Frederick Mathias Alexander (1869-1955) devised the technique at the end of 1900th century, he was an Australian actor who suffered from respiratory problems during his childhood and eventually lost his voice while he was performing. As doctors could not find what was wrong with him, Alexander hypothesized that his symptoms were caused by something he was doing while he was speaking, he explored the various parts of his body and noticed that he was creating unnecessary tension while reciting his part. After working extensively on his breathing Alexander’s condition improved dramatically and he spent the rest of his life helping people, he trained actors and singers with voice problems, and later people with other conditions who were sent to him by doctors sympathetic to his work. In 1904 Alexander came to England where he trained several practitioners. In his seventies, he suffered a stroke and as a result his hand and face were paralyzed, he used his own technique to heal himself and doctors were stunned by his recovery.

The Alexander technique is usually taught on a one-on-one basis, there are no set exercises and each session is individually tailored. The theory behind the technique is that individuals create unnecessary tension in their body because of bad posture, this tension can reduce their mobility and make them ill. Alexander believed that bad posture is acquired during childhood, babies always sit straight but when they grow they often adopt bad habits unconsciously as they copy adults behaviors.
The Alexander Technique is a physical and mental form of therapy as a large part of the practitioners’ work involves psychological re-education. Therapists teach their clients to use their body in a more efficient way, they make them aware of the way they perform activities and what optimum posture feels like before beginning to make adjustments, the goal is to produce maximum efficiency with minimum effort. During the first session the therapist assesses the movements of the client, he/she focuses on the use of the body exploring everyday functions such as sitting, standing or walking and applies gentle pressure on specific parts of the body. Practitioners guide their clients through a series of gentle movements, which involve a lengthening and widening of the body. Once the technique has been mastered it can be used at home. The session is restful, at the end of the treatment movements are easier and the bodies are more aligned. The technique is particularly popular with actors and musicians.
 

An online journal with access to a directory of practitioners.

 http://directionjournal.com/

 The Alexander Technique Center of Washington

http://www.alexandercenter.com/

The complete guide to the Alexander technique
http://www.alexandertechnique.com/