The Alexander Technique: Definition, Explanation, & Tips

By Nathalie Boutros, Ph.D.
​Reviewed by Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D.
What is the Alexander technique? Learn what this embodied mindfulness practice is, how it's done, some of its benefits, and how it relates to other mindfulness practices.
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The average adult head weighs between ten and eleven pounds and requires the coordinated efforts of more than twenty muscles in the neck, jaw, shoulders, back, and chest in order to stay upright, engaged, and active. You probably don’t spend much time thinking about the level of coordination, strength, and balance required to keep your head upright, stable, in the exact place and positioning that you want it to be, and moving in the exact way that you want it to move. However, developing a mindful awareness of the position and movement of your head, neck, and spine, along with other parts of your body, can be hugely beneficial.​
The Alexander technique is a specific approach and set of exercises that encourages the development of mindful awareness of the balance and posture of the body, with a particular focus on the balance, posture, and movement of the head, neck, and spine. In this article, we’ll review what the Alexander technique is as well as the basics of how to do it. We’ll also briefly talk about the Alexander technique as a tool used by performance artists to improve their on-stage performance and decrease pain and discomfort arising from extensive practice. We’ll also review how the benefits of the Alexander technique may extend to all people, not just those involved in the performing arts. Lastly, we’ll talk about how the Alexander technique is a form of embodied mindfulness, and how the Alexander technique relates to other understandings and practices of mindfulness.​​
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What is the Alexander Technique? (A Definition)

At the turn of the last century, Australian stage actor Frederick Matthias Alexander noticed that he struggled with long performances. He developed recurrent laryngitis that was not responsive to the treatments recommended by his physicians. He thus decided to closely examine his performance style, watching himself in great detail in multiple mirrors while he recited his lines. He observed that his posture while speaking was maladaptive. Specifically, he noticed that as he spoke his chin would drop down and move inwards. Alexander concluded that his difficulties on stage and his recurrent pain and discomfort were ultimately caused by his dysfunctional posture and movement habits (Schlinger, 2006).

Alexander then went on to develop an approach and set of exercises with the aim of correcting movement and posture habits that may be maladaptive and cause discomfort. This approach and set of exercises became the Alexander technique and has been used for over 100 years by actors, musicians, dancers, and others to adjust their posture, balance, and movements in order to both improve and fine-tune their performances and to avoid injury and discomfort. Although the Alexander technique was originally developed for and popularized by performance artists, the techniques and practices may be helpful in improving posture and movement for a wide range of people who may develop poor posture and movement habits. This group probably includes most of us, from surgeons (Reddy et al., 2011) to anyone who uses a smartphone (Neupanet et al., 2017).

The Alexander technique is inherently a mindfulness practice, emphasizing and encouraging body awareness. In this case, body awareness includes awareness of all of the physical sensations experienced by the body, the body’s position in space, the way that the body moves, and the relationships between the body and the physical world (Schlinger, 2006). The Alexander technique emphasizes the intentional and mindful performance of actions that are usually performed automatically and habitually. Students are encouraged to develop and fine-tune mindful awareness of the physical body both when it is at rest and when it is in motion. Students then learn how to identify and inhibit dysfunctional body positions and habitual movements while also moving and positioning their bodies in more functional, less damaging ways. 

Practicing the Alexander technique means increasing awareness of all of the subtle, small movements that make up larger, more complex movements. Notably, this process of bringing awareness to previously unconscious movements may also improve emotional and psychological health. One of the aims of the Alexander technique is increased mindful awareness and control of the physical body. There is an emphasis on the interrelatedness and interconnectedness of thoughts, feelings, and other mental events with the sensations and movements of the physical body. Increasing the control that you have over your physical body may lead to a broader increase in feelings of control and efficacy which may in turn improve wellness and mental health.

How To Do The Alexander Technique

Typically, the Alexander technique is facilitated by a trained practitioner, often called a teacher or a demonstrator. The Alexander technique can be taught in a one-on-one fashion or in a group setting. Notably, there are no therapists or clients. Instead, a teacher provides guidance and instruction on how to develop and fine-tune mindfulness and body awareness skills.

A session may start with the teacher bringing the student’s awareness to the physical body, and especially to all of the muscles involved in performing a specific action. This includes both the smallest muscles like individual finger muscles and the muscles of the neck and jaw, as well as the larger muscles of the back and core that are responsible for overall posture and balance. For example, a pianist might bring her mindful awareness to not only her fingers, hands, and arms but also to the muscles involved in supporting her head and keeping her neck upright, as well as the muscles of the back and core that are responsible for good posture on the bench. The teacher provides verbal instruction along with light touch and gentle manipulation and re-positioning of the student’s body.

The goal of the verbal instructions and gentle physical manipulation is enhanced awareness of the dynamic balance that exists between all of the muscles. The teacher aims to facilitate a feeling of fluidity, ease of movement, and lightness (Jones, 1979).The Alexander technique stresses a lightness of feeling which should be experienced as pleasant and pleasurable. Students of the Alexander technique often report that they enjoy the ease and fluidity of movement (Kildow, 2018).

Although Alexander himself stressed the importance of working with a teacher to reverse ingrained problematic habits of movement, you may be able to experience some of the benefits of the Alexander technique by trying out some of the exercises with video instruction. In the video below an Alexander technique teacher gives a short introduction to the Alexander technique followed by guidance through some Alexander technique exercises.

Video: Alexander Technique Exercises

The Alexander Technique and Mindfulness

Mindfulness, at its core, is a state of being aware and accepting of the experiences of the present moment (Hanh, 2005). It is paying attention, on purpose and non-judgmentally, to the present moment (Kabat-Zinn, 1982). Mindfulness practices encourage practitioners to intentionally focus their awareness on the events and experiences of the present moment rather than thinking about the past or the future. The Alexander technique is a form of embodied mindfulness.

Generally, embodied mindfulness practices understand that the body and the mind exist together and are inseparable from one another. Mental functions like perception, cognition, motivation, and emotion don’t just take place in the mind but also are influenced by the body and the body’s interactions with the outside world (Schmalzl et al., 2014). In particular, movement is understood as deeply involved in awareness, cognition, and well-being. Notably, movement may even be understood as the most basic function of the nervous system. All thoughts, emotions, and cognitions can be seen as forces driving movement either towards or away from something. 

By focusing on and becoming mindfully aware of the way that your body moves, you may be able to influence and tap into cognitions, thoughts, and emotions that may otherwise be inaccessible or hidden. Paying close attention to subtle movements and internal feedback and then making perhaps very subtle adjustments to the ways that you move may increase feelings of agency and self-control. As a form of embodied mindfulness, the Alexander technique emphasizes intentional guidance and control over the body’s movements. In practicing the Alexander technique, habits are taken from the automatic and unconscious, where they are performed mindlessly, to the intentional and deliberate, being performed mindfully.

The Alexander technique is a moving meditation - rather than concentrating on the breath or on other internal sensations while at rest, the Alexander technique encourages awareness of the body’s movements, balance, and postures while performing specific acts. Other mindfulness practices similarly incorporate awareness of the physical body and movement. For example, mindful walking encourages mindful awareness of the physical body by focusing on the changes in sensations and feelings that happen throughout the course of walking (Gotink et al., 2016). Body scan meditation deliberately guides awareness across the entirety of the physical body, from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet, focusing attention on each body part, and taking note of how it feels (Ussher et al., 2014).

Not only do practitioners of the Alexander technique learn to develop a deep awareness of the state of the physical body at rest and in motion, but they also learn to maintain a conscious awareness of the connection between body and mind. For example, a musician may feel anxious about performing onstage. This anxiety may manifest itself as postural difficulties, for example, drooping shoulders or a tucked-in chin. The Alexander technique would address not only the physical problems of poor posture but also the psychological difficulties of performance anxiety. The goals of the Alexander technique include not just improved performance but also a psychological sense of control, ease, lightness, and even joy while moving.

The Alexander Technique for Performance Arts

The Alexander technique was originally developed over 100 years ago by a Shakespearean actor who wanted to improve his onstage performance (Schlinger, 2006). It continues to be popular with actors and other performing artists as a way to not only improve onstage performance but also to decrease the pain and discomfort that may come from repeatedly performing the same specific movements and actions during rehearsal. Actors (McEvenue, 2016), dancers (Fortin & Girard, 2005), and musicians (Klein et al., 2014) may all experience improved performance quality and decreased performance anxiety after instruction in the Alexander technique. Notably, many performers report that they feel better able to channel emotion into their performances after receiving instruction in the Alexander technique, perhaps due to the Alexander technique’s focus on mindful awareness and on developing a strong connection between the mind and the body.

The Alexander Technique for Physical and Mental Health

The Alexander technique is not just for performers, all of us have repetitive movement patterns that can probably be done better. For example, many of us may experience pain and discomfort from texting neck - the way that we tend to hold our heads down with our necks and backs curved while using a digital device, which for many of us happens for multiple hours each day (Neupanet et al., 2017). 

The increased balance, posture, and movement, as well as the strengthened mind-body connection and increased body awareness that are all fostered by the Alexander technique, may improve both physical and mental health in a range of people. Some of the reported benefits of instruction and practice in the Alexander technique include:
  • Amongst people with Parkinson’s disease, decreased symptoms of both Parkinson’s itself and symptoms of depression (Stallibrass et al., 2002).
  • Decreased impairment from chronic pain in people with chronic lower back pain (Little et al., 2008).
  • Increased functional reach in elderly volunteers (Dennis, 1999)
  • Better balance in elderly volunteers with a history of falls (Batson & Barker, 2008)
  • Reduced stuttering in adults with chronic stuttering (Schulte & Walach, 2006).
  • Improved overall sense of well-being, and quality of life including reductions in depression, anxiety, and anger along with increases in optimism, self-efficacy, and self-acceptance (Kinsey et al., 2021)

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Final Thoughts on The Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique is a form of embodied mindfulness in which practitioners develop mindful awareness of the sensations of the physical body at rest and in motion. The mind-body connection is emphasized and practitioners are encouraged to strengthen and fine-tune conscious control of the subtle movements of the body. Although it was originally developed as a way for performers to reduce some of the pain and discomfort that comes from repeatedly making the same movements, it has since also been shown to have a range of other positive effects, not only on the functioning of the physical body but also on the mind. These benefits may arise from the focus on the mind-body connection and the increased sense of agency that may result from learning to intentionally and mindfully control the movements of the body. Importantly, the Alexander technique is accessible and available to all bodies - there are no specific fitness or ability requirements. All people, regardless of age, ability, or fitness, can develop mindful awareness of the physical body and can strengthen the connection between body and mind.

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