Muscle tension with interest: it’s payback time

Have you ever considered how muscle tension can accumulate over time: what you might call ‘compound tension’? Here’s a recent chart I created to express the idea: Here are some interesting points to note: unnecessary muscle tension often occurs during focused activity. When our attention narrows down on something, so does our overall posture. unnecessary …

Alexander Technique at Lloyds and BBC Studios

Last week was Back Care Awareness Week, a campaign run by charity Backcare (the National Back Pain Association) to help companies better support the health and wellbeing of their staff. It is estimated that around eight million UK adults suffer from chronic back pain, costing the economy around £10bn year. As part of Back Care …

Alexander Technique at IGF Classical Guitar Course

Last month, I was privileged to introduce the Alexander Technique on the Classical Guitar Course run by IGF (International Guitar Foundation and Festivals) at its summer school in Bath, UK. Although the course was founded in 1994, it has recently relaunched under its new course leader, renowned Colombian classical guitarist Francisco Correa. Special guests this …

Before and after photos after 15 minutes

In the summer of 2023 I introduced the Alexander Technique to around 20 classical musicians in Bucharest. None of them had experienced the Alexander Technique before, and as well as giving workshops, I made time to provide some hands-on work. For their interest, I took ‘before and after’ photos. Pretty obviously, the ‘before’ condition was …

Is this the best ever introduction to the Alexander Technique?

Earlier this year, I blogged about a new video by Laura Try which is probably the best 10-minute video for newcomers to the Alexander Technique. It’s astonishingly clear and authentic too because it shows her own first experience of the Technique. I’m now asking whether an article I wrote last month is the best written …

Alexander Technique at Sparks, Bristol

Sparks is a new hub of ‘sustainability, creativity and education’ which has been set up in the old Marks & Spencer in Broadmead shopping centre, Bristol. Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to introduce the Alexander Technique to members of the public passing through this space, thanks to the brilliant support of Mila Plants. The …

‘How do I keep it going between lessons?’

The Alexander Technique is about becoming conscious of our habitual reactions to things, and seeing instead whether we can encourage a set of responses that is kinder to us. You could say that, at any moment in time, we can either orient ourselves towards greater ease or towards greater tension. The choice is ours. What …