The Alexander Technique Rachel Bernsen, M.AmSAT

1/17/13

Alexander in the News - January 2013

This came out today in the Huffington Post Healthy Living section:
Beyond The Pill: Physicians' Trend for 2013

In it, Dr. Loren Fishman offers a thoughtful discourse on how western medical approaches can work in tandem with alternative therapies to relieve such ailments as back pain, joint injury and stress. She singles out the Alexander Technique, often referring her patients to Alexander teachers with impressive results. "In my office I offer still-obscure ways of healing such as Alexander technique and Feldenkrais that grateful patients gush about when thanking me, their aches and pains having dissipated, sometimes after years of disability and low life quality." Dr. Fishman mentions Alexander again in discussing a recent patient whom she referred to an AT teacher. The patient who was in such severe pain that she could not even go through physical therapy, after one month of taking lessons, cancelled her follow-up appointment with the Doctor "because, as she said, "I don't need it"."

12/9/12

From My Student's Point Of View

It's the best thing I've ever done for myself. I'm not tensing up or overworking certain muscles when I work. It used to be that only regular massage and chiropractic adjustments would release that tension and now I don't feel that I need them. The work teaches me to take control of my body and it's a very powerful feeling. As a result, everything I do is more comfortable, with less stress!

-Enola I. Salon Owner and Stylist

This is a testimonial from a current student of mine who has been taking lessons from me regularly for just about a year. I wanted to share her enthusiasm and her experience with the work. Enola's profession presents physical challenges everyday and in her lessons she has learned how to create the conditions for greater stability, ease and comfort in her body, transforming the daily repetitive motions required to do her work into actions that don't cause strain. This has been extremely valuable in taking her through long days of standing on her feet and leaning forward over her clients without pain or excessive effort.

It is exciting when my students realize that as a result of their work with the Technique, they can fully enjoy the things they love to do in both their personal and professional lives without having to compromise their well-being or pay for it later with strain, injury, pain or extreme soreness. This has absolutely been my experience as a dancer and performer, and now also a committed yoga student along with a new weekly regimen of running and strength training. Alexander Technique has allowed me to test my physical and technical limits without injury or pain (this was NOT the case early on in my dance career). I do get sore (of course!) but I recover much more quickly.

11/18/12

Alexander In The News - November 2012

'Alexander In The News' is a recurring post on my blog. Whenever I come across news coverage that I think is well done, doing a good job of explaining the Technique, I put it up here. The latest comes from CBS News in Texas where longtime teacher Phyllis Richmond is based. It includes a great video with a testimonial from one of her students who was able to avoid back surgery by studying Alexander.

Ideas about what is "good" posture are changing as we realize that holding ourselves up in a rigid position will not resolve back, neck or shoulder problems. It eventually leads to more discomfort and pain. In fact good posture is dynamic and easeful...and comfortable! - as the student in the video attests.

Click here to read & watch the video

10/18/12

New video about the Alexander Technique from AmSAT

This new animated video offers a wonderfully simple and straight forward explanation of the Alexander Technique.

Produced by The American Society for the Alexander Technique(AmSAT)*

*AmSAT is the largest professional organization of teachers of the Alexander Technique in the United States. AmSAT-certified teachers have completed a comprehensive training over a minimum of three years at an AmSAT approved teacher training course, as specified in the AmSAT Bylaws. Continuing education is a requirement for ongoing AmSAT membership. AmSAT is affiliated with seventeen international societies of teachers of the Alexander Technique committed to supporting the highest standards of teaching, professional training and conduct worldwide.

7/6/12

Johns Hopkins' "Back Pain Health" recommends Alexander Technique

A leading contributing factor of musculoskeletal pain (and often its underlying cause) is unrecognized patterns of excess tension. People tend to respond to pain by tensing further which usually exacerbates discomfort. Because it teaches how to recognize and unlearn these habitual patterns, the Alexander Technique is known for its effectiveness in relieving neck, back, and joint pain for the long-term. The Johns Hopkins article highlights how it's expertly applied to treating back pain:

"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."

Read the complete article from Fall 2011 here: The Alexander Technique: An Alternative Therapy for Chronic Back Pain

These photos show me working with a student to find greater ease and balance in a supported seated squat and in walking:

(Post adapted in part from amsatonline.org's description of the benefits of Alexander Technique)

Testimonials From Rachel's students

It's the best thing I've ever done for myself. I'm not tensing up or overworking certain muscles when I work. It used to be that only regular massage and chiropractic adjustments would release the tension and now I don't feel that I need them. The work teaches me to take control of my body and it's a very powerful thing. As a result, everything I do is more comfortable, with less stress!

-Enola I. Salon Owner and Stylist

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., Book 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.