Alexander Technique lessons in Sydney

Teacher:
Mark Bennie
M.AUSTAT
M.STAT(UK)
BSc(Hons)

Phone:
0400 741 703

Email:
mark@alexander-
technique-sydney.com.au

Address:
1 Gowrie St
Newtown, Sydney
(Off Erskineville Rd)

If you wish to improve your

Posture
Balance and co-ordination
Breathing

If you are

Stressed or anxious
Lacking in vitality and general health

If you suffer from

Back, neck or shoulder pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome or upper limb disorders
Joint pain
Headaches

Then the Alexander Technique can help you!

British Medical Journal study on the Alexander Technique

Scientific Research on the Alexander Technique

Significant long-term benefit from Alexander Technique lessons for low back pain has been demonstrated by a major study published by the British Medical Journal on 20th August 2008.

Click here to read the study

									"Once Alexander had become aware of the misuse of his own body, he began to observe his fellow men, and he found that, at least in the modern western society, the majority of people stand, sit, and move in an equally defective manner." [1]
								
									Prof. Nicholas Tinbergen, Nobel Laureate

The originator of the Alexander Technique was an Australian, Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955). He found that the manner in which we carry out our daily activities can have far reaching consequences regarding our general health and well-being, and more importantly he developed a method that can rectify this.

The Alexander Technique is a practical method that teaches people how to eliminate poor postural and movement habits. Alexander discovered that a certain dynamic alignment between the head, neck and torso is the key to maintaining proper posture, breath, and movement. He found that when this dynamic alignment is not being interfered with, the rest of the body will tend to right itself which will in the process alleviate many of the conditions that we suffer from as well as enhance our performance in the activities we undertake.

The Alexander Technique is learnt by undertaking a series of half-hourly one-to-one lessons. Lessons are not like Osteopathic, Chiropractic or Massage treatments where you are worked upon by a practitioner. You are not taught a set of stretches, postures, or movements that you might be in Yoga, Feldenkrais, Pilates, Tai Chi and Physiotherapy or at a fitness centre. You are not asked to perform a series of exercises for a set period each day but rather shown how to have a general awareness of yourself throughout all your day-to-day activities.

Most people have unconscious habits of collapsing, distorting and unduly tensing themselves in their everyday activities. In a lesson the teacher will use their hands and verbal instructions to guide you in simple acts such as sitting, standing, walking, bending and speaking and make you are aware of these habits. As the lessons progress you will become more and more able to prevent these habits in your daily activities. The teacher's job is to put himself out of a job. That is to teach you enough so that you can go on learning and improving by yourself.

[1] - From Nicholas Tinbergen's oration on receiving his Nobel Prize for Medicine/Physiology in 1973