The Alexander Technique Rachel Bernsen, M.AmSAT

3/1/12

Yoga & The Alexander Technique

An Alexander Teacher, Joan Arnold, responds to the New York Times article, How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body.

How Yoga Can Free Your Body

By Joan Arnold, certified teacher of the Alexander Technique & Yoga

The provocative title of William Broad's article in the January 8th New York Times Magazine -- How Yoga Can Wreck your Body -- has a whole nation of yogis buzzing. The news is that people can hurt themselves doing yoga. But they don't have to. Bring some mindfulness and sound movement principles to your practice, and you greatly reduce your chance of injury.

Broad's indictment is, well, pretty broad. His sensational warning overlooks some essential elements: the wild panoply of yogic varieties, the habits of mind and body we each bring to the mat, the vagaries of teachers' instructional skills, and the risks that accompany all human movement - athletic or sedentary.

Read her complete article here

2/10/12

Alexander Introductory Workshop Thurs Feb 23

Happy new year!

In finishing a busy 2011 I'm reflecting on how applying the Alexander Technique in our everyday lives invites us to stay present and make space for our breath. By embodying a state of greater awareness and ease, we can take full advantage of what life has to offer and remain open, curious, engaged, active, and injury free.

This is what the Alexander Technique offers. It is an educational process for enhancing well-being with proven therapeutic results. Whether performer, professor, architect, nurse, office manager, or student, the Technique gives you the tools to improve the quality of your life in numerous ways.

Introductory Group Workshop
If you're new to the Technique and curious about how it can be of benefit to you, join me in this introductory class. I'll introduce the work with hands-on demonstrations, discussion and group activities. We'll learn to apply Alexander to basic everyday activities such as sitting, walking, bending, and standing.

Thursday February 23rd
6-7:30pm
$25 -fee includes a copy of the book Back Trouble, A New Approach to Prevention and Recovery by Deborah Caplan. A must-read for all Alexander students.
Class size is limited. Advanced registration is required.
Contact me to register
Alexander Technique New Haven | Erector Square | New Haven, CT

1/23/12

Alexander in the News - Jan 2012

Great article about Alexander Technique in the Florida Sun Sentinel

"In a sedentary era, when back pain has emerged as the second most common reason for doctor's visits, an age-old treatment is gaining new notice for its simplicity — and scientifically proven effectiveness."

...And another in the Yale Daily News: Your Body is Beautiful with the Alexander Technique

"So how will the Alexander Technique make your life better? The technique will change your method of standing, walking, lying down and even breathing; once applied, it reduces the tensions that the awful mattresses of college dorms wreak on our bodies, and teaches us how to efficiently guide our body’s actions. It gives us a little grace. It really is quite magical."

12/7/11

Alexander in The News

Alexander Technique has been in the news a lot in the last few years. The publication of a study on back pain published in the British Medical Journal in 2008 showed that "one to one lessons in the Alexander technique from registered teachers have long term benefits for patients with chronic back pain."
The study has helped the Technique gain more visibility as a highly effective alternative therapy for back pain and chronic pain. Although AT has been helping people for over 100 years, it's nice to see it getting the recognition it so clearly deserves.

The latest news story is an article in the Huffington Post today:
Mix and Match Several Alternative Therapies to Ease Back Pain
"Non-invasive alternative therapies are often compatible with conventional treatments for back pain, have a relatively lower cost and can sometimes be done at home. ...the Alexander technique works through release of tension, decompression of the spine, more balanced muscle activity and improved flexibility. " Read the complete article

10/15/11

Awareness Week / Special rate for a first lesson

Awareness Week is October 10-16. It's an annual event and this year's theme is:

Pain Relief & Prevention-Learn it for Life

Here's a great supporting quote:

"If you have chronic back pain and you find that pain medication, physical therapy

and regular exercise don't provide you with sufficient long-term relief,

you may want to consider an alternative

movement therapy called the Alexander Technique".

It's from The Alexander Technique, An Alternative Therapy for Chronic Back Pain, Johns Hopkins "Health After 50" Newsletter (Aug 2011). The article highlights a clinical study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in 2008. The study concluded that:

"One to one lessons in the Alexander Technique
from registered teachers have long term benefits
for patients with chronic back pain."

Read the BMJ study & watch the companion video

Of course, the Alexander Technique is an effective tool for living for everybody. All can benefit from using less tension and moving more fully, easefully and mindfully.

Try a lesson
An introductory lesson is just $60 during the month of October (individual lessons are regularly $75). New students only.

Student Testimonials - From Rachel's students

I have experienced profound relief from sciatica through the Alexander Technique. When it flares, I now have a “toolkit” of approaches that I can use to sooth the exacerbation. I never thought I would be able to experience the state of “no pain” again. My continued work with Rachel is helping me re-coordinate my body so that I can avoid sciatic pain.
-Lynn P., certified nurse and professor of nursing

I breathe differently. I move differently. I stand and sit differently and I'm so much more present in the moment. Combining my thoughts with my movements using awareness, inhibition and direction (the 3 principles of Alexander) are all a part of me now and I will never be without access to them. Learning from Rachel makes me realize I can apply the Alexander Technique to any part of my life. Using these principles I make choices every day, all day about how I move.
Seeing and working with Rachel each week keeps me open to learning and to the fact that I HAVE learned, and want to continue to do so. She is gentle with a thoughtful manner and able to clearly articulate the subtleties of this work. I am grateful.
-Debbie O., Tax assessor

I'm falling asleep faster and sleeping more deeply, and waking up with much less back pain.
-Kevin B., IT manager and singer

I learn so much from my lessons with Rachel. They have contributed greatly to the quality of my life. Each lesson provides an increased range of motion in some part of my body and the overall effect is a decrease in physical stress in my whole self. Since studying Alexander I've basically been injury free and when I do have a tweak, I have the tools to deal with it and can work through it quickly.
-Deb W., editor and yoga instructor

The Alexander Technique helps me relax and feel more comfortable in my body. I am more at peace in my own body.
-Bohdana S., filmmaker

I can sit much better and more easily than I used to and given how much I sit, that's not an insignificant thing. I now have strategies for when I get tired while sitting and can address that. Slouching now feels like work!
-Shannon C., professor

When I first started acting, I used a lot of tension to block out the audience and to generate emotion. With Alexander Technique I've learned to be more relaxed physically, stay present and be more aware of my body while staying true to my character and the moment to moment demands of the scene.
-Aaron S., actor

As a result of this work, I have found freedom in creative expression and in any expression, period. My art, both in performance and the visual, has blossomed. I have found comfort in my body and as a result in my entire self. I am extremely grateful to have had Rachel introduce this important work to me; it has changed my life. Rachel brings her experience, professionalism, training and compassion into this learning situation. She so obviously cares about this work and about sharing it with others, so others can move forward and improve the quality of their own lives. Throughout my experiences in Rachel's classes, I have continuously been blown away by the metaphorical resonance of this work; the Alexander Technique is life.
-Janet Z., singer and professor of English Literature

I am walking a lot faster, and with more confidence and ease, especially when walking at night to my barn where the walkway is very uneven and sloped. I am more steady and better balanced. My breathing is more even and natural and I am taking bigger strides. It feels good [to walk].
-Judy H., retiree

About the Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique is a proven method for solving movement problems that can cause chronic pain and stress. It's an educational process that teaches you how to use yourself with greater ease in your daily life and in the activities you are passionate about. It's not a set of procedures or a series of exercises, but simple principles you learn to apply to both your everyday activities and more specialized skills. F.M. Alexander, originally a Shakespearean actor, developed this work over 100 years ago in response to his own recurring voice problems.

Frequently asked questions

What are the benefits of learning the Alexander Technique?
In studying the technique you begin to recognize inefficient postural habits and learn to let go of them while integrating the principles of the Technique. The results are often improved coordination and greater ease in movement; in many cases students report improvements in balance, long term or even permanent pain relief, an increase in energy, and a general feeling of lightness and ease.
What does a lesson consist of?
Using a combination of hands-on work and verbal instruction a teacher guides you through a range of everyday activities-walking, sitting, bending, reaching, breathing-Together with the teacher, you explore alternatives and learn to replace inefficient habits with improved coordination by locating and releasing unnecessary muscular tension.
Who was F. Matthias Alexander?
Born in Australia in 1869, Alexander was a Shakespearean actor who early on began having voice problems. Doctor's prescriptions of bed rest did nothing to cure him, as he would return to the stage only to lose his voice again. He realized it must be something he was doing to himself and through an extended period self-observation he became aware of his habits of tensing and straining that were causing his vocal loss. He continued to observe these habits and found a way to eliminate them. He became known for his strong voice and immense stage presence. He gained renown for teaching the Technique which he developed, mostly in the UK, until his death in 1955. In teaching he realized that the benefits of his work went well beyond the voice. Amongst his students were John Dewey, Aldous Huxley, and George Bernard Shaw.