The Alexander Technique

Who was the founder?

F.M. Alexander (1869-1955) – one person’s curiosity. A discovery that has changed lives.

Black and white photograph of an elderly man with wavy white hair, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie, sitting in a wooden chair. His hands are clasped together over a loaf of bread, and he is smiling or speaking softly.

FM Alexander (1869-1955)

Over 100 years ago, an actor lost his voice which threatened his career. Doctors could not find a medical cause and advised him to rest his voice. This only brought temporary relief.

He realised that his problems must be the result of something he was doing to himself. He turned detective of himself and discovered habits he never knew he had. He discovered that in everything he did, in speaking, moving or even thinking, he exaggerated the tension in his body.  In particular he noticed:

  • Head retraction: He pulled his head backward and downward against the top of the spine.

  • Neck and throat compression: He flattened and depressed his larynx (voice box), which strained his vocal cords.

  • Gasping breath: He lifted his chest and sucked air in through his mouth with an audible gasp.

  • Generalised misuse: He realised this localised throat tension was part of a larger, whole-body pattern that compressed his entire spine.This specific reflex-like reaction, often compared to the startle pattern, triggered his chronic vocal loss and formed the basis for his Technique.

He worked out how to prevent this distortion or misuse of himself, and as a result his voice problems disappeared. He also gained a dramatic improvement in health.

He also noticed that these habits of reaction that he observed in himself were almost universal. He spent many further years creating a practical way of passing his discovery on to others. This procedure that included using guidance with his hands became known as the Alexander Technique.