The Alexander Technique

From scrutinizing what exactly the Alexander Technique is to offering guidance on more advanced elements, such as core postural support and psycho-physical unity, this book offers a holistic insight to the Alexander Technique for practitioners and artists. It is difficult to explain the Alexander Technique without hands-on instruction by a qualified teacher. Written by expert Alexander Technique practitioner Peter Ribeaux, who has a wealth of pedagogical and practice experience spanning 45 years, this book steps into that space. In doing so, it refuses to shy away from some of the most alienating elements of the practice (e.g. the arcane language often used), instead breaking them down to make them more easy to understand, while also setting out the most elementary aspects of Alexander Technique for someone who may not yet be familiar with its principles. The author uses his own extensive experience of the Technique to offer tried-and-tested advice and posits that the Alexander Technique is not just about posture, but about choice and the control of reaction. Overall, the book provides a wide scope of the field, from concepts to techniques, as well as an exploration of its application within many different domains.

Peter Ribeaux has been an Alexander Technique teacher for over 45 years. He has given workshops in Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Israel, Switzerland and the USA, and has taught the Alexander Technique in a number of different settings, ranging from the performance arts to the aerospace industry. Formerly a university lecturer in organisational psychology at Middlesex University, UK, he has also been a council member of STAT (the Society of Teacher of the Alexander Technique, UK) and is currently a member of the Moderators' Panel and the Training Course Committee at STAT.

Foreword Preface Acknowledgements Chapter 1 You Never Know What You're Touching Chapter 2 What is the Alexander Technique? Recognition of the Force of Habit Inhibition Unreliable Sensory Appreciation Sending Directions The Primary Control of the Use of the Self So what then is the Alexander Technique ? Chapter 3 A Critique of Alexander's Terminology: its Relation to Teaching Styles and Methods Once again, what is the Alexander Technique? A quick summary. 1. Use, Use of the Self, Habitual Use, etc 2. Sensory Appreciation, Unreliable, Imperfect, Faulty etc 3. Inhibition, Inhibitory Act, Primary Orders, Preventive Orders etc 4. Directions and Orders, Secondary, Directive etc 5. Primary Control, Central Control etc Primary Control and/of the Use of the Self Conception and Teaching Technique: the relatedness of thinking and action Chapter 4 Towards a Functional Anatomy of the Alexander Technique Muscles and Bones Two Muscular Systems (a convenient fiction) The Support System Muscle Function Tracing the Deep Support System The Movement System Interaction between the Support and Movement Systems The Role of Movement Muscles in Support So how does it all work? Functional Anatomy and the Alexander Technique The Mechanism of Misuse The Primary Control Conscious Control and Indirect Procedure Inhibition and Direction Lengthening and Widening Conclusion Chapter 5 Scientific Research Chapter 6 More of My Story Training as an Alexander Teacher Life as an Alexander Teacher Trainer Chapter 7 Training Alexander Technique Teachers Direction: the Primary Directions Teaching Hands-on Work Direction: doing and non-doing Alexander Online Chapter 8 The Alexander Technique for Musicians and Other Performance Artists Some Popular Traps Guiding Principles Alexander Teacher vs Instrumental Teacher! A Word About Acting On Working with Performance Artists in General Chapter 9 Psychological Aspects On Psychophysicality Non-directive Interviewing Mindfulness "Power Posing" as a Direction Chapter 10 Musings, Preoccupations and Explorations Touch and Words The Study of Anatomy "Arms are also Legs" Spirals KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid!) What really is the Alexander Technique?! The "Big Question" - Psycho-physical Unity My Own Back More on Inhibition and Direction: Doing the Inhibition and Not Doing the Direction Relations with Other Disciplines: One Alexander Technique? Parallel Universes? Epilogue Bibliography Appendices Foreword