Alexander Technique Institute

Suite 4 / 188 Pacific Highway, North Sydney, Australia 2060

Teacher Training

Alexander Lessons

"The Alexander Technique teaches you how to bring more practical intelligence into what you are already doing; how to eliminate stereotyped responses; how to deal with habit and change. It leaves you free to choose your own goal but gives you better use of yourself while you work towards it."

Professor Frank Pierce Jones author of
Freedom to Change - the development and science of the Alexander Technique.

Diana Devitt-Dawson

Optimum Performance Ability & Creativity - (music / sport / in the office)
Mind / Body Integration
Balance & Enhance Motor Skills
Freedom from Stress / Anxiety
Pain Relief (long-term) Through Learning (see News Flash! The British Medical Journal)
Health and Wellness / Being in the Moment

F.M. Alexander

Re-Educating the Kinaesthetic Sense - Heightening Sensory Awareness

The aim of Alexander lessons is to teach you how to self-work (with Alexander's principle) in all daily life activities.  Traditionally, and at the Alexander Institute lessons are one to one in order to address the problems and harmful habits of use that are unique to you as an individual.  For example:- stress, anxiety, a stiff neck, slumped posture, a weak voice, poor breathing, back, neck or joint pain or performance anxiety.

Before you are able to self-work you require a heightened sensory awareness to replace the dull sensory awareness associated with your harmful habits of use.  This involves a course of lessons where the teacher gives you a new experience, of stopping (the automatic reaction, habit) and directing, (thinking directions) which free the neck (the flight/fright) reflex centre and affect the whole organism.  With a heightened sensory awareness you become more conscious of use and this makes way for fundamental change and on-going improvement.

During lessons the teacher instructs and demonstrates with gentle hands-on guidance demonstrates the importance of a balanced head, neck and back relationship i.e., where the neck is free of unnecessary tensions, the head is balanced up on the neck, and the back is allowed to lengthen and widen, which in turn allows deep natural breathing.  For most people this is a very pleasant, liberating and empowering experience.  You notice you are not stuck in your habit!

After a course of lessons you will be able to self-work to 'meet the stimulus that always puts you wrong, (be it a computer chair, the angry boss, a difficult conductor or unfamiliar situations) and know what to do' - to stop and direct yourself (indirectly) to allow balance and freedom.

After the initial Consultation and lesson combined, the teacher will advise how many lessons you might require in order learn how to self-work.  The number of lessons vary from person to person however, a course of lessons usually involves between 15 and 30 for adults.  Children and young adults usually require fewer lessons.  Lessons should be as close to one another as possible in order to allow for the change in sensory awareness.

Lessons at the Alexander Technique Institute do not incorporate other disciplines or programs such as yoga, NLP or 'accelerated' learning thereby allowing the original integrity of the teachings to be fully experienced and understood.  Nor do lessons involve exercise, stretching or manipulation.

The Alexander teachers who are members of the professional body AUSTAT (the Australian Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique) have completed the three year, 1600 hour continuous training at an accredited teacher training school where the teacher/student ratio is 1:5.  AUSTAT is a member of the International Affiliated Societies Group that include, AmSAT (USA), CANSTAT (Canada), STAT (London) See, www.stat.org.uk and other European Societies.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION - Contact Us.