HoT.   Life Don Burton trained as physiotherapist and then as a teacher of the Technique around 1970–73 at the Constructive Teaching Centre (CTC).   Don Burton and other teache …

Dorando Pietri (1885–1942), Italian marathon runner, whose running style in the 1908 London Olympic Games was commented upon by F. M. Alexander.   Life and 1908 London Olympic Games Dorando Pietri first participated in cycling competitions in 1903 …

Dr Dorothy S. R. (neé Drew) Morrison (1908-88) was a British surgeon and gynaecologist, teacher of the Technique and practitioner of alternative medicine.   Life Morrison gained her MD in 1934 and was later awarded a Gold Medal in Gynaecology. In …

Dr Andrew Murdoch (1862?–1943), Scottish doctor and pupil and supporter of F. M. Alexander.   Life Dr Andrew Murdoch gained his MD in Glasgow in 1884 but settled soon afterwards in Bexhill-on-Sea where he remained in private practice until his ret …

‘Taking inhibition onto the roads’ by Barry Collins; on applying the Technique while training to be an Instructor/Observer with the Institute of Advanced Motorists.[1]   References [1] ‘Taking inhibition onto the roads’ by Barry Collins in STATNew …

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder syndrome in which sustained or repetitive muscle contractions result in twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal fixed postures.[1]   ‘Working with a Dystonia sufferer’ by Doris Prügel-Bennett repo …

These articles all deal with the relevance of Alfred A. Tomatis’ work to the Alexander Technique. Tomatis (1920–2001) claimed that vocal problems were really hearing problems, that a number of auditory communication problems begin in pregnancy, that th …

This entry covers the teaching of the Technique to children, privately and in schools, and includes parenting.   History   F. M. Alexander See F. M. Alexander on education.   The Little School The ‘Little School’ was first started in Lon …

Edward H. Owen (1919 – 2000), UK journalist, pupil of F. M. Alexander, and first editor of the Alexander Journal.   Edward Owen was a journalist who lived for many years in Guernsey. In 1965 he formed an agency specialising in travel and financial …

Elisabeth Walker (1914-2013), British teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life She trained as a radiographer in 1935 at Middlesex Hospital and became assistant to Graham Hodgson. His practice in Upper Brook Street, London, served many royalty an …

Elizabeth (‘Liz’, ‘Lizzie’) Atkinson (†2011), British teacher of the Alexander Technique and Head of Training.   Life Elizabeth Atkinson trained as an actor and had lessons with Elisabeth and Dick Walker at the New College of Speech and Drama. She …

Elizabeth (‘Betty’) Langford (1929–2009), UK teacher of the Alexander Technique, author of several books on the Technique, and Head of Training.   Life Elizabeth Langford was born in London. In 1952 she married the Hungarian musician Tamas Rajna. …

F. M. Alexander On being asked whether Alexander dealt directly with people’s emotional and psychological problems in the context of the training course, Walter Carrington answered: ‘The answer is: no, he definitely did not. He didn’t deal with them at …

Endgaining: gaining one’s end, aim or objective, unconsciously, without consideration of the means-whereby. It is a ‘direct approch’ as opposed to an indirect approach to solving a problem or change behaviour.   Endgaining is frequently used in op …

Ends and Means (1937) by Aldous Huxley considers the methods (means) whereby people achieve their goals (ends), especially in religion and in society.   It was published a year after Aldous Huxley started having lessons with Alexander. In Ends and …

Energy is the ability or capacity to produce an effect. It also denotes the power or resources needed to make a change.   Apart from ordinary usage (especially in MSI) Alexander applies the term to the use of the self. It would appear that with en …

‘Diversity panel’ by Allyna Steinberg, Fabio Tavares, Emily Faulkner, Renee Schneider and Chyna Whyne reports on a panel discussion organised by the Alexander Technique Diversity Coalition in order to foster a critical dialogue around racial equity and …

Ergonomics is here used in the restricted sense of the adaptation of humans for the workplace and the adaptation of work equipment for humans, primarily for the purpose of comfort, productivity and safety.   F. M. Alexander criticised the concept …

Eric de Peyer (1906–90), British teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Biography After graduating in English from Oxford he studied archaeology for a short time before joining Alexander’s training course (1936-39). He married Jean in 1938 and they …

Erika Whittaker, née Schumann (1911-2004), German-born British teacher of the Technique.   Life Erika was the daughter of Elsie Webb (of the Mappin & Webb silversmith company) and Hans Schumann. Whittaker started having lessons at the age of e …

Ethel (‘Pip’) Mary Webb (1866–1952), English pianist, teacher of the Alexander Technique and assistant to F. M. Alexander.   Life Webb was a daughter of George Webb, of the Mappin and Webb silversmith family business. She studied piano in the 1890 …

A large inflatable ball for gym work, also known as physioball or Swiss ball.   Writings – Articles ‘Have a ball!’ by Cathy Pollock on using a gym ball in Alexander Technique lessons, with five different activities.[1]   ‘The Alexander Techni …

Alexander makes several references to the use of eyes in his writings and talk, although he did not prescribe any specific activity for the use of the eyes. In his teaching he asked his pupils to keep their eyes open, to see, to look.[1] As did A. R. A …

Alexander was concerned about education of the young, because many potentially bad habits could be prevented at an early age. He saw the future of civilisation dependent upon development of the conscious and rational powers of children. His views would …

F. M. Alexander trained at least three teachers through apprenticeship before starting the three-year structure for a training course in 1931. The three-year model has been adopted by many Alexander Teachers’ societies.   Apprenticeship A. R. Alex …

The first teachers training course was started end of February 1931 by F. M. Alexander at 16, Ashley Place. It was interrupted in 1940 by World War Two, and restarted in 1945. After Alexander’s death in 1955 it was continued by Margaret Goldie, Walter …

Life Frederick Matthias Alexander was born in Tasmania in 1869. He started to evolve his now world-famous technique in the early 1890s. It was initially developed to solve the frequent loss of voice he suffered working as a reciter. A successful recite …

STAT (since 1960) and AmSAT (since 1993) have held annual F. Matthias Alexander Memorial Lectures. Below is a list of the lectures where known.   In STAT’s early days there were no STAT newsletters (it first appeared in 1983) and the Alexander Jou …

Fascial Unwinding (FU) is a therapy through which physical and emotional blocks can be released.   ‘An introduction to fascial unwinding’ by Mika Hadar-Borthwick; the author has worked with Fascial Unwinding often in conjunction with the Alexander …

F. M. Alexander Alexander wrote on the subject of fear in several of his books, often using the term ‘fear reflexes’, but also referring to ‘nerves’, discouragement, worry, fright (including stage fright), and anxiety.   The most detailed descript …

Feldenkrais is a type of exercise therapy devised by Moshé Feldenkrais (1904–1984).   Feldenkrais and F. M. Alexander Moshe Feldenkrais had lessons in the Alexander Technique with Walter Carrington in the 1940s. When Feldenkrais’ book, Body and Ma …

Fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body. As well as widespread pain, people with fibromyalgia may also have: increased sensitivity to pain, fatigue (extreme tiredness), muscle s …

Fitness in general; includes general exercising, working out.   F. M. Alexander F. M. Alexander is reported to have discouraged exercises, dance, sports and other activities while people were having lessons and when he thought these activities wer …

‘Grabbing the bird by the tale’ by Alex Murray contains observations on many years of applying the Technique to flute playing.[1]   ‘Mi Soh Fa’ by Paul Chapman; on his experiences of learning the flute and teaching the flute at the Trinity College …

Fran Robinson (†2010), UK teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Fran Robinson obtained a BA degree from the University of Manchester in 1971. She qualified as a teacher of the Alexander Technique with Peter Scott in London in 1975.   In 1984 …

François (Alexandre N. C.) Delsarte (1811–71), French teacher of singing and acting, known for being the founder of a method of expression known as the Delsarte System.   The Delsarte System Acting in the early 19th century was mechanical and ster …

Frank Ottiwell (1929–2015), prominent US teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Frank Ottiwell studied acting at the Canadian Art Theatre School and at the Vera Soloviova Acting School in New York City. He started taking lessons with Judy Leib …

Frank P. Jones measured predominantly changes in posture and movement (mainly sit-to-stand) with or without the application of the Alexander Technique, using multiple image photography with markers on various parts of the subject’s body in the form of …

Frank Pierce Jones (1905–1975), US professor of Classics and a teacher and researcher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Jones was an instructor in Greek and Latin at Brown University 1937–41. In 1938 he started having lessons with A. R. and subse …

‘The weaker sex?’ by Richard Gummere are musings on the fact that the majority of Alexander Technique teachers are women and his belief that ‘women could deepen the philosophy of the Alexander world’.[1]   ‘The role of women in the growth of the A …

George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) was an Irish playwright, critic and polemicist, and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life George Bernard Shaw was born in Ireland but moved to London in 1873 where he lived for most of his life. He wrote more than sixt …

Coghill, George Ellett (1872–1941) was a US professor of anatomy and researcher into the development of reflexes of movement in vertebrates. Coghill wrote an appreciation for The Universal Constant in Living, and Alexander and his supporters used Coghi …

Coghill, George Ellett (1872–1941), US professor of anatomy and researcher into the development of reflexes of movement in vertebrates. Coghill wrote an appreciation for The Universal Constant in Living, and Alexander and his supporters used Coghill’s …

Gerald Stanley Lee (1862–1944), US clergyman, author of popular books, and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Gerald Stanley Lee was an American Congregational clergyman of puritan background. He was a preacher in several churches in New England a …

Goddard Binkley (1920-1987), US teacher of the Technique, who is known for his diary of his lessons with F. M. Alexander, published as The Expanding Self.   Life Goddard Binkley was born in 1920 in Chicago. During his studies towards a Ph.D. in So …

A procedure used by Alexander in his teaching, consisting of going from standing up to the toes. Its purpose is to generate more extensor muscle activity of the back musculature.   Description It is not described in Alexander’s writings, but he de …

F. M. Alexander never played golf but had a number of pupils who were keen golf players, among them professional golf players. Hence there are several references to golf in Alexander literature. Alexander, in his 1925 lecture, said:   I wrote a te …

Grethe Laub (1911–1996), Danish teacher of the Alexander Technique whose special interest was working with children.   Life Grethe Laub trained as a nursery school teacher at the Froebel Institute in Copenhagen between 1933-35. In 1949 she travell …

This entry only covers teaching the Alexander Technique in groups. On the pros and cons of group teaching, F. M. Alexander teaching in groups, and a discussion, see Individual vs. group classes.   Books The Alexander Technique in Conversation by J …

Gurney MacInnes, teacher of the Technique, who trained on Alexander’s first training course.   Life MacInnes came into contact with Alexander in 1927 through A. G. Pite who shortly afterwards became Headmaster of Weymouth College, a boys’ preparat …

Hands on the back of the chair (HOBC) consists of standing or sitting and with both hands taking hold of the top rail of the back of a chair, frequently involving a ‘pulling’ of the top of the back of the chair.   HOBC is the only procedure Alexan …

‘Hands-on work’ here refers to that part of teaching the Alexander Technique which involves the teacher using hands touching the pupil for the purpose of feedback and guidance.   History F. M. Alexander made several references to the use of hands …

F. M. Alexander There is a picture of Alexander holding a pen in the slideshow on this Companion homepage. He was a keen letter writer.   In CCC Alexander describes a case with a pupil whom he recommended to take frequent breaks while writing: …

The direction ‘head forward and up’ is part of a series of directions constituting new means-whereby. F. M. Alexander wrote about the development of his technique in UoS that he discovered that in order to prevent his head being pulled back and down, h …

Henry Brodribb Irving (1870–1919), English actor and manager, elder son of Sir Henry Irving. He started acting in 1891 and revived many of his father’s famous parts both in England and in America. He also ran his own company, and was manager of several …

Sir Henry Irving (1838–1905), born John Henry Brodribb, English actor, and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Irving started acting in 1856 and made his London début ten years later. It was his success in The Bells in London (1871) which secured his …

‘Herd instinct’ is an early phrasing of what is now referred to as herd behaviour, group behaviour or crowd psychology.   The idea is based on the observation that humans (and some animals) behave differently in large groups than they do individua …

‘Can Barshim become king of the high jump?’ by Seán Carey considers the evolutionary significance of running and jumping and what we can learn from skilled high jumpers.[1]   References [1] ‘Can Barshim become king of the high jump?’ by Seán Carey …

Horace M. Kallen (1882–1974), Professor of social philosophy, educator, and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Horace Kallen was born in Austrian Silesia (now part of Poland), and his family moved to the US in 1887. He studied philosophy at Harvard …

F. M. Alexander was a keen horse rider but there is no record of him teaching people horse riding or on a horse, nor does he discuss horse riding in his writings.   As the sensitivity and appropriate muscular tonus developed in the Alexander Techn …

F. M. Alexander F. M. Alexander taught several doctors, especially in the 1920s and 1930s. In UoS Alexander dedicates a chapter to ‘Diagnosis And Medical Training’. Here he writes that   No diagnosis of a case can be said to be complete, unless th …

John Dewey’s Human Nature and Conduct (1922) is one of his most widely read and most widely quoted books.   Alexander quotes from it in UCL, in a footnote, as follows:   In his Human Nature and Conduct (pp. 27-29) Professor John Dewey discuss …

Hypermobility here refers to Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome – Hypermobility Type (EDS-HT), also known as Hypermobile EDS (hEDS).   Writings ‘Hypermobility syndrome’ by Julie Barber; on the importance of early diagnos …

Ideomotor first occurs in Alexander’s ‘Re-Education of the Kinæsthetic Systems’ (1908) and five times in MSI. It has not been used since.   ‘Ideomotor’ is a 19th century psychological term first used (in English) by Carpenter in his influential Pr …

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is an inflammatory muscle disease characterised by progressive muscle weakness and wasting, especially affecting the arms and legs.   ‘Teaching a student with Inclusion Body Myositis’ by Lauren Hill, Dennis Chada; a t …

The issue of whether group classes, as opposed to individual lessons, is a better or an equally valid way of teaching the Alexander Technique, has been discussed since the 1970s. This entry only considers the debate on the pros and cons of teaching the …

Influences on early writings The First 43 Years of the Life of F. Matthias Alexander, volumes 1–2, by Jeroen Staring (1996) covers predominantly possible influences on Alexander and his technique until 1912 by comparing Alexander’s writings with contem …

Inhibition, the process of consciously not reacting, of withholding action, to a stimulus or stimuli, is one of the most fundamental concepts of the Alexander Technique. Frank P. Jones wrote:   F. M. said on many occasions that his technique reste …

Janet Irene Stewart (1906–1990), Scottish teacher of the Technique.   Life Irene Stewart was a District Commissioner of the Girl Guide Movement but, suffering from asthma, she moved to London after hearing about the Technique from Margaret Goldie. …

Irene Tasker (1887–1977), British teacher of the Alexander Technique who started the ‘Little School’ and was the first teacher of the Alexander Technique in South Africa.   Life Irene Tasker was the daughter of Rev. John Greenwood Tasker, a Wesley …

James E. R. McDonagh (1881–1965), English surgeon, Alexander’s doctor and friend, and a pupil of Alexander.   Life In 1909 McDonagh became Fellow of the Royal College of Surgery, and in 1916 he was elected Hunterian Professor at the Royal College …

James Harvey Robinson (1863–1936), U. S. historian and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Robinson specialised in European history about which he wrote several works. He obtained his Ph.D. at Freiburg in 1890, and was Professor of History at Columbi …

Jan Pullman (1951–2012), German teacher of the Alexander Technique and Head of Training in Hamburg.   Life Jan Pullman studied classical saxophone and piano in Cologne and continued his studies at Trinity College of Music, London, 1978–81. Here he …

Jeanne Day, British teacher of the Alexander Technique and Head of Training.   Life Jeanne Day was born in 1918. She trained for the certificate of Horse Exam, was a nanny, and during WWII joined the Women’s Royal Naval Service, worked as a farm w …

Jennette Barbour Perry Lee (1861? 67?–1951), teacher, author and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Jennette Barbour Perry Lee studied at Smith College 1883–86 after which she taught Philosophy, Rhetoric and Composition at the Grant Collegiate Ins …

John Brown (1950–2008), UK teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life John Brown was born in Bagor, Country Down, Northern Ireland. Following university he worked as a social worker and later as a youth worker in West Belfast. He had his first les …

John Dewey (1859–1952), American philosopher of education and pupil and supporter of F. M. Alexander.   Life John Dewey studied at the University of Vermont and at Johns Hopkins University. After two years as a high-school teacher he decided he wa …

John Duncan Dunn (1872–1951?), British golfer, golf course designer and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Duncan Dunn was a nephew of William Dunn, Jr. (1864–1952), who was also a well-known golfer and designer of golf courses in the US.   Duncan D …

John Gray, British teacher of the Alexander Technique, actor, and author of Your guide to the Alexander Technique.   Life John Gray joined the RAF in 1957 as his National Service. Afterwards he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) a …

John Hilton (1880–1942), English journalist, lecturer, sociologist, and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Hilton started as an apprentice mechanic, but soon became works manager and later the manager at a firm of loom makers. When he was 28 a seve …

John Skinner (1912–92), Australian-born British teacher of the Technique.   Skinner served in the Royal Australian Air Force, and was a POW under the Japanese. He had read of Alexander’s work in Aldous Huxley’s Ends and Means and wrote immediately …

Joyce Roberts (1905–1996), South African teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Joyce Roberts assisted Irene Tasker for several years in a way which amounted to an apprenticeship training. As Irene Tasker had no authority from F. M. Alexander to tr …

Judith Leibowitz (1920–1990), US teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Judith Leibowitz was 14 when she was paralysed from the waist down with polio. After many months of immobilization she undertook an intensive regime of physical therapy an …

Juggling balls and juggling scarves have been used as a teaching aid, both in training courses, workshops and lessons by some teachers, since the late 1970s.   Not reacting to letting a ball drop is for example an exercise in the use of inhibition …

Kinæsthesia (also kinæsthesis): of Greek ‘to move’ and ‘sensation.’ Coined in 1880 by Henry Charlton Bastian as an alternative to ‘muscle sense’, it means ‘the sense of muscular effort that accompanies a voluntary motion of the body,’ (OED). It should …

The direction ‘knees forward and away’ do not occur in F. M. Alexander’s writings, but he used the directions in his teaching according to both Marjory Barlow and Walter Carrington, and used it in two of his lectures. In his Child Study Society lecture …

Laban movement analysis is a method and language for describing, visualising, interpreting and documenting movement. It is based on the work of Rudolf Laban (1879–1958), and developed and extended by Irmgard Bartenieff (1900–1981) and others.   ‘B …

This entry covers three issues, using the Alexander Technique to the teaching of foreign languages, how to translate concepts and instructions, and sign language.   The teaching of foreign languages ‘Reducing the fear’ by Margaret Nicolson argues …

Lawrence (Larry) Kelso Frank (1890–1968), US educator and child-development expert, and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Frank received a B.A. in economics in 1912 and worked as a systems analyst. In 1923 he became an executive for the Laura Spe …

Lena Frederick (1944-1997), US teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Lena was born in Zurich, grew up in Switzerland, Lebanon and the US. She graduated with honours from Harvard University, followed by an MFA degree in theatre directing from …

Leonard Sidney Woolf (1880–1969), man of letters, political worker, author, publisher, husband of author Virginia Woolf, and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Woolf worked in the Ceylon Civil Service (1904-11). He resigned in 1912 and married Vir …

Lily Brayton (1876–1953), British actress and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Lily Brayton made her first appearance in 1896 and became famous for her performance in the rôle of Viola in Twelfth Night in 1901 and as Yo-San in The Darling of the G …

Lulie Westfeldt (1898–1965), U. S. teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life At the age of seven she had poliomyelitis, the scars of which caused her some disability. On the advice of a friend she went in 1929 to London where she had lessons with …

Lunge is a position of mechanical advantage, and can be seen as a variation on monkey. Whereas monkey frequently consists of the feet being placed fairly symmetrically, in the lunge one foot is in front of the other, and sometimes turned more out. It i …

Lying-down work is also called ‘semi-supine’, ‘table work’, ‘active rest’ or ‘constructive rest’; an earlier name, ‘inhibition work’, is rarely used today. It consists of a lying down and working on yourself, or having a teacher working with you while …

Ellen A. M. Goldie (1905-1997), British teacher of the Technique and assistant to F. M. Alexander   Margaret Goldie qualified as a teacher of the Technique in 1934 and worked for Alexander until his death in 1955.   Life Goldie first started …

Margaret Naumburg (1890–1983), US educator, author and founder of dynamically oriented art therapy, and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life While a student at Barnard College, Naumburg shared rooms with Evelyn Dewey (daughter of John Dewey). Naumbu …

Marjorie (‘Marj’) Barstow (1899–1995), US teacher of the Technique who pioneered a new way of teaching the Alexander Technique in a group setting.   Life Barstow was born in 1899 in Ord, Nebraska, the youngest of four children. After graduating fr …

Marjorie (‘Chile’) Eagar, née Gray (1915–2008), British teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Marjorie Eagar lived in South America until the age of 16 when the family moved to Yorkshire. She trained as a Montessori teacher in 1932–34. After a ser …

Marjory Barlow (née Mechin), (1915–2006), Alexander Technique teacher, and niece to F. M. Alexander.   Life F. M. Alexander’s sister, Amy, moved to London in 1911 and joined Alexander as his assistant. Amy married George Mechin in 1914 and their f …

Writings ‘The martial arts are not mere forms of exercise, but methods of conscious control and awareness in movement. They share with the Alexander Technique such ideas and principles as use and function, means whereby, doing and non-doing, and giving …

Mary Louisa Beatrice Olcott (1864–1962), US suffragette, world traveller and author,[1] and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Mary Olcott was born in Brooklyn, New York. She received her education at private schools and under the guidance of tutors …

Lucy Mary Silcox (1862–1947), teacher and headmistress, and pupil of F. M. Alexander   Life Silcox took an M.A. in London and the Classical Tripos at Newnham College, Cambridge. She was Headmistress of East Liverpool High School in 1901 and of Dul …

Matheson Lang (1879–1948) was a British actor, actor-manager and playwright, and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Matheson Lang began his career in 1897, and first played in London in 1900. He became well-known for his Shakespearen roles, playin …

Maurice Baring (1874–1945), dramatist, poet, novelist, essayist, travel writer and war correspondent. He was a pupil of Alexander.   Life He started out as a diplomat, serving in Paris, Copenhagen and Rome, but he resigned from the Foreign Office …

Maurice Burton (1898 –1992), a British zoologist and popular science author, and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Maurice Burton read Zoology at London University. He worked at the British Museum of Natural History from 1927 to 1958. He was the …

Maxwell (‘Max’) Alexander (1916-1997), British teacher of the Technique and nephew to F. M. Alexander.   Life At the suggestion of his father, A. R. Alexander, Max Alexander trained with Alexander (1934–37). Afterwards he moved to join his father, …

Means-whereby: the reasoned means adopted by which an end (aim, object) is obtained indirectly.   Adopting the means-whereby approach involves projecting the new directions necessary for maintaining the optimal use of the self in activity. Attendi …

The position, or attitude, of mechanical advantage is the one which makes for greatest efficiency, i.e. maximum effect (output) for minimum expenditure.   The term may have its origins in physics where mechanical advantage denotes the force-amplif …

Also mental disorder, mental illness, psychiatric disorder.   Writings ‘Working with retarded people’ by Yaara and Gal Ben Or; notes from three case histories.[1]   See also Psychology, and under individual conditions.   References [1] ‘ …

Françoise Mézières (1909–91) was a French physiotherapist who developed her own method, which posthumously has been named ‘Postural Reconstruction’.   ‘The use and abuse of anatomy’ by Joel Carbonel, a teacher of the Alexander Technique, argues, l …

Michael McCallion (1938–2004), UK voice teacher whose work was influenced by the Alexander Technique.   Life Michael McCallion graduated from the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama in London, in 1960. He taught at the Webber-Douglas Academy, …

Misuse – that which is not good use – consists of those actions which are detrimental to the individual’s health and wellbeing. Like use, misuse are those activities which the individual has, or potentially has, choice over.   The origin and cause …

‘Monkey’ is a position of mechanical advantage. It is normally described as a bending position, where the knees are forward and (often but not always) the torso is bending forward from the hips. A monkey can be everything in between standing and squatt …

Richard and Elisabeth Walker were keen mountaineers, but did not write specifically on the subject. There are references to their mountaineering in Elisabeth Walker’s memoirs, Forward and Away.[1]   Writings ‘A higher education’ by Paul Work is th …

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition which can affect the brain and/or spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance.[1]   Writings ‘Multiple Sclerosis and the …

Dr Mungo Douglas, Scottish doctor, who was an ardent supporter of Alexander and the Technique.   Life He became a doctor in 1921 and practised in Bolton for most of his life. He became a pupil of Alexander’s in about 1928 or 1929. His wife, Sydney …

Books Indirect Procedures by Pedro de Alcantara.[1]   What Every Musician Needs to Know about the Body – The Practical Application of Body Mapping and the Alexander Technique to Making Music by Barbara Conable.[2]   Mind, Muscle and Music by …

Research ‘Alexander Technique Lessons or Acupuncture Sessions for Persons With Chronic Neck Pain: A Randomized Trial’ by Hugh MacPherson, et al. The conclusion of a large randomized controlled trial with 517 patients with chronic neck pain is that less …

‘Neck to be free’ is a frequent expression for the purpose of reducing excessive muscular tension around the head–neck–back area as a preliminary for the head going forward and up. Several other expressions exist in the literature. This entry considers …

Observation here refers to visually observing one’s own use or other people’s use, for the purpose of learning and teaching.   ‘Observation work’ is the training towards developing observation skill.   Observation work can be used for at leas …

‘Offshoots’ are here defined as techniques and methods inspired by or evolved from the Alexander Technique, in whole or part. This is different from applying the Alexander Technique to an activity. ‘Offshoots’ are not dependent on previous knowledge of …

‘Operational verification’ is a term in operationalism, a philosophy of science. The principle of operationalism is to accept only such concepts as can be described in terms of the operations necessary to determine or prove them.[1]   For example, …

The name ‘Alexander Technique’ or ‘F. M. Alexander Technique’ was not used by Alexander originally, but it came about gradually and it appears to have been used for lack of a better name. By the 1940s it became the established name for Alexander’s work …

Philip Boswood Ballard (1865–1950), Scottish headmaster, author and Inspector of Schools, and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Philip Boswood Ballard, British Inspector of Schools, Doctor of Literature and author. Boswood was Headmaster of Pupil T …

On general aspects of pain.   F. M. Alexander F. M. Alexander wrote in several places how behaviour causing pain can be habitual, e.g. in MSI:   To those who have studied this curious phase of mental and physical phenomena, it would almost se …

Parkinson’s is a progressive, neurodegenerative movement disorder.   The benefits of the Alexander Technique for people with Parkinson’s disease (PWPD) were first highlighted by Chloe Stallibrass’s research in 1997 (see below for research papers). …

Patrick (‘Pat’) John Macdonald (1910-1991), prominent British teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Patrick Macdonald was born in York in 1910, the son of Peter Macdonald and Agnes Julia Rowntree. Peter Macdonald was an outspoken supporter of …

Paul Collins (1926-1995) was a violinist, runner, and Alexander Technique teacher, and Head of Training.   Life Paul Collins was born in London and raised in Canada. He was educated at Acadia University, but being a a violin prodigy from an early …

Peggy Williams (1916-2003), British teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Peggy Williams, born Goldstone, in Manchester. In 1938 she married Louis Nixon and moved to London. She started having lessons with F. M. Alexander and started his teachers’ …

Percy Hugh Boomer (1885-1949), golfer and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Percy Boomer and his brother Aubrey Boomer (b.1897) were professional British golfers and won several championships in the 1920s. According to Wikipedia: ‘Boomer was one of …

‘Art and the fearless brain’ by Joseph Sanders proposes a seven-fold ‘performance-centred learning’ model in order to move away from fear-inducing concentrative models.[1]   ‘The vitality and grace of the performing artist’ by Nadia Alexandra Keva …

Also called early reflexes, baby reflexes, retained or unintegrated primitive reflexes.   Persistent primitive reflexes (PPR) are reflex actions that are exhibited by normal infants, but not neurologically intact adults, in response to particular …

Peter Macdonald (1870–1960), surgeon and eye specialist, a pupil of F. M. Alexander, who wrote several articles on the Alexander Technique for the medical profession.   Life Peter Macdonald was born in Scotland and was a Scottish surgeon and eye s …

Peter Scott (1918-1978), British teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Peter Scott went to Stockport Grammar School, Cheshire, where he gained a scholarship to Magdalen College, Oxford. As a child he developed a lifelong passion for music in …

F. M. Alexander’s view on philosophy At the beginning of the first chapter of MSI, Alexander states that his work is not influenced by a particular school of philosophy:   Speculation as to what first influenced that strange and wonderful developm …

Articles ‘A pianist’s thoughts on the Alexander Technique’ by Nelly Ben-Or; on the importance of the Technique for piano playing, of first absorbing all the details of the music and learning to see it in relation to its constantly flowing placement on …

Joseph Pilates (1880–1967) developed a system of exercises which puts emphasis on alignment, breathing, and developing a strong core, and improving balance. Pilates called his method ‘Contrology’ but it is today known as ‘Pilates’.   Writings – Bo …

Play or a playful attitude is used in the Alexander Technique by some teachers. However, there are scant records; only a few teachers have described this approach in writing. F. M. Alexander preferred an easy atmosphere while teaching on his training c …

There is no single position of mechanical advantage or a single definition. (A ‘monkey’ is an example of a position of mechanical advantage, see Monkey.) Generally, it can be described as a position of balance, which will aid lengthening and widening a …

The phrase normally used is ‘theory and practice’ but Alexander wants to emphasize, in his technique, that practice precedes theory. It first appears in his Introductory to UCL,[1] and several times in UCL, specifically stating that his theory ‘flowed …

F. M. Alexander In UCL Alexander quotes from Anthony Ludovici’s book, The Truth about Childbirth (1937), where Ludovici writes about the importance of Alexander’s technique for pregnancy and childbirth. For example, on the consequences of faulty coordi …

‘Prevention’ is featured in Alexander’s writings, from 1903 and in all his four books. It is used in different meanings: the act or practice of prevention, often, but not always, synonymous with inhibition; and prevention in contrast to cure.   In …

Alexander contends that there is ‘a primary control of the use of the self, which governs the working of all the mechanisms’[1] of the organism, and which, if consciously employed, allows for a control of human reaction, for an improvement in the senso …

It is generally accepted that the Alexander Technique contains a number of principles; but there is little agreement upon what the principles are, and how many there are.   F. M. Alexander on principles F. M. Alexander refers to the principles of …

F. M. Alexander emphasized the unity of the organism, using such terms as ‘the self’, the ‘organism’, the ‘human organism’, or the ‘whole man’, or ‘psycho-physical’ as in ‘psycho-physical activity’, to indicate the impossibility of separating the human …

As F. M. Alexander maintained that the human organism is a psycho-physical whole, he did not specifically address psychology separate from the use of the self or what generally today is described as mental health issues. However, later (from the 1980s …

F. M. Alexander on Freudian psycho-analysis In CCC, in the section ‘Need for Substituting in all Spheres the Principle of Prevention on a General Basis for Methods of “Cure” on a Specific Basis’, Alexander criticises psycho-analysis:   Another for …

Dr Robert Henry Scanes Spicer (1856–1925), doctor and specialist of the throat, and a pupil of Alexander.   Life Dr Robert Henry Scanes Spicer (sometimes referred to as Scanes-Spicer) gained his M.D. in 1885. He studied in throat clinics in Vienna …

Rachel Zahn (1943-2017), US teacher of the Alexander Technique who promoted Francisco Varela’s approach of how mental experience could be studied scientifically.   Education Rachel Zahn first received theatre training at the University of Maryland …

Research papers by Rajal Cohen   ‘Neck posture is influenced by anticipation of stepping’ by Rajal G. Cohen, et al. Habitual head forward posture was measured in 45 young adults standing quietly and when they anticipated walking to place a tray: a …

Ray Evans (1929-2005), British teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Ray Evans worked in the Royal Navy as an engineering officer. He went on to work for Vickers and the Atomic Energy Authority. While lecturing in engineering design at Aylesb …

Raymond Arthur Dart (1893–1988), Australian-born anatomist and anthropologist. He was the originator of what is now known as the Dart procedures.   Life Dart, Raymond Arthur (1893–1988) was an Australian-born South African anatomist and anthropolo …

‘Re-education’ consists of restoring the organism to its natural function (eradication of faulty habits), whereas ‘education’ consists of learning how to prevent misuse. Alexander believed that a child at birth possessed the potential for healthy devel …

  The Alexander Technique – as a process for conscious control – is non-religious, but many people have seen similarities and common themes between some religions and some philosophies.   Alexander’s view on religion At the beginning of the f …

Repetitive strain injury (RSI) and associative trauma disorders, also known as work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs), are umbrella terms used to refer to several conditions that often are associated with repetitive tasks, forceful exertions, …

This entry covers recent research which is predominantly seeking to understand the mechanisms of the Alexander Technique, defining what constitutes good use and misuse.   ‘Prolonged weight-shift and altered spinal coordination during sit-to-stand …

This covers research into specific beneficial effects of learning and practising the Technique. The first section contains references to the research papers; the second section contains references to reports of research papers. As not all research pape …

Richard Gummere   Richard (‘Buzz’) Mott Gummere Jr. (1912–2007), US trained teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Gummere served as Director of Admissions at Bard College and taught at Columbia University Teachers College.   At the …

Richard (‘Dick’) Walker (1911–1992), UK teacher of the Alexander Technique and Head of Training.   Life Richard Walker read philosophy at Oxford and was especially interested in Eastern spiritual thought. He was a keen and successful amateur golf …

Robert Dudley Best (1892-1984), British businessman and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Best inherited his family brass founder business, Best & Lloyd, known for their lamps and chandeliers (they invented the ‘Surprise’ pendant in 1893 which …

Friedrich Robert Donat (1905–58), English actor and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Donat made his first stage appearance in 1921, at the age of 16. From 1930 Robert Donat acted in London’s West End Theatres where he also worked briefly as a ma …

Ron George Brown (1911–55), British journalist, editor and pupil of F. M. Alexander. Ron Brown wrote an important summary of F. M. Alexander’s four books.   Life Ron Brown worked for Reuters, the Times diary, the Evening Standard ‘Londoner’s Diary …

Ron Murdoch (1941–2018), Canadian classical singer and teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Ron Murdoch grew up in Nova Scotia. He studied music at Mount Allison University and through a grant went on to study singing in Montreal. He came to Euro …

F. M. Alexander in UCL F. M. Alexander critisises the attitude of rowers in a picture published in The Evening Standard in 1939 with the caption ‘Determination mirrored in their faces’, and reproduced in UCL. Alexander writes:   I have carefully s …

Rudolf Magnus (1873–1927), German Professor of Pharmacology and researcher on the physiology of posture. Magnus’ experiments, carried out on the guinea-pig, rabbit, cat, dog and monkey, investigated in particular: 1) reflex standing; 2) normal distribu …

Books The Art of Running by Malcolm Balk and Andrew Shields.[1]   Master the Art of Running by Malcolm Balk, Andrew Shields.[2]     Articles ‘Style in walking and running – A re-education problem’ by Paul Collins; on the importance of ‘g …

Saddle work refers to working with a pupil who is sitting on a wooden horse and saddle. It was developed shortly after Alexander’s death in 1955 by teachers at Ashley Place. It developed as a teaching-aid for a little girl of four-and-a-half with spina …

‘Sailing your own ship’ by Shelagh Aitken explores the connections between sailing and the Alexander Technique; many Alexander Technique principles apply on board a boat, and the applications of the Technique to a variety of typical sailing activities …

‘Science inspired’ writings are those which set out to understand the practice and/or the teaching of the Alexander Technique, or aspects of these, with reference to scientific knowledge or theories. Excluded here is anatomy and physiology related to p …

The literature on possible physiological and other mechanisms involved in the workings of the Alexander Technique over the years.   Andrew Murdoch ‘The function of the sub-occipital muscles’ by Dr. A. Murdoch argues that influence of the head dete …

The Scythe Book – Mowing hay, cutting weeds, and harvesting small grains with hand tools by David Tresemer contains a six-page introduction to the Alexander Technique and how it helps with scything.[1] The relevant section begins with:   Awareness …

‘Sensory appreciation’ is a fundamental concept in the Alexander Technique. Like other concepts it has its own special meaning; it is not exactly synonymous with kinaesthesia, perception or feeling.   F. M. Alexander’s definition Sensory appreciat …

F. M. Alexander Sir George Trevelyan’s diary entry of Wednesday 27 January 1937 records Alexander talking about sex:   Many of the failures in marriage, F. M. contends, are due to the failure on the part of the man to inhibit and hold back. In res …

Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation.   Writings ‘Hazards and hope’ by Wendy C. Morris reports on how the Technique helped – and didn’t help – in recovering from childhood sexual abuse.[1]   ‘We are sexless, not!’ by Nicola Hanefeld; …

Shamsi Davis (†2010), UK Iranian-born teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Shamsi Davis (Lady Colin Davis) was born Ashraf Naini, in Iran. She came to England in the early 1960s and in 1962 became an au pair in the household of the conductor Coli …

Shmuel Nelken (1930–2015), first Israeli teacher of the Alexander Technique and Head of Training.   Life Shmuel Nelken was born in Berlin in 1930 and in 1933 came with his parents to Palestine. In his teens he studied piano and cello. He then stud …

Shoshana Kaminitz, Israeli born teacher of the Alexander Technique, who assisted Patrick Macdonald and continued his teacher training course.   Life Shoshana Kaminitz was born in Israel. She trained with Patrick Macdonald 1960–63 and became de fac …

Given Alexander’s background as a reciter, his emphasis in his writings is more on voice use in general, and he rarely mentions singing. However, the obvious application of the Alexander Technique to singing has been explored by many writers.   F. …

Sir Charles Scott Sherrington (1857–1952), English neurophysiologist and supporter of the Alexander Technique.   Life Sherrington became a doctor in 1886 and immediately started to specialize in physiology. He worked at the universities of London …

Sir George Lowthian Trevelyan 4th Baronet (1906 –1996) was a British teacher of the Alexander Technique who went on to become a founding father of the New Age movement.   Life The Trevelyans were an aristocratic family who claimed descent from Sir …

Sir Richard Stafford Cripps (1889–1952), British politician, pupil and supporter of F. M. Alexander.   A lawyer, Cripps entered Parliament in 1931 as a left-wing Labour MP, antiwar and pro-Soviet. He served as Ambassador to Moscow (1940–42) and la …

Articles ‘Skiing and the Alexander Technique’ by Maggie Lamb relates of her experience of how the Alexander Technique transformed her skiing.[1]   ‘The art of Alpine skiing and the Alexander Technique’ by Erik Bendix; having skied for 44 years the …

In 1945 F. M. Alexander sued the South African journal Manpower for defamation and he won the case in 1948.   The official name of the case is: ‘Frederick Matthias Alexander, Plaintiff, versus Ernst Jokl, Eustace Henry Cluver, Bernard Maule Clarke …

The description of a double-spiral arrangement of voluntary muscles in Raymond Dart’s 1950 paper,[1] have led a number of teachers of the Alexander Technique to investigate the spiralic arrangements of musculature and its implication for movement. Such …

Also: Performance Anxiety   F. M. Alexander There are two references to stage fright by Alexander, both referring to him putting on Hamlet and The Merchant of Venice in Sydney with pupils who had never performed before. In his 1925 lecture he rela …

Standing is one of the most fundamental human activities, and one of the most basic activities the Alexander Technique is applied to. Alexander addressed the issue of standing principally in pre-1910 articles and in MSI, often criticizing the ‘stand-at …

The startle pattern, also known as startle reaction or startle response, is a sudden and brief and largely unconscious reaction to being startled, such as a loud noise.   The startle pattern has its origin in the startle reflex which is a brain st …

F. M. Alexander regards the organism as receiving stimuli to which it is capable of responding.   Generally, a stimulus is a object or an event which has the potential to evoke a response from an organism. A stimulus may be from within the organis …

‘“It’s too serious to be serious about”: Using stories to introduce the Alexander Technique’ by Sandra Niman and Dorothy Ormes; on using stories as an alternative way of introducing otherwise difficult principles of the Technique.[1]   ‘Inhibition …

F. M. Alexander In CCC F. M. Alexander relates the story of an author who suffered a breakdown:   A pupil of mine, an author, had been in a serious state of health for some time, and had at last reached the point where he was unable to carry on hi …

Articles ‘Body Mapping for string players’ by John Crawford contains examples of body mapping for violin/viola players.[1]   ‘Looking at the double bass’ by Peter Buckoke; observations on playing the double bass, including bow grip, left arm, left …

This listing is based on a type written document in the Walter Carrington archive collection. It covers the years Alexander ran his course, 1931–1955.   The dates specify when the students commenced their training. Most teachers qualified after th …

This entry covers support and supervision for Alexander Technique teachers, i.e. after graduation.   Some teacher training courses have a kind of informal support by allowing and encouraging qualified teachers to visit regularly. Some courses offe …

‘Preparing for and recovering from surgery using the Alexander Technique’ by Debbie Rittner; a pupil of the Technique relates her experiences of using the Technique before and after undergoing a hysteroscopy operation.[1]   Research ‘The impact of …

Books The Art of Swimming by Steven Shaw and Armand D’Angour.[1]   Master the Art of Swimming by Steven Shaw.[2]   Articles ‘Learning to swim without strain: An Alexander teacher’s perspective’ by Steven Shaw.[3]   ‘Unchartered waters: T …

Sydney Holland (†1989), British teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Sydney Holland was a manager in W. & T. Avery Ltd. (manufacturer of weighing machines), and he started having lessons with F. M. Alexander in 1939. Sydney joined Alexan …

Card games – Poker ‘Poker’ by Jerry Sontag discusses the ‘poker face’ and regards the ability to deal with boredom as a more important factor.[1]   ‘How to read a poker player’s body language’ by Charlie Schultz; on the reasons for applying the Al …

Tasha Miller (1954–2015), Indian born British teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Tasha Miller was born in Sutna, India. The family moved in Swindon, England, in the late 1960s. She studied Fine Art at St. Martin’s in London before moving t …

This entry covers a formal or structured Alexander Technique teacher training, typically taking place in a class and taking 2–4 years to complete. (For individual, personal training, see Apprenticeship training. For details of individual training cours …

This entry covers methods which involve some kind of equipment and other aids used in teaching and learning the Technique. This entry excludes table and chair which are listed under ‘Classical procedures’. The use of a wall, a staircase, books and othe …

(The categories below are not exact as there frequently is an overlap between the teaching of children and teaching in music colleges.)   General ‘The space between the notes’ by Ron Colyer reflects on the role of the Alexander Technique in music …

Teaching school teachers the Alexander Technique.   Books The Thinking Teacher’s Body by Harriet Anderson. Inspired by the Alexander Technique, written for teachers, trainee teachers, and all those involved in teacher training and development.[1] …

F. M. Alexander discouraged stereotyped, imitative approaches to the teaching of the Technique. It is generally realised that teachers can only teach from their own experience and so any teaching is highly influenced by the individual’s understanding a …

The first training course students, as part of applying the Technique, experimented with playing tennis. Erika Whittaker reports:   Then we decided we would try playing tennis with our left hands. This we did in Battersea Park: keep your length, u …

This entry deals with Alexander Technique terminology (‘jargon’) in general. For the use of words to communicate the Technique, see Communication – Words.   F. M. Alexander on the use of words Alexander’s terminology changed over the years as he d …

The Alexander Foundation School was a small private boarding school, running from c. 1947 to the late 1950s or early 1960s in Pennsylvania.   History Esther Duke, a pupil of A. R. Alexander, was affiliated with a Quaker school, the Media Friends S …

This article covers the application of the Technique to the workplace and the teaching of the Technique at the workplace, on site. (This entry excludes music, dance and acting colleges, hospitals and schools, see below).   F. M. Alexander Although …

The Charity was formed in 1996 and is working under the name of Friends of the Alexander Technique (AT Friends).   It runs community events for teachers, pupils and members of the public such as lectures, concerts, workshops and social events. …

The Charity was formed in 1991 in order to advance the education of the general public in the Alexander Technique and to promote research and study into all aspects of the Technique. Its working name is The Alexander Trust.   It supports mainly re …

On people’s vision and concerns regarding the future of the Alexander Technique.   F. M. Alexander Alexander mentions in several places, especially in MSI, his vision for the future, generally the development of conscious guidance and control for …

The House of Lords, United Kingdom, has on occasion mentioned the Alexander Technique, in 1977, 1990 and 2004. The 1990 speech by Lord Richie of Dundee is a general introduction to the Technique. The following extracts are from the official records, Ha …

The International Congresses started in 1986 for the purpose of providing a forum for the exchange of knowledge and experience on the Alexander Technique, and are open to anyone interested in the Technique. They are typically attended by between 300 an …

The Little School was the first school for children based on the principles of the Alexander Technique.   It was started in London (at Ashley Place) in 1924 by Irene Tasker who ran it until 1934. It was called the ‘little school’ and this epithet …

is divided into the following entries   Scientific explanations of the Alexander Technique Research into the benefits of the Alexander Technique Research into mechanisms of the Alexander Technique Alexander’s scientific method Science inspired – a …

The ‘self’ is the whole psycho-physical organism. In UCL Alexander writes:   . . . I prefer to call the psycho-physical organism simply ‘the self,’ and to write of it as something ‘in use,’ which ‘functions’ and which ‘reacts.’ My conception of th …

The Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique (STAT) was founded in the UK in 1958 by Dr Wilfred Barlow, Marjory Barlow and Joyce Roberts.   Membership The table below show membership numbers in the years 1981–87.[1]   Year19811982198319 …

This entry covers the use of anatomy and physiology both for understanding the workings of the Alexander Technique and for the purpose of teaching the Technique.   History – F. M. Alexander F. M. Alexander did not refer to anatomy in his writings, …

The charity was formed in 2010 in order to continue the work of the Constructive Teaching Centre on a charitable basis. The main activities are:   teaching the Alexander Technique in a manner consistent with the training programme developed by Wal …

Thomas Dennison Hall (1890–1963), South African agriculturalist, and a pupil of Irene Tasker.   Life He obtained his degrees in agriculture at Illinois University (B.Sc.) and at Cornell University (M.Sc.). He worked for public institutions and pri …

Alexander started his first three-year training course in 1931 and, apart from the interruption by World War II, it continued until his death in 1955. The three-year model has been adopted by many Alexander Teachers’ societies.   History The first …

Research papers by Tim Cacciatore ‘Improvement in automatic postural coordination following Alexander Technique lessons in a person with low back pain’ by T. W. Cacciatore, et al. This case report describes the use of the Alexander Technique with a cli …

When A. R. Alexander left the US in 1945 one of his trainees, Dolly Dailey, took over the training course and ran it until 1949. (It is not clear whether this course was condoned by A. R. Alexander.)[1]   Lulie Westfeldt (possibly together with Al …

Trauma, traumatic injury, grief.   Articles ‘Grief’ by Vivien Schapera; on bereavement, grief resulting from a death, and how it affected her use.[1]   ‘Effects of childhood trauma’ by Rachel Mausner with Jano Cohen argues that Alexander less …

Troup H. Mathews (1916-2002), US teacher of the Alexander Technique and Head of Training in New York.   Life Troup Mathews was born in Le Havre, France, and came to the US in 1935. He enlisted in the US Army in January 1941 and was stationed in No …

This entry consists of material which is as yet unclassified or may not qualify for inclusion.   2018 Congress Papers ‘Standing at the edge’ by Roshi Joan Halifax is a report of Roshi Joan Halifax’s lecture. She is a Buddhist teacher, Zen priest a …

For Alexander the ‘unknown’ represents the new, the unexpected and the unfamiliar, which if subconsciously guided (ruled by habit) will stimulate a reaction of fear and general lack of control. Contrasted with this the ‘known’ constitutes what is famil …

‘Use’ is one of the most fundamental concepts in the Alexander Technique, and one of the most occurring concepts in Alexander’s writings.   Use refers to that use of ourselves over which we have some degree of control in terms of the choices we ma …

The use of mirrors as a teaching aid or for self-study; it is sometimes referred to as ‘mirror work’.   History F. M. Alexander reported how he used a mirror – and later mirrors[1] – to study the cause of his vocal trouble and for the development …

Vera Cavling (1920–2011), Danish teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Life Vera Cavling, née Kjær, was very frail in her early youth, suffering from fatigue, insomnia and chronic headaches. She and her sister, Else Kjær, went to London in 1948 an …

Viola Tree (1884–1938), English actress, singer, playwright, and pupil of F. M. Alexander.   Life Tree was born in London, the eldest of three daughters of Herbert Beerbohm Tree and his wife, the actress Helen Maud Tree. Her aunt was author Consta …

The effect of the Alexander Technique on both the creation, appreciation, and interpretation of the visual arts are scantily addressed in the Alexander Technique literature.   A short article by Dr Wilfred Barlow discusses how the Alexander Techni …

Visualisation here refers to generating mental images that simulate or re-create sensory perception without any immediate input of the senses. Imagery refers to using visually descriptive or figurative language, for the purpose of changing people’s ide …

F. M. Alexander Many of Alexander’s early writings were on breathing and voice, specifically elocution.[1]   Alexander’s 32-page pamphlet, The Human Voice Cultivated and Developed for Speaking and Singing by the New Methods! does not contain anyth …

Waldo David Frank (1889–1967), American novelist, travel writer and essayist, a pupil of F. M. Alexander, and who was first married to Margaret Naumburg and later Alma Frank.   Life Waldo Frank grew up in New York City, attended a college preparat …

Alexander provides a description of some of the factors involved in walking in MSI:   The whole physiology of walking is, indeed, perfectly simple when once these fundamental principles are understood. It is really resolved into the primary moveme …

See ‘Walking’ in Teaching Procedures, as it includes walking as fitness and sport.   See also Hiking.  

Wall work, or wall procedure, consists of using a wall (or other flat surface) behind you in standing, for observation, support or as a reference point.   It is first described as ‘Door Exercise’ in Alexander’s 1910 pamphlet ‘Supplement to Re-Educ …

Walter H. M. Carrington (1915–2005), British teacher of the Alexander Technique. Walter Carrington was an inspirational teacher, founder of the Constructive Teaching Centre, and an influential writer on the Alexander Techniqu   Life Walter Hadrian …

The whispered ‘ah’ in the Alexander Technique is producing the sound of an ‘ah’ in a whisper while thinking of something that may produce a smile.   History The ‘a’, ‘ah’, has probably a long history in singing, in bel canto in particular. For exa …

The Whitney Homestead, Massachusetts, USA, was home to Alexander and the Little School 1941-1942.   The Whitney Homestead is situated at 485 Great Road, in Stow, Massachusetts. It was built 1843–44 by the Whitney family. The last Whitney died in 1 …

Wilfred (‘Bill’) Barlow (1915–91), British doctor and teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Wilfred Barlow was the first teacher to conduct research into the Technique, and author of the bestselling The Alexander Principle (1973).   Life Wilf …

Wilfred Barlow wrote a number of papers, starting in 1946 with a study which showed that people, when sitting down, pulled their heads back and down relative to the spine. He went to do a number of ‘before’ and ‘after’ Alexander Technique lessons studi …

William Temple (1881–1944), Archbishop of Canterbury and a pupil of F. M. Alexander.   William Temple was a British churchman and Archbishop of Canterbury (1942-44). He was a conservative Christian but politically of socialist orientation. His bro …

At least one teacher training course requires students to write essays on the Alexander Technique (for example, on Alexander’s books) as a mandatory part of the course. Other training courses have writing as an optional extra.   Training courses c …

History The first yoga teachers to train in the Alexander Technique in the UK were Ken Thompson (starting April 1976), Chris Stevens and Ray Evans (starting September 1976).[1]   Writings – Books Yoga and the Alexander Technique by David Moore.[2] …

Yvonne Becker (1942?–2018), South African teacher of the Alexander Technique.   Yvonne Becker worked as a school teacher and librarian before training in the Alexander Technique. She trained as an Alexander Technique Teacher in Cape Town with Joyc …