READING ABOUT THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE |
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Just as such skills as riding a bicycle are learned through direct experience, so is the Alexander Technique. Its history and principles can be described in words but the learning occurs through having the experience to associate with them. That's what happens in lessons. |
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Books by F. M. Alexander Alexander wrote four books in which he detailed how his work evolved, the concepts that grew from it, and their import and applications: Man's Supreme Inheritance: Conscious
Guidance and Control
in Relation to Human Evolution in Civilization (1910, 1918) Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual (1923) The Use of The Self (1932) The Universal Constant in Living (1941) Over the years since Alexander wrote these books, many others have been published introducing and describing his work. |
Recommended
introductory
books
There are dozens of books introducing the Alexander Technique. The following are personal recommendations - each author an experienced teacher. Body Learning Michael Gelb ... How You Stand, How You Move, How You Live Missy Vineyard ... The Alexander Technique: A Skill for Life Pedro de Alcantara ... (First published in 1976 as Body Awareness in Action ) Frank Pierce Jones Results of 25 years of original scientific research into this work. Jones relates the story and development of the AT and explains some of the underlying mechanisms that govern human functioning, including how the conscious mind activates anti-gravity reflexes. |
| xx Books about the AT are widely available in bookstores, libraries and online. Other resources: |
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Mornum Time, a small press publishing high-quality books exploring various aspects of the AT, was founded by Jerry Sontag, a teacher of the Alexander Technique and former director of a teacher-training course. Books published by this press include:
Thinking Aloud
and The Act of Living (Tributes to Walter at his
Memorial Service in 2005 with photos) An Examined
Life . . . . . . . . .
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Mouritz A specialist publisher of high-quality books on the Alexander Technique. Among those published to date are new editions of three of Alexander's four books, each of which includes information previously unpublished and: Articles and Lectures: first published compilation of all of Alexander's known lectures and writings not included in his books as well as early articles on the AT The Philosopher's Stone: a unique collection of diaries and notes from pupils' lessons with F. M. Alexander from c.1918 - 1953 F. Matthias Alexander - The Man and his Work: memoirs of training in the Alexander Technique from 1931-34 by Lulie Westfeldt: the only teacher from Alexander's first teacher training course to write about her experiences both as a student and then as a teacher for 26 years Personally
Speaking: the revised and enlarged edition
of interviews with Walter Carrington in which he
shares insights into the history and teaching of the
AT More
Talk of Alexander: 36 articles selected
by Dr. Wilfred Barlow on various facets of the AT
including education, psychology, theology, art,
science and medicine by such contributors
as: Aldous Huxley, John Dewey and Nobel-prize winner
Nikolaas Tinbergen. First
published in 1978.
The Mouritz website includes a library
section containing:
a short biography of Alexander, a
bibliography of his books,
archival literature and
selected quotations from his writings on key concepts.
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Jill Geiger, AmSAT, STAT teaching the Alexander Technique since 1990 Newton, MA 617 527 7373 jill@ATinstruction.com |