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FAQ: Will I have to practise lots of exercises?

No! The less you try to 'do' the technique, the better!

The most important thing to grasp about the Alexander Technique is that it is not an exercise system: but a means of developing increasingly accurate sefl-awareness.

Many people arrive at a first lessons with a more or less defined idea of what the Technique is about - generally involving ideas about posture and moving in specific ways. Sucessful students are those who quickly accept that they dont know what it's about and pay attention

In between lessons, the advice I give to my students is not to try to do anything in any particular way, but to direct awareness around the body, to the neck, or shoulders say, and simply notice what happens in that part in the course of a given action. When we become aware of discomfort from doing a thing one way, it is natural to look for a better way but it is important to avoid pre-conception about what that better way will look or feel like.

In a lesson we work with certain stereotyped movements and positions, because this make sit possble to move attention away from what we are doing onto how we are doing it. That does not imply that these are the best, or even necessarily particularly good ways to go on in normal life and the best thing at all times is to act naturally - simply do what feels best at the time. Pver time our idea of what feels best will hange, but that is another story.!

At some stages in learning, there will be times when one is motivated, and feels able, to work constructively alone. At other times, it is often best to apply the maxim, 'first do no harm' and allow the understanding to develop before trying to do too much.

Obviously more could be said on this topic - but perhaps the important message at this point is that 'being too busy to do exercises' is not a reason for not learning Alexander.

In this case, just turning up is enough!

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