Alexander Technique

Alexander Technique classes provide an opportunity to experiment with one's movement quality, one's self awareness, and one's positive and negative habits.  We often have developed movement patterns that are intended to be helpful, but which actually have a negative impact on our body.  Excess tension in our movements may feel reassuring, but actually holds needed energy captive.  When one moves with new information, guidance, and a delicate approach to movement tasks, this embedded tension can find release, and the trapped energy can become available for our daily needs.  We then feel less fatigued as we put less stress on our joints and circulatory systems.

Learning Alexander Technique in a group is very helpful, as we develop our observation skills and find we can help one another.  Our natural potential to bring ease to our walking, to our speaking, and our everyday tasks is supported and celebrated by all.  Special skills can be explored and practiced more successfully.  Objective observation confirms or modifies our subjective perceptions. 

Master Alexander Teacher Marjorie Barstow emphasized learning in activity and Deborah Thomas follows her lead in helping students develop their own thinking/moving process.  Familiarity with Alexander's basic discoveries helps generate one's current and ongoing ease of movement, as well as one's potential for learning on one's own in the future.

About Deborah Thomas

Deborah Thomas, PhD, ADTR, is founder of Hancock Center for Dance/Movement Therapy and served as its Executive Director until 2004. She was a founding member of the American Dance Therapy Association. Deborah worked as a dance therapist at Belleview Psychiatric Hospital in New York City and taught dance therapy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She began studying Alexander Technique in 1978 and trained extensively with Master Alexander teacher Marjorie Barstow.

Helpful resources on Alexander Technique

www.alexandertechnique.com
www.alexandertech.org
www.acatnyc.org