THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE: FREE YOURSELF FROM PAIN AND STRESS
NEW YORK CENTER FOR THE
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE: FREE YOURSELF FROM PAIN AND STRESS
Many people go through life with chronic pain, stress, or fatigue, not realizing these difficulties are caused by the habitual ways they walk, sit, stand, and move. The Alexander Technique teaches you how to become aware of, and change, the deep, unconscious, postural habits at the root of these problems. Because these postural habits are so fundamental and yet so automatic, they are inaccessible to most people and to most methods, yet they have a profound effect on our overall coordination and sense of well-being. By bringing awareness and conscious intention to our ways of reacting and moving, the Alexander Technique lets us gain access to ourselves and change our habits at the deepest level, thereby providing the key to freeing ourselves from unwanted pain, tension, and stress.
A proven approach to back pain
Chronic, musculo-skeletal pain is epidemic in our society. Almost 80% of all adults will experience back pain in their lifetime. Many people who could not get relief for their chronic pain, fatigue, and tension from conventional methods, have found that the Alexander Technique gave them the skills they needed to overcome these kinds of problems and improve their overall functioning. A study done by the British Medical Journal found that the Alexander Technique was the most effective approach to back pain.
Learn to use your bodies with ease and efficiency
Lessons in the Technique focus on re-education, self-awareness, and self-responsibility - they are not passive treatments. As the student performs common movements such as sitting and standing, the teacher uses subtle hands-on guidance and verbal feedback to stimulate the postural muscles to support the body correctly, which eases unnecessary tension. Students experience more coordinated and effortless movement and begin to realize that they can use their bodies with less strain and more efficiency. As their attention deepens, students find that they can begin to change habits that were unconscious and automatic, until they can finally choose not to be the victim of habitual reactions of strain and tension. Gradually, as they notice and change their habits, their pain or injury is alleviated, and they regain their natural balance, energy, and fluidity.
The figure at left shows
habitual compression of
the spine.
The figure at right shows
the spine at its full length
so that strain and tension
are avoided.
habitual compression of
the spine.
The figure at right shows
the spine at its full length
so that strain and tension
are avoided.
NEW YORK CENTER'S HISTORY
The New York Center for the Alexander Technique was founded in 1990. We are committed to teaching the principles and practices of the Technique for achieving higher levels of health and functioning. Laurie Kline and Michael Ostrow have been teaching the Technique for over 25 years, and are certified by both the American (AmSAT*) and English (STAT**) certifying organizations. They have taught workshops at several hospitals in New York such as the Hospital for Special Surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital, as well as at corporations such as the New York Times and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As part of their training, they studied dressage, and have worked with horseback riders both in the United States and Germany. They have also studied with the renowned breathing and voice expert Carl Stough, and have both been authorized to teach his work. They incorporate his understanding of breathing coordination into their work.
The Alexander Technique has been taught for over 100 years in a wide variety of academic and institutional settings, such as Mount Sinai Medical Center, The American Conservatory Theater, The Julliard School, New York University, Yale University, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. It is also taught to the Israeli Air Force. Many famous people have studied the Alexander Technique such as George Bernard Shaw, Aldous Huxley, and John Dewey, and contemporaries such as Paul Newman, William Hurt, and Michael Caine. Because it deals with the deepest levels of mind/body coordination, it benefits people in many disciplines, from computer programmers and office workers to performing artists and athletes.
The New York Center for the Alexander Technique was founded in 1990. We are committed to teaching the principles and practices of the Technique for achieving higher levels of health and functioning. Laurie Kline and Michael Ostrow have been teaching the Technique for over 25 years, and are certified by both the American (AmSAT*) and English (STAT**) certifying organizations. They have taught workshops at several hospitals in New York such as the Hospital for Special Surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital, as well as at corporations such as the New York Times and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As part of their training, they studied dressage, and have worked with horseback riders both in the United States and Germany. They have also studied with the renowned breathing and voice expert Carl Stough, and have both been authorized to teach his work. They incorporate his understanding of breathing coordination into their work.
The Alexander Technique has been taught for over 100 years in a wide variety of academic and institutional settings, such as Mount Sinai Medical Center, The American Conservatory Theater, The Julliard School, New York University, Yale University, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. It is also taught to the Israeli Air Force. Many famous people have studied the Alexander Technique such as George Bernard Shaw, Aldous Huxley, and John Dewey, and contemporaries such as Paul Newman, William Hurt, and Michael Caine. Because it deals with the deepest levels of mind/body coordination, it benefits people in many disciplines, from computer programmers and office workers to performing artists and athletes.
Private lessons:
Our Manhattan office is at 151 W. 30th St., 3rd floor, between 6th and 7th avenues. For those who live in New Jersey, we teach at our home in North Bergen, New Jersey. We offer house calls as well in both New York and New Jersey. For those who live in an area where it’s difficult to find a teacher, we offer online lessons.
Our Manhattan office is at 151 W. 30th St., 3rd floor, between 6th and 7th avenues. For those who live in New Jersey, we teach at our home in North Bergen, New Jersey. We offer house calls as well in both New York and New Jersey. For those who live in an area where it’s difficult to find a teacher, we offer online lessons.
