FAQs

Who - or what - is Alexander?

Frederick Matthias (FM) Alexander (1869-1955) was born in Australia and began his professional life as an actor/reciter. Plagued by recurring bouts of hoarseness that threatened to derail his new career, he developed a system to prevent the misuse of his vocal and whole-body mechanisms. It was so successful and transformational that others in the performing arts and related professions (politicians, clergy, and others who used their voice and body directly in their work) sought him out for lessons. The demand was great enough that he switched to teaching full time.

In the course of receiving instruction, pupils noted not just improvement in the areas that had troubled them initially (voice production, breathing, etc) but that a general improvement in their whole “use of themselves” came about, resulting in better balance, improved digestion, fewer headaches, more comfortable sleep, and so forth. This expanded the circle of pupils who came to Alexander for lessons, and in the early 20th century he moved his practice to London where he went on to write four books, train a new generation to teach his methods, and continued to teach until shortly before he passed away at the age of 86.

Who usually comes for lessons?

To say that the Alexander Technique is for everyone may sound too broad, but by and large it is true.

Based on universal principles common to all human beings, AT can be introduced and adapted to meet the needs of individuals wherever they are on life’s path.

Children as young as about 8 can be given age-appropriate and simplified experiences, and there really is no upper limit. As the principles relate more to the mental rather than physical, anyone whose mind is alert and can discern in matters of timing, judgment, and choice of movement can incorporate AT into either a more sedentary or highly active life.

Traditionally, it has been actors, musicians and dancers who take to the Alexander Technique most immediately, with athletes and physical laborers who use their bodies on a daily basis a close second. Tied for second would be anyone who uses their voice (teachers, politicians, salespeople, clergy) on a regular basis.

In third place one could say “the rest of us”—as in anyone who has a phone, has to get in and out of chairs, in and out of bed, brush their teeth, prepare a sandwich, drive or ride in a car, sit for periods of time to do work or attend a concert—in short, the whole human family!

How is Alexander Technique taught?

The classic method of instruction for the Alexander Technique has always been one-to-one, teacher to pupil, for a minimum of about 30 minutes to an upper maximum of about 75 minutes. Average length of a weekly lesson in the modern era is usually 45 minutes, or the better part of an hour, with time to transition into the space and leave without feeling rushed.

Everyday clothing is expected. Lessons can be conducted at a pupil’s home or work location, but if a teacher has a dedicated teaching space (as I do), it can aid the learning process to have a neutral area with room to move around, a few chairs, a mirror, and a table upon which to lie for some horizontal (supine) work.

Small group instruction may be arranged, with a low ratio of teacher to pupils. Participants will ideally “be on the same page” in some regard, such as college musicians or senior citizens, or else have had a similar amount of private lessons before going on to study as a group.

The Alexander Technique has customarily involved gentle, non-invasive hands on guidance, akin to a kind invitation or direction, which can be modified to suit people’s individual comfort on any given day. Most people find the “Alexander touch” to be calming and soothing, safe and supportive, and it is indeed one of the hallmarks and distinguishing characteristics of a qualified Alexander teacher. Having said that, it is important that pupils feel that they can, at any time, ask for physical contact to lessen or stop, for any or no reason.

The traditional Alexander lesson has some reliable features around the world: a student, fully clothed, standing in a room, perhaps in front of or behind a chair, with a teacher nearby communicating with words and hands aspects of the technique relevant to the pupil’s current state. The pupil may be guided in and out of the chair a few times using Alexander principles, or new ideas (directions) may be introduced while sitting. There are various procedures and “games” that the teacher may employ to illustrate concepts relevant to the pupil.

After this period of “chair work,” the pupil will be invited to lie down on a comfortable table: shoes off, feet flat and knees pointed up at the ceiling, hands resting on the abdomen, and head supported by a few books. This is known as “semi-supine” and the teacher will move around the table, using hands and conversation to bring about very subtle adjustments to length and width, encouraging the release of muscles and movement of joints in a way that is neither massage nor chiropractic. This is typically one of people’s favorite portions of an Alexander lesson, and when doing a lie down at home in between lessons, many are able to recall the teacher’s words and the physical changes brought about, thus deepening the work and enhancing the progress of learning.

After the lie down portion of the lesson, remaining time may be spent reviewing work from the first part of the lesson with refreshed awareness, or a new procedure or game may be introduced for follow up at the next lesson. Musicians sometimes bring their instruments for direct feedback from the teacher, or an actor might use a portion of a monologue to work on while incorporating the Alexander principles in real time. Golfers may bring a club or two to work on their swing!

How much do lessons cost?

45 minute lessons are offered at a rate of $30-70, sliding scale.

The time allotted for instruction is based within the hour, allowing time for your arrival, settling in, use of the restroom etc, and time to wrap up comfortably without feeling rushed.

Lessons shorter and longer may be priced accordingly.

In modern times, weekly lessons are common. Daily or every-other-day lessons may be arranged at a special rate. In Alexander’s era, pupils came for a course of lessons, a total of 30 30-minute lessons, every day for three weeks, then tapering off to three times a week, then twice a week, and so forth until complete. While this may no longer be practical for most people, it gives us a clue that a series of lessons closer together at first can be beneficial to the learning process.

Cash, Venmo, personal checks and Zelle (for established clients) are all welcome.

For those wishing to pay for a series of lessons at one time, discounts of 10% or more can be arranged.

Customary cancellation notice of 12-24 hours before a scheduled lesson is always appreciated.

Where is AT of Edina located?

The teaching space (or clinic, as the British like to say) for Alexander Technique of Edina is to be found at 4445 West 77th Street in Edina. It is easy to get to coming from either Hwys 100 or 494. You can also come from France Blvd, as the building is not far from Centennial Lakes. The location offers ample parking on three sides, and when you arrive (especially for a first visit), come and have a seat in the lobby and I’ll come meet you at the appointed time.

The teaching space is shoes-off, so please have a pair of socks handy if you need, but barefeet are fine. We will be on the 2nd floor, and there is an elevator if needed. There are many great places to eat, drink, and shop in the area; favorites include Trader Joe’s, Hope Breakfast Bar, Master Noodle, Q Cumbers, World Market, and more.

I'm neither a musician nor an athlete; will AT work for me?

People from all walks of life—any or no profession, from students to retirees, amateurs to professionals, hobbyists, athletes and couch potatoes—come one, come all! Alexander Technique is applicable to any activity, and non-exercise based. Whatever you do as a carbon-based life form with your time on this planet, AT is here to meet you where you are.

Marjorie Barlow, Alexander’s niece and herself an AT teacher of many decades, said “It’s like sticking plaster; it works wherever you apply it!”

Is it like physical therapy? Massage? Chiropractic?

Alexander Technique is unique in that it is an educational (or reëducational!) mind-body approach that can be added safely and effectively to anything you already do.

There are no proscribed exercises, per se, though people report feeling relief from aches and pains in a way similar to seeing a PT.

It is not a massage, though people report feeling calmer, lighter, more grounded, more relaxed and released after a lesson.

It is not a chiropractic adjustment, though people report significant reductions in back and neck pain after a course of lessons, a reduction that continues to endure months and even a year later (when asked to report).

If you are seeing a PT, massage therapist, or chiropractor already, having a few lessons in the Alexander Technique can be very beneficial for getting the most out of your time with those practices.

Personally, my care regimen before learning AT was to accept that playing live music weekly would bring about a certain amount of strain and discomfort, and that driving around town would cramp my legs and hips, so seeing a massage therapist regularly was the antidote for that. And it worked as a rhythm of pain/strain to release/relief.

When my massage therapist had to take a leave of absence due to an injury, I didn’t want to replace her with another therapist (my hope was that her recovery would be reasonably quick and she’d be back at work before long). But I remembered that there was a modality where one learned how not to get tense to the point of pain and strain in the first place.

So I signed up for a week’s worth of morning sessions at the U of M for an AT for Musicians Workshop, noticed a big shift in how I thought about and approached making music (or doing any activity, really) and decided to keep going.

Now, if and when I go for a massage, it can either be elective, for pleasure, or emergency, for a sudden seizing up of some kind. But it is no longer a necessary weekly maintenance routine. By learning the Alexander Technique, you become your own first line of defense against the aches and pains of living.

Knowledge of and skill in the Alexander Technique changes the way you use yourself, and how you use yourself affects the way you function.