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 is a simple method of improving posture and body movement in order to reduce the physical and mental tensions that we all accumulate throughout our lives. Developed at the turn of the nineteenth century by F.M. Alexander, this practical system has been used by millions of people to help relieve common ailments such as backache, headache, arthritis, depression, insomnia and stress, and to enhance general health and well-being.
The Alexander Technique for Musicians is a unique guide for all musicians, providing a practical, informative approach to being a successful and comfortable performer. Perfect as an introduction to the Alexander Technique, or to supplement the reader's lessons, the book looks at daily and last-minute practice, breathing, performance and performance anxiety, teacher–pupil relationships, ensemble skills, and the application of the Alexander Technique to instrumental and vocal work. Complete with diagrams and photographs to aid the learning process, as well as step-by-step procedures and diary entries written by participating students, The Alexander Technique for Musicians gives tried-and-tested advice, drawn from the authors' twenty-plus years of experience working with musicians, providing an essential handbook for musicians seeking the most from themselves and their art.
The Alexander Technique is a proven process of mind and body reeducation that reduces stress and muscle tension, and revitalization those who practice it. Used by many actors, athletes, and dancers, the technique can help anyone increase his or her energy and achieve a more dynamic presence. Written by a veteran instructor of the Alexander Technique, this authentic and easy-to-follow guide allows everyone to learn the increasingly popular program, with clear instructions for each exercise, and dozens of helpful photographs that show correct and incorrect positions to use for the exercises and throughout the day.
"This book presents selected writings of famous Australian F. Matthias Alexander, now recognized as the twentieth-century pioneer of body-mind coordination."--Back cover.
The Alexander Technique is a hands-on educational method that helps individuals learn how to eliminate tension in the body caused by habitual limitations in the way they move and think. The health benefits of the Alexander Technique are both physical and emotional. It improves balance, posture, and stamina, and has been shown to improve cognitive functions. And it was practiced and endorsed by renowned philosopher and educator John Dewey. The Alexander Technique Resource Book provides guidance and information that aids in studying the technique and locating sources for further research in the field. It contains information on print, audio, video, and web-based resources, and includes a description of the basic principles and benefits of the Alexander Technique. This book benefits students, scholars, and researchers, as well as musicians, actors, and athletes looking to enhance performance in physical activities. It is a helpful resource for anyone seeking information on alternative and complementary medicines like the Alexander Technique.
To live is to face problems and to find solutions for them. We do so consciously or unconsciously, using intuition, reason, imagination and many other faculties. We notice a situation, we draw conclusions from what we see, hear and feel, and we act on our conclusions in a constant process of observation, analysis and remedy. 'My shoulders are tight, because I am under a lot of stress, I need a good massage.' We observe a problem (tight shoulders), analyse the cause (stress) and seek a remedy for it (the massage). But what if we have misunderstood the problem? What if our description of the problem is based on false perceptions, or our analysis on false assumptions? What if the solution aggravates the problem? This book is about our suppositions, habits and behaviours. It is about posture and attitude, tension and relaxation, movement and rest. It is about interpersonal relationships, sports and performing arts. Above all, it is about embodied emotions and the body that thinks and feels. In this fully revised new edition, Pedro de Alcantara invites you to redefine the meaning of health and wellbeing, using the insights and tools developed by a man of genius: F.M Alexander.
The Alexander Technique (AT) is a remarkably simple but powerful method for learning to skillfully control how your brain and body interact, allowing you to better coordinate your movements while increasing the accuracy of your mind's thoughts and perceptions. Now, in How You Stand, How You Move, How You Live, leading Alexander Technique master teacher Missy Vineyard sheds a completely fresh light on this revolutionary method and, in the process, offers path-breaking insight into the mind-body connection. Vineyard thoroughly explains and teaches the central skills of the AT through simple self-experiments, and she offers engaging stories of students in their lessons to show its effective application across a range of disciplines, including the performing arts, athletics, health, psychology, and education. How You Stand, How You Move, How You Live introduces us to a world within ourselves that we know surprisingly little about--and thereby helps us to understand why we often cannot do what we should be able to do, why we harm ourselves with chronic tension and anxiety, and why our thoughts often seem beyond our control. Vineyard is also the first AT teacher to draw on cutting-edge research in neuroscience and to synthesize those findings with AT theories and techniques. She fully illuminates the benefits to be reaped by mastery of the Alexander Technique, which include: Release from acute or chronic physical pain Enhanced mental attention and focus Reduced anxiety Improved balance and coordination Relief from tension and stress Increased ease and efficiency performing precise movement skills