How to Learn
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The AmSAT Journal is a professional journal dedicated to publishing high-quality writing on practical, theoretical, and professional aspects of the Alexander Technique.
We invite you to browse for books, DVDs, and other publications on the Alexander Technique either through the AmSAT Bookstore or Amazon using the tabs below.
The AmSAT Bookstore no longer stocks F.M. Alexander’s four main books: Man’s Supreme Inheritance, The Use of the Self, Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual, and The Universal Constant in Living.
Please visit www.Amazon.com to purchase Man’s Supreme Inheritance, The Use of the Self, Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual, and The Universal Constant in Living.
**Please note: AmSAT is unable to ship books outside the United States**
A Technique for Musicians by Frank Pierce Jones
The Organization of Awareness - A paper read at a conference on "Co-Ordination in Music" at Michigan State University, May 18, 1967
Please note item will ship via U.S.Postal service unless order includes books.
15 pages
Published 1968
The Shieldrake Press London
A Way of Working by Mary Holland
Reprinted by permission from 'The Strad' Vol 89, 1063 November 1978
Opening sentence: "More and more people are hearing about the Alexander Technique, and many will have found that even their friends who are having lessons in the Technique are unable to explain exactly what it is. An interested inquirer might deduce that it is something to do with relaxation or posture. But this is not really so; it is not exercise either; nor is it like Yoga. Finally one might be told "it's no good trying to explain - you will have to go and have a lesson yourself if you really want to understand what it is about". Why is this?"
4 pages
Please note this pamphlet will ship via US Mail unless ordered with books.
AGM 2010: F.M. Memorial Address "Dart Then and Now"
Author/Editor: Joan Murray
CD recording of the Opening Keynote with Yehuda Kuperman & Giora Pinkas, and the F.M. Memorial Address with Joan Murray
Aphorisms
Author/Editor: F. Matthias Alexander
"This pocket book contains 121 of Alexander’s teaching aphorisms – quotations from his lessons in the1930s. All but two have previously been published in Articles and Lectures and E. Maisel’s collection. This edition contains 49 abstract ink illustrations – meditations on the aphorisms. Illustrated by Birgit Meyer-Woycke. Foreword by Mary Holland. Detailed index. [96 pages, hb, ill., 118 x 156 mm, 2000, Mouritz, imported]"
Articles and Lectures
Author/Editor: F. Matthias Alexander
A compilation of articles, published letters and lectures on the Technique. It contains 16 articles and letters written before Man’s Supreme Inheritance (1910); six letters published between 1924 and 1948; three lectures (of which two are reported almost verbatim) given between 1925 and 1949; “teaching aphorisms” - observations and instructions from lessons; a foreword and a chapter for an unfinished book, “Alexander and the Doctors”; and an autobiographical sketch covering Alexander’s first 35 years. Each paper is preceded by an introduction which gives the historical context. Edited by J. M. O. Fischer. Additional material includes a chronology of Alexander’s writings, reprinted July 2011, Mouritz, 244 pages, imported. This softback edition is the only one available; hardback edition is out of print.
Better, Smarter, Richer
Author/Editor: Jackie B. Peterson
Can a Good Business Book Change Your Life? Why, yes.
My Seven Principles
- Focus on a deep narrow niche.
- Articulate your unique value proposition.
- Fend off mission creep.
- Develop a business mindset.
- Avoid the time-money squeeze.
- Understand your target audience.
- Market every day.
Better, Smarter, Richer
helps you:
- Focus your work in your specific field. Deep focus brings clarity – for marketing, pricing and competition. With focus comes expertise, which brings in new business.
- Avoid the time/money squeeze — which I define as the time spent on a project returning insufficient money to live on, while also being less than you are worth.
- Create a business mindset — respect the value of money personally and professionally. Become diligent about the numbers, because it is close attention to the numbers that will set you free.
- See more at: http://www.bettersmarterricher.com/the-book/#sthash.U9hUou45.dpuf
Bookmarks - packages of 50
These bookmarks are great marketing tools for open houses, classes, or general information. Gloss over the picture for a better image.
The front side has the AmSAT logo, website, and contact information.
The back side has a choice of four - PLEASE specify when ordering or you will get an assortment.
1) Celebrates 25 years in support of Excellence!
2) "...the most valuable knowledge we can possess is that of the use and functioning of the self, and of the means whereby the human individual may progressively raise the standard of his health and general well-being. " F.M. Alexander
3) "There is no such thing as a right position, but there is such a thing as a right direction." F.M. Alexander
4) "You can't do something you don't know, if you keep on doing what you do know."
Each bookmark is 8 inches long and 2 inches wide, made out of sturdy paper.
Sold in packages of 50 only for $10!
Connecting Links by Irene Tasker
An informational talk given to teachers of the Alexander Technique at the Constructive Teaching Centre., 18 Lansdowne Road, London, W.11, on 9th October, 1967.
"It seems to me that it is only as individual people who have learned to use the Technique as a way of life, carry it into various spehers of work, that Alexander's ideas will come to percolate inot the general atmosphere of thought" - I.G.T
1978. The Sheildrake Press.
29 pages.
Please note this item will be delivered via the US Postal service, unless combined with a book order.
Control Conciente y Constructivo del Individuo
Author/Editor: F.M. Alexander - a cargo de Diego Kantor, responsable de la edición.
Directed Activities
Author/Editor: Gerard Grennell
A directed activity (or ""game"") is the Technique applied to a simple, usually small, movement which is intended to encourage length and expansion of the whole organism. This is a facsimile of the diary which Grennell kept during his training with the Carringtons. Each page describes one activity with line drawings and handwritten text. Among the activities described are Alexander’s procedures as well as activities such as walking, writing, taking a pupil’s head, lifting a chair, going up stairs, taking a pupil’s arm and hand, and freeing the ankles. The foreword describes the means whereby the activities were practiced at the Carringtons. [xii+148 pages, hb, no jacket, illustrated, index, all text is in a “handwritten” style, 268 x 190 mm, May 2002, Mouritz, imported]
Elements of Skill: A Conscious Approach to Learning
Author/Editor: Theodore Dimon Jr.
The Elements of Skill advances a new approach to learning based on the awareness and control of action. Dimon argues that the most important element in skilled performance is neither practice nor mechanical drilling but an understanding of one's habitual ways of doing and thinking. He clearly describes principles that can help children and adults alike overcome learning difficulties by breaking skills down into manageable elements and removing harmful habits. Useful to teachers and parents, The Elements of Skill presents a new thesis on learning based on the functioning mind and body as ""the central instrumentality upon which all learning depends."" [approx. 220 pages, pb, black-and-white photos, 5 X 8, 2003, North Atlantic Books]
From Stress to Freedom
Author/Editor: Anthony P. Kingsley
Part I (28 minutes) introduces the principles of the Technique and covers subjects like the head-neck-back relationship, the force of habit, false sensory awareness and inhibition and direction. It features interviews/demonstrations by Sir George Trevelyan, Kathleen Ballard and Sue Thame. In the second part (19 minutes) Anthony Kingsley demonstrates how to apply the Alexander principles to the semi-supine and standing/sitting. Sue Thame talks about breathing and Sir George Trevelyan demonstrates how the Technique can be applied to speaking. [47 minutes, NTSC VHS (North American Standard) format, 1990, AmSAT Books]
Guided Lessons: For Students of The Alexander Technique 2nd edition
Author/Editor: Nancy Dawley, Neil Schapera and Vivien Schapera
A personal introduction to the Alexander Technique, Guided Lessons has proven to be both practical and popular. Number one choice as a college reference, this best-selling manual is an excellent aid for independent study. If you are a participant in a group class, a student who wants to practice between lessons or an aspirant without access to an Alexander Teacher, this book is designed for you.
In the second edition, author Nancy Dawley comes together with senior teachers, Neil and Vivien Schapera, to inspire your discovery of the insights and principles of the Alexander Technique.
"Horsemanship and the Alexander Experience" - F.M. Alexander Memorial Lecture 1980
Daniel Pevsner's Memorial Lecture 1980.
"An Alexander person, observing a well schooled horse, will soon discern certain familiar attitudes in the way the animal moves and carries itself. The horse's head rotates forward and up at a point just behind the ears, while the lower jaw softens. It's neck, too, stretches forward an dup, into a slight arch, as the back lenthens and widens. The horse's limb action appears to originate in it's back, which indeed is the centre of motion. Breathing is regular, and the back is smoothly pulsating all the time, imparting grace and elasticity to the movement."
4 pages.
Printed by The Chameleon Press Limited.
Please note this pamphlet will be shipped via US Mail, unless included with a book order.
How You Stand, How You Move, How You Live
Author/Editor: Missy Vineyard
Missy Vineyard has developed an innovative and creative approach to teaching the basic mind-body skills that are the foundation of the Alexander Technique. She has a rare talent for explaining key ideas in simple, everyday language. Missy tells engaging stories about herself and her students to illustrate her points, then she presents a sequence of `self-exercises' that teach the thinking at the heart of the Alexander Technique. By breaking down the learning process into small steps and avoiding jargon, she makes it easy to understand the interaction between mind and body.[322 pages, pb, b&w ill., 2007, Marlowe & Company]
In Motion / Posture works!
Author/Editor: Produced by Rita Rivera
Our posture is the way we live in our body. What we express and the unexpressed, our likes and dislikes, the full range of our emotions and passions, and our physical history are the imprints that determine our posture. Habitual and unconscious posture has a trajectory that can be easily determined. In Motion / Posture Works provides guidance and the beginning steps to lead to new discoveries and subtle levels of body awareness. Can be used by both those who have studied the Alexander technique in the past and those who are completely unfamiliar with the technique. Contains opening welcome (2:30 min.) and four tracks: Living Posture -- Taking a Stand, Taking a Step (17:30 min.); The Torso in Motion, Meeting the Chair (27 min.); Pliable Ribs - Dynamic Shoulders (18 min.); and The Body at Rest (14:30 min.) [1 CD, 79:30 min., 2004]
John Dewey and F.M. Alexander
This pamphlet was edited by Alexander Murray. Includes an introduction to Dewey's Philosophy of Education by Frank Pierce Jones, three prefaces to books by Alexander, and other works by John Dewey. [27 pages, bklt]
Learning How to Learn: An Operational Definition of The Alexander Technique by Frank Pierce Jones
A paper read at the Constructive Teaching Centre, London, June 25, 1973.
Opening sentence: "I do not often have the opportunity to talk about the Alexander Technique to an audience that already knows what it is and does not have to be convinced of its importance."
Pamphlet will be delivered via US Mail unless purchased with books.
Man’s Supreme Inheritance
Author/Editor: F. Matthias Alexander
A softcover version of the 1910 edition of F.M. Alexander’s work printed in 1988 by Centerline Press that features a prologue entitled “On Becoming More Human” by Richard M. Gummere Jr. (Contains typographical errors, hence discount.) [95 pages, pb, Centerline]
Means to an End: Two Notes on the F. Mathias Alexander Technique
Author/Editor: Lena Frederick and Dilys Carrington
Reprinted from "The Enneagram", issue 4 & 5, Jan & April 1976.
Published by The Sheildrake Press.
Note item will ship via the US Postal Service, unless ordered with books.
Opening sentence: "Those of us who had had contact with the technique have shared, I think, in the dilemma of trying to answer the inevitable question, "But what is it?" Perhaps the dilemma is there not because the techique itself is necessarily mysterious, but because what it deals with is in fact quite mysterious."
More Talk of Alexander
Author/Editor: Wilfred Barlow, M.D
Wilfred Barlow (1915-1991) qualified as a doctor in 1941 and as a teacher of the Technique in 1945. For this book he has carefully selected 36 articles on many and varied facets of the Technique including education, psychology, theology, art, science, and medicine. Some of these articles first appeared in the Alexander Journal in the 1960s and some are edited articles of Barlow’s own research into the Technique with additional information. Barlow has also included articles critical of the Technique: his report on the libel action which Alexander brought and won in South Africa, Dr. Skynner’s impression of his first twelve lessons, and Dr. Barlow’s own recommendations for the qualities pupils should seek in a teacher of the Technique. This edition has been revised and reset. [340+xii pages, pb, illustrated, Mouritz, 2005 (1978), imported]
Personally Speaking: Walter Carrington on the F. M. Alexander Technique
Author/Editor: In discussion with Sean Carey
First published as Walter Carrington on the F. M. Alexander Technique in Discussion with Sean Carey in 1986. Walter Carrington conveys the historical context of the Technique; specifically, he describes the origins of some of the basic procedures. He relates how Alexander taught, and discusses developments in his 55-year teaching career, both in private lessons and in training courses. The use of hands in teaching is discussed in detail. The appendix contains Carrington’s diary of his first lessons with Alexander in 1935. Enlarged and revised edition. Index. [148+xii pages, pb., 196 x 126 mm, 2001 (1986)]
The Act of Living: Talks on the Alexander Technique
Author/Editor: Walter Carrington
This may be regarded as the second volume of Thinking Aloud. It contains talks given to trainees on many aspects of teaching and living the Technique. Some of the 29 talks are titled: “Thinking to Do,” “General Functioning,” “The Primary Wish,” “Forward and Up,” “Knees Forward and Away,” “The Length and the Width,” “Walking,” “Yin and Yang,” “Establishing a Total Pattern,” “Responsibility,” “Gravitation,” and “Saying and Meaning No.” It also contains a foreword by the ""postural"" physiologist Tristan Roberts, an introduction by Glynn Macdonald, and biographies. [188 pages, hb, 148 x 223 mm, Oct. 1999]
The Alexander Technique: A Basis for Oboe Playing
Author/Editor: Andrea Fedele
This DMA dissertation focuses on ways in which the Alexander Technique can be integrated into playing and teaching the oboe more efficiently and effectively. Information about F.M. Alexander is given for readers unfamiliar with the Technique, including a description of the development and principles of his Technique and what to expect in a lesson. The author conducted a survey of and several interviews with oboists from the U.S. and England, and documents these in the thesis. She gives examples of the application of the Technique to posture, use of the hands and arms, technique, tension, breathing and support, embouchure and the jaw, articulation, practicing, endurance, and stage fright. Though the author makes references to oboe playing, most of the ideas are relevant for other musicians as well. [280 pages, spiral bound, 2003, Andrea Fedele]
The Alexander Technique: First Lesson
Author/Editor: Jane Kosminsky
First Lesson is the first film about the Alexander Technique for the general public. It includes a history of F.M. Alexander, what the Technique is, why it works, and how a beginner can start to use the Alexander principles. Teacher Jane Kosminsky demonstrates the Technique by taking William Hurt through a series of daily activities including a complete self-lesson, additional interview with William Hurt.
NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD
The Alexander Technique: How to Use Your Body Without Stress
Author/Editor: Wilfred Barlow, M.D
Dr. Barlow trained with Alexander from1938-45 and subsequently worked with Alexander until 1949. He utilizes his experiences as both a teacher of the Technique and a consultant rheumatologist, to introduce the Technique from a medical viewpoint: how use affects our health. The many illustrations of people’s posture and X-rays of heads and necks show examples of misuse. This edition has been revised, updated and reset, and contains a new foreword. (Originally published in 1973 in Great Britain as “The Alexander Principle”.) [254 pages, pb, illustrated, 1990 (1973), Inner Traditions International]
The Body - A Matter of Meaning An Holistic View of the Alexander Technique by Meredith Page
This is an expanded version of an article first published in the Year Book (vol III) 1983 of The Institute of Psychosynthesis, London, under the title of "The Alexander Technique: The Body - A Matter of Meaning."
1984
The Sheildrake Press, London
Please note this item will be shipped via United States Postal Service, unless combined with book orders.
The Chair
Author/Editor: Galen Cranz
Galen Cranz - sociologist, architecture professor, and Alexander teacher - gives new meaning to the term “chair work.” The Chair describes the history and (faulty) thinking behind many ergonomic designs, and questions the cultural assumption that chair sitting is natural. Well written and even humorous, the ergonomic attempts to create a body-friendly chair reads like a dark comedy. She challenges the myth of lumbar support, explains why chair backs should be high enough to support both the shoulders and head, and advocates perching and lounging over traditional right-angle sitting. Practical as well as critical, she helps with the difficulties of selecting chairs for daily life by summarizing criteria for chair design-and-use in a handy one-page chart. Well illustrated with extensive bibliography. [288 pages, pb, 1998, W.W. Norton & Company]
The Congress Papers: Learning from Each Other from the 9th International Congress of the F.M. Alexander Technique at Lugano, Switzerland August 7-13, 2011
Author/Editor: edited by Siriol Jones
The International Congress provides a unique forum for teachers to present and share their discoveries and experiences. All traditions and levels of experience of the Alexander Technique are represented. This volume brings together 51 papers from the 9th Congress: reports from the Science of Human Functioning lectures, the Continous Learning Sessions, the Working with musicians wokshops and many more workshops.
These papers present both practical and theoretical aspects of teaching and practicing the Technique. They contain a wide variety of traditional and contemporary ideas and views, representing a great amount of experience and knowledge from all over the work, offering fresh insights into the Alexander Technique as it is taught today.
Correction
Clive J. Mealey is the photographer of the photo on the left side of p. 337 in the Congress Papers: Learning from Each Other, 2011. This photo was originally published in AmSAT News, No. 83, Summer 2010. Photographs published in AmSAT News or AmSAT Journal are the property of the photographer; misrepresentation or use of these photos without permission is illegal.
The F. Matthias Alexander Technique: A Means of Understanding Man By: Walter H.M. Carrington
An introduction to the Alexander Technique, explaining in depth its three main aspects: reasoned inhibition, conscious direction and the primary control. The author points out how each stage of the Technique can be subject to empirical verification. The author argues that it is in the sphere of education that the Technique will find its most important application. [16 pages, bklt, 1970 (1963), Sheildrake Press, imported]
The Philosopher's Stone
Author/Editor: Jean M. O. Fischer
These contemporary diaries of lessons with Alexander consist of: “The Philosopher’s Stone” - a review from 1919 of Alexander’s Man’s Supreme Inheritance, by the American historian James Harvey Robinson. It introduces Alexander and his technique. “Diary of My Lessons in the Alexander Technique” by Eva Webb describes one lesson with Alexander and several with his assistant teachers, such as Irene Stewart, in 1947. “The Diaries of Frank and Grace Hand” record their lessons with Alexander in 1942 in New York. “Recording of a Miracle” by Mrs. Buchanan, edited by Louise Morgan, is from the early 1950s. The first part of “The Journal of Sir George Trevelyan” introduces Alexander and his technique. The second part form 1936-37 records Alexander’s instructions to his teachers. “How I came to have Lessons with F. M. Alexander” by Anthony Ludovici does not describe actual lessons. [110/xvii pages, hb, 19 b/w illustrations on plates, 1998, Mourtiz, imported]
The Undivided Self: Alexander Technique and the Control of Stress
Author/Editor: Theodore Dimon Jr.
Based on Alexander’s discovery of “use,” the author argues that a unified concept of mind and body, in contrast to other mind/body theories, points the way to a truly educational approach to health based on conscious prevention and control. The book begins with the author’s narrative account of how he arrived at his theory, and concludes with a review of mind/body techniques. Foreword by Walter Carrington. [220 pages, pb, illustrated with drawings and diagrams, 1999, North Atlantic Books]
The Voice Book
Author/Editor: Michael McCallion
The author has worked as a director, taught voice at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and voice and communication skills to business companies. This book sums up his experiences. It starts with a chapter on the Technique, followed by one on breathing, and on exploring one’s vocal misuse. The second half of the book deals with the mechanical principles of speech, relating the forming of speech sounds to the use of the breath, the tuning of the voice and the good use of the self. [revised edition, 1998, 272 pages, illustrated.]
Thinking Series
Author/Editor: Janette Costin
The Thinking Series is a set of 5 children's books.
Thinking About Support
How can we gain knowledge to move from fear and tension to finding support and trust within ourselves? The child in this story would love to ride a horse. There comes a time when he is ready to let go of the fear and decides to trust the support of his instructor. He sits in the saddle finding his balance. The horse moves forward from a horizontal spine and the boy moves up from his spine. He finds support in many ways. Letting the whole system within remain freely active
Thinking About Space
This story illustrates the way we can stiffen when focusing too intently on the end result. The child in this story has lost his easy running when thinking only of the finish line. When the child thinks about being in the centre of his space he is able to balance on his feet in an easier way. Let children experience how “end gaining” can interfere with natural use. Take away the stiffening or tensing and re-gain a more balanced system. Practice on a track and see what happens? Experience the difference.
Thinking About Colour
This story illustrates the way we can stiffen when focusing too intently on the end result. The child in this story has lost his easy running when thinking only of the finish line. When the child thinks about being in the centre of his space he is able to balance on his feet in an easier way. Let children experience how “end gaining” can interfere with natural use. Take away the stiffening or tensing and re-gain a more balanced system. Practice on a track and see what happens? Experience the difference.
Thinking Where I Am
This story is about knowing you have a choice between being present with yourself and what is going on or not? When is it appropriate to dream? When is it more useful to know what is going on with yourself and the larger environment around you? After all, how can you make choices if your mind is somewhere else? As one child commented “it is now or never”. If you know what is going on, there is a choice. Experience the difference.
Thinking About A Smile
This story is about being caught up with habitual worrying and how a new experience can bring about change. The child finds it easier to speak after smiling at a funny picture. It is a surprise response and alters the way he begins to speak. Starting in this new way changes how he stands. He is up and balanced on his feet. It takes away the heavy feeling about reading in front of the class. Children in a group could experience these changes. Think of something a bit funny before starting to speak. Discuss the difference.
Unsmudged: An Encounter with Peggy Williams, A First Generation Teacher of the Alexander Technique
Author/Editor: Nanette Walsh
Peggy Williams, the last teacher certified and personally trained by F.M. Alexander, was known for the extraordinary quality of her touch, the precision and clarity of which even confounded the London police! After a burglary in her flat in the 1980s, detectives dusted her rooms for fingerprints. Perplexed by what they found, they exclaimed, “Your fingerprints, even in the kitchen, are unsmudged!”
In this book, Peggy shares the fascinating story of her life, her training, and her thoughts on the Technique with author and Alexander Technique teacher, Nanette Walsh. Through poignant and humorous interviews and rare recorded lessons, Nanette provides readers with an archival document of the life and teaching of this important teacher, offering readers an encounter with Peggy that is clean, clear, and like Peggy’s fingerprints—unsmudged.
For more information: www. UnsmudgedBook.com
Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence
Author/Editor: Mary Derbyshire
No matter a person’s age, no one should ever feel trapped within his or her own body. Whether you experience tension, loss of balance, or mobility issues, there are ways you can live better by moving better.
Mary Derbyshire has always been passionate about helping individuals reduce pain, minimize stress, and improve their ability to move on a day-to-day basis. Now, Derbyshire shares wisdom on mobility and agility that she has collected over her decades of work as a fitness instructor and certified teacher of the Alexander Technique.
Written with lightheartedness and warm encouragement, Agility at Any Age: Discover the Secret to Balance, Mobility, and Confidence will become your personal voice of support as you learn to overcome pain and stiffness. People with mobility or agility issues will see their lives transform as they learn Derbyshire’s easy-to-use tips on moving better.
Baby boomers have bestowed so much innovation and advancement upon the world. Now they can have that same level of vision as they age.
Humans are designed to move. Age should not be a factor. When you change the way you move, you can change your life. Are you ready to turn back the clock?
Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual
Author/Editor: F. Matthias Alexander
This edition consists of Alexander’s authorized 1946 edition. It contains two prefaces by Alexander, an introduction by John Dewey, and a new foreword by Walter Carrington. Ten appendices contain reviews of the first edition. The introductory notes by Jean M. O. Fischer discusses Alexander's concept of sensory appreciation and the chapter ""Illustration"". The notes also provide a printing history and a table of changes between the 1923 and the 1946 editions. Several of the illustrations have not been published before. This also the first edition ever of ""Constructive Conscious Control"" to feature an index. [239+xli pages, pb, 10 b/w photos, index, 234 x 153 mm, Aug 2004, Mourtiz, imported]
Dance and the Alexander Technique: Exploring the Missing Link
Author/Editor: Nettl-Fiol, Rebecca and Luc Vanier
In Dance and the Alexander Technique, Rebecca Nettl-Fiol and Luc Vanier utilize their ten years of research on developmental movement and dance training to explore the relationship between a specific movement technique and the basic principles of support and coordination. The Alexander Technique, developed in the early twentieth century by F. M. Alexander, can be used to enhance dexterity in all types of activities, from everyday actions as mundane as tooth-brushing to highly demanding dance movements. Applying the tenets of this technique through the lens of a specific subset of principles called the Dart Procedures, the authors offer a unique approach for using the Alexander Technique in dance and other activities. The principles of this technique are used by people in all walks of life and have proven to be effective for enhancing performance and improving overall health and well-being.
Fitness Without Stress: A Guide to the Alexander Technique
Author/Editor: Robert M. Rickover
The author starts by exposing the fitness myth, (that fitness is synonymous with health), and goes on to describe what real fitness is and how the Technique can help people achieve it. It contains several case histories, covers what happens in a lesson, plus how to find teachers, and it gives examples of how some people use the Technique in yoga, massage, osteopathy, aikido, physical therapy and pregnancy. Reduced price because cover shows slight wear. [131 pages, hb,1988, Metamorphous]
Frank Pierce Jones Collected Writings on the Alexander Technique
Author/Editor: edited by Theodore Dimon and Richard Brown
This compilation of Frank Pierce Jones scientific and humanistic writings on the Alexander Technique is edited and with an introduction by Theodore Dimon and Richard Brown.
- 40 papers
- 92 photos and illustrations
- Explanatory notes introducing each paper
- Introduction on the life and work of Frank Pierce Jones
- Foreword by Professor Alexander Murray
This definitive compilation of Jones’s work includes 21 scientific papers as well as Jones’s superb introductory and humanistic writings on the Alexander Technique. It also features seven previously unpublished papers from the Jones Archival Collection at Tufts University.
Frank Pierce Jones conducted research on the Alexander Technique at the Institute for Experimental Psychology at Tufts University from 1949 until his death in 1975.
In 1949, with the encouragement of the educational philosopher John Dewey, Jones embarked on a 26-year scientific-investigation into the Alexander Technique. Using various methods such as multiple image photography, electromyography, and X-ray photography, Jones sought to demonstrate the scientific validity of Alexander’s discovery of a "primary control." The results of his investigations, collected for the first time in this volume, comprise the most comprehensive scientific body of research on the Alexander Technique to date, as well as Jones’s classic introductory papers on the Technique.
Published by Alexander Technique Archives, Massachusetts, USA, May 1999.
How to Lose Weight and Gain Money: A Program for Putting Your Life in Order
Author/Editor: Vivien Schapera and Drew Logan
How to Lose Weight and Gain Money is a behavioral application of the Alexander Technique. The first exercise opens like an Alexander lesson, designed to increase the reader’s sense of self and restore the possibility of constructive conscious control. Chapter 2 is dedicated to identifying the origins and causes of habitual patterns and begins the process of building clear intention with regard to desired weight and money patterns. In chapter 3 the reader is asked to take stock of the results of their habitual patterns. Chapter 4 introduces the concept of direction. Two chapters, 5 & 7, are dedicated to ""How to Change"" providing an understanding of how change happens and providing resources for change, including the Alexander Technique. Two chapters, 6 & 8, delineate the means whereby for changing. The final chapter, entitled ""Keeping Life in Balance"" helps the reader ascertain his personal priorities and develop a means whereby for an intentional, balanced life. [185 pages, pb, 2004, Four Winds Press, LLC]
How to Sit: Your Body at Work
Author/Editor: Ann Rodiger, m.AmSAT
It is not necessary to experience pain while sitting at your office workstation. Office injuries, including pains and strains caused by cumulative stresses, pose a serious threat to your overall health and to the quality of your work. This book can help you to recognize and break free from harmful habits and improve your ergonomic setup, including the most important factor in the ergonomics equation: YOU!
Indirect Procedures: A Musician's Guide to the Alexander Technique
Author/Editor: Pedro De Alcantara
Written by an experienced professional musician and teacher of the Alexander Technique, this volume is the first to deal specifically with the application of the Technique to music-making. Introducing the musician to the principles and procedures evolved by F. M. Alexander (1869-1955), the book contains practical advise related to all areas of musical activity, from technique, sound production, and interpretation, to daily practice, rehersal routines, and the mitigating of stage fright and health problems.
Jessica Wolf's Art of Breathing DVD
Author/Editor: Jessica Wolf
Living the Alexander Technique, Volume II, Aging with Poise
Author/Editor: Ruth Rootberg
Eleven Alexander Technique teachers speak with Ruth Rootberg about their lives, their work, and their approach to using their Alexander skills as they face the challenges of aging with vitality, curiosity, poise, and passion. "Ruth Rootberg's wonderful interviews illuminate the challenges and benefits of applying Alexander's principles and practice in the journey from youth to elderhood. These stories will provide inspiration for anyone who is curious about how to age with grace." -Michael J. Gelb Author of Body Learning and Brain Power Ruth Rootberg is a certified Alexander Technique teacher, Designated Linklater Voice teacher, and Certified Laban Movement Analyst. Her first volume of interviews, Living the Alexander Technique, was published in 2015. Ruth comes from a classical voice and theater background and integrates these passions into her practice. She lives and teaches in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Living the Alexander Technique: Interviews with Nine Senior Teachers
Author/Editor: Ruth Rootberg
Nine distinguished teachers of the Alexander Technique - Elisabeth Walker, Frank Ottiwell, Anne Battye, Joan and Alex Murray, Sarnie Ogus, Rome Earle, Ann Mathews, and Jane Heirich - speak with Ruth Rootberg about their lives, their work, and their approach to using their Alexander skills as they face aging, loss of loved ones, and the challenges of illness and injury. With over 400 years of combined teaching experience, they reveal how the Alexander Technique provides a dependable pathway to meet the ongoing challenges of daily living. This book is a wonderful resource for Alexander Technique students, teachers, and anyone who seeks models of aging with dignity and passion.
Master the Art of Swimming: Raising Your Performance with the Alexander Technique
Author/Editor: Steven Shaw
The Shaw method applies the principles of the Alexander Technique to swimming. ""Master the Art of Swimming"" will transform your experience of being in the water, rather than prescribing how fast or far you should swim. The strokes are broken into a step-by-step progression and these steps are illustrated. Core skills are individually introduced, then the main stokes are shown--breaststroke, backstroke, crawl and butterfly--in ways which promote optimal alignment with minimal effort and strain. The movements can be practiced individually or with a partner, in a pool or on dry land. [176 pages, pb, color photos, 2006, Collins & Brown]
Mind and Muscle: An Owner’s Handbook
Author/Editor: Elizabeth Langford
The author describes our basic framework (muscle, joints, structure etc.), how it works, and what choices we have in its use. The reader is encouraged through suggested experiments to discover a better use for herself. The book introduces the Technique in non-technical language, without use of traditional terminology, and relying instead on anatomy, physiology and self-observation. Subjects covered include body-image, emotional states, breathing, chairs, RSI, exercises, habit, and fear. It also provides a short, ""traditional"" introduction to the Technique. [217 pages, pb, illustrated, 170 x 240 mm, 1999]
Move Well: Avoid Injury: What Everyone Needs to Know About the Body
Author/Editor: Barbara Conable & Amy Likar
Learn what everyone needs to know about the body in fifty informative and life-changing sections prepared by two masters of Body Mapping and Alexander Technique, Barbara Conable and Amy Likar. Through understanding how our bodies are designed, and therefore how we should best move our bodies, this eye-opening video contains techniques that have already helped thousands avoid repetitive stress injuries, posture problems, and other chronic ailments that can be truly debilitating. The helpful animations and clear descriptions on this DVD can truly change lives. This DVD is a resource you will refer to again and again as you learn to move well and avoid injury. Editor/Narrator: Amy Likar. 126 minutes. 2009 GIA Publications.
Neurodynamics: The Art of Mindfulness in Action
Author/Editor: Theodore Dimon Jr.
Over 100 years ago, F. Matthias Alexander made a series of discoveries about how the body works in action. In Neurodynamics, author Theodore Dimon, who has taught and written about Alexander’s work for many years, seeks to put together a coherent theory and curriculum for the Alexander Technique and explain how this system works in scientific terms. Neurodynamics develops and expands on Alexander’s teachings, giving practical explanations that form the basis for an educational theory of how the mind and body work in action.
Only Connect: Reflections on Teaching the Alexander Technique
Author/Editor: Elizabeth Langford
This book includes some of Elizabeth Langford's reflections that fall outside the scope of her first book, Mind and Muscle. Only Connect contains a collection of articles and letters of which some material is new, some has been published elsewhere. Part I consists of Langford's thoughts about communicating about the Alexander Technique to different groups. Part II is more concerned with communication between Alexander teachers. Includes a foreword by Walter Carrington. [195 pages, pb, 2004, Alexandertechniek Centrum vzw, imported]
Remembering Walter Carrington
Author/Editor: Elizabeth Langford
This is a compilation of over 100 contributions from Walter Carrington’s pupils. The heart of the book consists of pupils’ memories, to which are added a list of Carrington’s published works, the text of his three last lectures (two of them published here for the first time), hitherto unpublished information about his war service, an extract from a personal letter, and the tributes at his memorial service. Teachers, trainees, and private pupils can all enjoy and benefit from this book. [215 pages, pb, 2006, Alexandertechniek Centrum vzw, imported]
Taking Time
Author/Editor: edited by Chariclia Gounaris
Six interviews with first generation teachers of the Alexander Technique on Alexander teacher training. edited by Charicilia Gounaris. Interviews with Peggy Williams, Walter and Dilys Carrington, Marjory Barlow, Elisabeth Walker, Anthony Spawforth and Erika Whittaker. [148 pages, pb, 2000, Novis, imported]
The Alexander Technique Solutions For Back Trouble
Author/Editor: Deborah Caplan, Introduced by William Hurt
This illuminating DVD offers specific and practical guidance in how to help you keep your back healthy and free from pain by using the Alexander Technique. It includes a brief review of the Alexander principles and clear instruction in how to use these principles in the activities of everyday life. Deborah Caplan, a certified Alexander teacher and physical therapist, covers lifting and carrying packages, the proper way to work at the computer, how to avoid a "Back Attack" and even what to do for your back when you sneeze!
The Alexander Technique Workbook: The Complete Guide to Health, Poise and Fitness
Author/Editor: Richard Brennan
The Alexander Technique Workbook brings the 100-year-old discipline completely up-to-date, and incorporates recent developments in the management of physical and mental stress. [160 pages; pb; color photos; published 2011 by Collins & Brown; imported.
The Alexander Technique: A Practical Introduction
Author/Editor: Richard Brennan
A revised edition of The Alexander Technique Workbook. This book is an easy-to-read introduction with minimum Alexander jargon. It explains the history of the Technique as well as basic Alexander principles and vocabulary. Each chapter contains several procedures and awareness exercises which illustrate the points made and which are designed to help the reader observe and improve one's use. The book covers in detail primary control, inhibition, direction, faulty sensory perception and the semi-supine. There is also a section in what you can expect on a lesson and six actual case histories. This book is designed to be used by new students in conjunction with a course of Alexander lessons. [150 pages, line-drawings illustrations, large pb, 1998, Element USA]
The Alexander Technique: A Skill for Life
Author/Editor: Pedro De Alcantara
The first chapter covers the basic principles of the Technique; following chapters are on lessons, the teacher, performing arts, sports and exercise, and emotions (discussing, among other things, inhibition and the expression of feelings, detachment, the discomfort of change, relationships, psychotherapies). The author writes from his own experiences with humor and provides several case histories from pupils and teachers. The unity of mind and body and the principle of non-doing pervade this introductory book; it is erudite, intelligent, and pertinent to pupils and teachers alike. [128 pages, pb, illustrated, 235 x 166 mm, index, 1999]
The Art of Effortless Living
Author/Editor: Ingrid Bacci, Ph.D
The Art of Effortless Living describes how we can rid ourselves of the belief that in order to achieve anything we must work hard and apply a lot of effort. Dr. Ingrid Bacci offers evidence that the most productive, creative and healthiest individuals are those who practice effortless living and she presents simple techniques for developing an effortless lifestyle: breathing exercises, meditation, visualization, bodywork, and tapping into unconscious guidance. [241 pages, pb, 2002 (2000), Penguin Putnam Inc.]
The Art of Swimming
Author/Editor: Steven Shaw and Armand D’Angour
This book shows how the Alexander Technique can be applied to swimming. This is an introductory book that never loses sight of the psycho-physical nature of the Technique. The benefits of swimming are discussed in relation to fitness (current conceptions of which are questioned). The principles of orientation, balance, buoyancy, and breathing in swimming are explained and illustrated. Much advice, including some practical exercises, is given on how to deal with fears and other restricting attitudes towards swimming. Breast stroke, front and back crawl are discussed and stroke guides are given. [165 pages, b/w photos & drawings, index, 234 x 153mm, 1996, Shaw Method Ltd., imported]
The Body in Motion: Its Evolution and Design
Author/Editor: Theodore Dimon, Jr., EdD
Alexander Technique teachers and pupils alike will appreciate The Body in Motion’s direct approach to functional anatomy. The book concentrates on how humans move without the reader having to cover the more detailed skeletal and muscular descriptions which were treated in depth in Ted Dimon’s best-selling book Anatomy of the Moving Body.
In simple terms Ted Dimon explains how each part of the body works and how the individual parts function as an integrated whole: a complex locomotor system that is balanced on two feet and capable of changing shape and moving in an infinite number of ways.explains how man’s upright stance is supported from the ground up but organized from the top down, and how this leads to the unique design features which, coupled with higher-order mental faculties, differentiate mankind from all other species.
The Body in Motion is an invaluable addition to Alexander Technique literature and a fascinating, uncomplicated read. (Illustrated, 108 pages, 2010 North Atlantic Books). This is a non-discounted book.
In order to clarify his arguments, Ted Dimon traces the evolutionary origins of different systems in the body, showing how they functioned in our aquatic ancestors, and how they have evolved to meet basic survival needs through each link of the evolution chain from fish to amphibian, quadruped, primate and eventually to mankind.
The Expanding Self: How the Alexander Technique Changed My Life
Author/Editor: Goddard Binkley
After having lessons in the Technique in New York, Binkley moved to London in 1950 to have lessons with F. M. Alexander and subsequently trained as a teacher (1953-57). Often referred to as “the Binkley diaries,” this is the most extensive and vivid record of how Alexander taught. Binkley re-edited his manuscript a few times over the next 30 years and included relevant paragraphs from Alexander’s books and autobiographical material, making the book a detailed and personal case history. It shows indirectly - by the attitude expressed in the diary entries - how profoundly and subtly the Technique works. [178+ xviii pages, hb, 11 b/w photos, index of names, 1993, STAT Books, imported]
The Life of Frederick Matthias Alexander
Author/Editor: Michael Bloch
Alexander’s life story is exciting by any standards: from Tasmania to London, from elocution to an extraordinary innovative and effective method for health and self-development. This is a scholarly, well-researched and excellently written biography by a long-time pupil and professional biographer. In telling the story of the life and work of Alexander, Bloch conveys a sense of Alexander's personality and provides a psychological insight into the man behind the Technique. Bloch is not a teacher and so limits his comments on the Technique to a critical examination of Alexander's writings (he is not impressed) and contemporary reports by Alexander's pupils. Bloch’s attitude is respectful but not reverential. In the epilogue he examines whether Alexander qualifies as a ‘guru.’ This is a modern and highly readable biography which will appeal to teachers and pupils alike and which makes Alexander less enigmatic. (276 pages, ppb, June 2004, Little Brown)
The Posturality of the Person - A Guide to Postural Education and Therapy
Author/Editor: Ron Dennis, Ed.D.
A richly informative, marvelously short work that breaks significant ground in the practical art-science of human movement by formulating a new concept: posturality.
The Practice of Presence
Author/Editor: Patty de Llosa
“The Practice of Presence” is about coming alive to this present moment, wherever we are, without changing our conditions. In “The Practice of Presence” the reader will find practical guidance on how to seek daily what we truly desire behind all the urgencies and obligations of our lives: contact with out own immediate inner truth. Here are the seminal ideas and experimental activities of five great spiritual paths as seen through the lens of a seeker's experience. T'ai Chi, prayer and meditation are well known. The Alexander Technique and Jungian studies are not usually thought of as spiritual, and the Gurdjieff teaching is relatively unknown. Each of these paths to wholeness is complementary to the others, calling on the body, mind and feeling in unique ways that can lead to a growing integration of all three. [316 pages, pb, March 2006, Morning Light Press]
The Secret to Using Your Body
Author/Editor: Leland Vall
Discover your dynamically integrated body. The Secret to Using Your Body presents a unique mind/body exercise that will change your perception of movement and posture. Based on the Alexander Technique, a journey through the exercise will guide you toward a feeling within your body you may not have experienced since childhood. Improve your posture, agility, strength, stability, comfort and ease of movement.
The Use of the Self
Author/Editor: F. Matthias Alexander
With an introduction by Wilfred Barlow, and an introduction by Professor John Dewey reprinted from the 1939 edition. Includes two prefaces by F. M. Alexander. Relates how, after the loss of his voice, Alexander pioneered a method of improving the “use” of his body musculature in all positions and movements and cured his vocal problems without medical aid. Describes the incorrect “use of the self”: how people stand, sit and move in a manner which may cause suffering. [128 pages, pb, 2001 (1932), Orion Books Ltd., imported.]
Unsmudged: An Encounter with Peggy Williams, A First Generation Teacher of the Alexander Technique
Author/Editor: Nanette Walsh
Peggy Williams, the last teacher certified and personally trained by F.M. Alexander, was known for the extraordinary quality of her touch, the precision and clarity of which even confounded the London police! After a burglary in her flat in the 1980s, detectives dusted her rooms for fingerprints. Perplexed by what they found, they exclaimed, “Your fingerprints, even in the kitchen, are unsmudged!”
In this book, Peggy shares the fascinating story of her life, her training, and her thoughts on the Technique with author and Alexander Technique teacher, Nanette Walsh. Through poignant and humorous interviews and rare recorded lessons, Nanette provides readers with an archival document of the life and teaching of this important teacher, offering readers an encounter with Peggy that is clean, clear, and like Peggy’s fingerprints—unsmudged.
For more information: www. UnsmudgedBook.com
What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body
Author/Editor: Barbara Conable
This illustrated book is designed to prevent injury and pain in music making, by supporting the musician in the acquisition of an accurate and adequate Body Map; including the mapping of one’s neck as a means to freeing it, and the mapping of one’s spine so that its natural lengthening and gathering is recovered and cultivated. The book has a humorous tone, and is widely used in music studios for high school and college music students. [100 pages, pb, illustrated, 1998, Andover Press]
Your Body, Your Voice: The Key to Natural Singing and Speaking
Author/Editor: Theodore Dimon Jr.
An innovative guide to the underlying design principles of the human voice, Your Body, Your Voice explains patterns of vocal misuse that relate to the body as a whole, and how to restore the voice to its full potential. Your Body, Your Voice is an invaluable reference for singers, actors, educators, public speakers, and anyone interested in vocal performance, breathing and anatomy of the voice.
AmSAT CATPA Mid-Winter Series Part 1-3
CATPA Mid-Winter Series
Once you complete the payment, you will receive an emailed receipt with the link to access the recordings:
Part 1: Releasing the Habit Energy of Struggle Led by Kelley Schoger, MFA, M.AmSAT
Inspired by her movement classes developed for college-level actors, Kelley Schoger will lead participants through a movement experience guided by the question, “am I allowing or controlling?” With an eye toward allowing, releasing, and grounding, this movement workshop will focus on de-armoring, inviting release through imagery and playfulness, and daring to take up space. The session will include guided constructive rest, a gentle floor warm-up, floor, and standing movement explorations, and end with closing thoughts and a brief discussion. While this experiential workshop will offer ideas for helping actors develop a personal connection to movement, Kelley hopes all participants will enjoy a spacious and expansive sequence to wipe away the cobwebs of post-holiday, chilly, mid-winter. Those wishing to participate should have a mat or blanket available and wear something cozy.
Part 2: Opportunities to Observe Led by Dawn Karlovsky - MFA
This is an experiential, movement-based workshop exploring how we perceive and sense ourselves while in activity. Participants will be guided through verbal prompts to awaken the senses and to discover the important role our senses play in coordinating our movement responses.
Part 3: Balancing the Inside and the Outside with the Alexander Technique Led by Tom Truss
This mid-winter movement session with Tom Truss will have two sections; the first experiential and the second instructional. Tom will open with simple creative movement investigations that will deepen participants' connection to themselves and their core, and will evolve into a collaborative dancemaking moment. In the second half, Tom will share from his "teaching toolkit" various structures that he has developed over the past 15 years while leading classes that incorporate the Alexander Technique for beginner and professional actors and dancers.
AmSAT Virtual Annual Conference 2022: Foundations & Inspirations (Complete Conference Package)
Complete Conference - General Sessions, F.M. Alexander Memorial, Workshops, and Table Topics
Foundations and Inspirations
Exploring Alexander Technique Fundamentals and Creative Teaching Applications
Take advantage of this opportunity to expand your knowledge and teaching skills.
This year's robust programming includes Recorded General Sessions with Pyeng Threadgill, Ruth Kilroy giving the F.M. Memorial Address, and open forum table topics. In addition to a variety of workshops such as:
- Be Like Water, Move like Water: Achieving Natural Movement Through Alexander Technique, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong
- Eutokia: Sharing Birth Stories
- The Educated Back™ An Alexander Understanding of Back Pain and How to Teach to It
- Teaching the Alexander Technique to Dancers: from Classical Ballet to the "Inspire Inclusion" Dance Program for Disabled Young Adults (and Everything in Between!)
- Luc Vanier: Antagonistic Action as Experienced in the Feet and Legs
- Plus so many more!
Click HERE for a complete list of instructors
AmSAT Virtual Annual Conference 2022: Foundations & Inspirations (General Sessions Package)
General Session and F.M. Alexander Memorial Lecture ONLY
Foundations & Inspirations
Exploring Alexander Technique Fundamentals and Creative Teaching Applications
AmSAT Virtual Annual Conference 2021: Reflections and Connections (Complete Conference Package)
Complete Conference - workshops and general sessions, Kaleidoscopic Views
Reflections and Connections: We don’t exist separately; we form endless symmetries and shapes as we learn and grow. Together we are a kaleidoscope of connections.
Take advantage of this opportunity to expand your knowledge and teaching skills.
This year's robust programming includes Recorded General Sessions with Beret Arcaya, Daria Okugawa giving the F.M. Memorial Address, panel discussions, and Kaleidoscopic Views - our learning library. In addition to a variety of workshops such as:
- Alexander Technique for Salsa Dancers: Freedom to Move and Boost Lead/Follow Connection
- Using your own hands to enhance learning and applying the Alexander Technique
- Practice with Purpose: Yoga & Alexander Technique
- How the Brain Learns
- Using the Dart inspired Framework for Integration model of Primary, Secondary, Engagements
- Alexander Technique and Tai Chi Chuan: Inhibition, Undoing, Non-doing, and Stillness in Movement
- Tips for Hips
Click HERE for a complete list of instructors
