Silent stress relief: how the Alexander Technique opens a path to better living.

Classical singer Catherine Langberg took her first Alexander Technique (AT) lesson while attending Boston University's opera program. She learned that releasing tension in her lower back made her voice clearer and stronger. When her AT teacher gently placed her hands on Langberg's lower back, Langberg became more aware of how that area automatically tightened when she was singing. Then her teacher taught her ways to keep the tightening response in check. Now she is consciously able to let go of tension whether she is preparing for a performance or driving in traffic.

"The biggest thing the technique teaches you is an awareness of your body," Langberg says.

Corinna Trabucco, a member of the American Society of the Alexander Technique (AmSAT) who teaches near Boston, agrees. "If I were to give the Technique a one-word definition, it would be 'consciousness'."

the origins

Frederick Matthias Alexander was an Australian actor, who, in the late 1900s, suffered from chronic laryngitis. When conventional medical treatments failed to help, Alexander began experimenting with self-diagnosis, including a careful analysis of his movements. Concluding that certain physical habits were scuttling his ability to perform and speak, he began a long process of experimental body work, which resulted in the full restoration of his voice. The methods he used paid particular attention to the relationship between the head, neck and spine. After seeing such dramatic improvement in his own condition, he shared his discovery with others.

Quickly embraced by actors, dancers and singers, AT has increasingly been recognized by doctors and other health practitioners.

what to expect