10 Alexander Technique Myths Busted

The Alexander Technique (AT), a practical method of improving the way you use yourself, improving coordination, balance and awareness, is often misunderstood, probably more so than any other modality. Here are some common misconceptions and myths about the Alexander Technique:  

• Myth: AT is often equated with learning to sit or stand straight.  
• Reality: While posture improvement is a benefit, AT focuses on how you move, think, and use your body in daily activities. It’s about overall coordination, ease, and efficiency, not rigidly “correct” posture. A good posture is the by-product of not interfering with your natural functioning, which remains dynamic and mobile. The quality of thinking in AT also has benefits for stress management.

• Myth: AT involves physical workouts or stretches.  
• Reality: AT is a re-education of the nervous system, encompassing movement and mental awareness, rather than physical exercise. It teaches conscious control of habits, not building muscle or endurance. Good coordination can be applied to any, and all, daily activities.

• Myth: AT is mainly for actors, musicians, and dancers.  
• Reality: While performers often use AT to enhance their performance, it benefits anyone experiencing tension, pain, or inefficient movement in daily life. As Shakespeare said, "all the world's a stage".

• Myth: AT is like a massage or chiropractic adjustment where the teacher "fixes" you.  
• Reality: AT is an active learning process, the clue is there in that you learn it from an Alexander Technique teacher. The teacher guides students in recognizing and changing habitual patterns of movement and thought. 

• Myth: AT is a relaxation technique.  
• Reality: While it can lead to reduced tension, AT is more about balanced coordination than simply relaxing. It helps you find an alert and efficient state, rather than a floppy or passive one. It depends how you define relaxing, as you can be relaxed in activity, such as relaxed walking or running.

• Myth: A few lessons will eliminate all pain and bad habits.  
• Reality: AT is a skill that takes time and practice to develop. It requires consistent application to change long-standing habits. Although it can take time, it's incremental with on going improvements. Think of it as a long term investment in your well-being.

• Myth: AT is solely for individuals with back pain, neck pain, or similar issues.  
• Reality: While it’s excellent for managing pain, AT is also valuable for improving general well-being, coordination, and efficiency, even in healthy individuals.  It also helps improve performance in sports and the arts.

• Myth: AT is unscientific or involves esoteric practices.  
• Reality: AT is grounded in principles of anatomy and neuromuscular functioning and founded on observation of human behaviour. Its methods have been studied and supported by scientific research in pain management and movement efficiency. Although AT is totally pragmatic, the quality of your functioning is correlated to the quality of your thinking/being, so it is OK to be somewhat philosophical about it if that suits your personality, but no need to if it doesn’t. 

• Myth: AT forces you to stop bad habits outright.  
• Reality: AT teaches awareness and choice. Rather than suppressing habits, it helps you replace them with more efficient ways of moving and thinking.  

• Myth: AT requires tools, devices, or specific physical skills.  
• Reality: AT lessons are hands-on and focus on your everyday movements. No special equipment or physical aptitude is needed, it can be taught and practiced absolutely anywhere.

If you're interested in finding out how you can benefit from the Alexander Technique, do get in touch.