ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE

CRUZ, JUSTINE JOY

ESCALONA, LORISE MARIE
YAO, JESTIN ROBERT G.
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE

• Named after its creator Frederick Matthias Alexander

• An educational process that was created to retrain habitual patterns of movement
and posture
• Alexander believed that poor habits in posture and movement damaged spatial
awareness as well as health, and that movement efficiency could support overall
physical well-being
• Developed in 1980 in an attempt to address voice loss during public speaking.
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE EXERCISES

• Require a healthy dose of thinking, as do math exercises, writing exercises,

music exercises, painting, pottery, memory, acting, and vocabulary exercises.
“EXERCISES EMBEDDED WITHIN THE EXERCISES”
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUES
STAND UP
• Standing up is an Alexander technique exercise in reducing tension during this
common, routine action.
• Before you stand up, just sit – because even the idea, the thought of standing
produces early, preparatory, unnecessary tension.
• Let go of the muscular tension in your neck, and notice that your head rotates
forward, and goes up.
• Your head brings your spine up with it.
• Oppositionally, let your sit bones release down into the chair.
STAND UP (RISING)

1. Move your feet back a bit

2. Hinge forward using hip joints (your hip joints are where your legs meet your torso.)
3. When your weight is sufficiently over your feet, send your feet into the floor and
come up to your full length.
4. There’s no need to use neck tension, or lower back tension.
5. There’s no need to crane your neck, or arch your lower back
6. Repeat this exercise 2,846 times over the few months.
STAND UP
SIT DOWN

• When standing, notice if your knees are locked. If they are, let them be soft.
• Notice your feet on the floor and let go of any gripping, anywhere.
SIT DOWN (SITTING-DOWN)

1. Send your knees forward, and your hip joints back

2. As you do this seemingly simple movement, notice if your neck and lower
back immediately get involved.
3. After your butt reaches the chair, wait a second and then hinge back, using
your hip joints (not your lower back)
FINGERTIPS RULE

• This Alexander Technique exercise deals with reducing stress when using your
hands.
• Just the act of putting your hands onto the computer keyboard usually involves
way more tension than necessary.
FINGERTIPS RULE

1. Start with your hands by your sides. Commonly, when lifting our hands, we
start the movement with the big muscles of the shoulder or arm and tend to
hold on to that extra tension – sometimes for hours.
2. Instead, as you initiate the movement of lifting your hand, imagine lifting
your fingertips only.
3. You can practice this freedom-producing exercise anytime you use your
hands; countless times per day
WHISPER AHH

• On your next exhalation, whisper a long slow, controlled ahh…

• When comfortably emptied out, let the air come in through your nose, silently.
• There is no definite starting point when you whisper ahh.
• It’s a whispered ahh, not a whispered haa.
• You’re riding on a wave of air.
• Relaxing, calming and stress-reducing.
WHISPER AHH

1. As you exhale, let your jaw comfortably open. Releasing your jaw can be its
own exercise of releasing habitual, excess jaw tension.
2. When you inhale, your lips gently touch – lips together, teeth apart.
3. Think of something funny or pleasant as you do this exercise. This adds ease,
openness, and raises your soft palate.
CONSTRUCTIVE RESTING

• Just lie down.

• That’s it?
• That’s it.
CONSTRUCTIVE RESTING

• You don’t do constructive rest on a bed, or on a couch.

• It’s done on a hard surface.
• A floor is good, and there’s right beneath your feet.
• A floor with carpet, yoga mat will do.
CONSTRUCTIVE RESTING

1. Instead of using pillow as you would for sleeping, put a few paperback books
under your head.
2. Your hand scan be by your sides, or on your abdomen.
3. Bend your knees and have your feet flat on the floor.
4. Let gravity take over and your torso will lengthen and widen
5. Pairs greatly with the Whispered Ahh
6. Just 10-15 minutes per day of constructive rest can help greatly.
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUES