The Alexander Technique, which uses body education and awareness to make movement more fluid and balanced, has been around for more than 100 years. But it only recently made its way into the public conscious, after several studies in the British Journal of Medicine and the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that people with neck or back problems who studied the technique were much more likely to remain pain free than those who didn’t.  

“Teachers of the technique undergo a very intensive three-year training, and many universities and colleges employ teachers in the music, drama or dance departments,” says Karla Booth Diamond, a nationally certified Alexander teacher. “What those researchers are seeing is what Alexander teachers have known all along: that by understanding how your body works and learning to observe how you go about daily activities—or your body usage—you can learn to move in a more balanced way, with less tension and greater ease.”

The Alexander Technique is not about standing up straight, she notes; it’s about cultivating an awareness of body usage and developing the skills to change habitual patterns that may be causing stress and tension. “The goal is to get back to the natural balance and poise you were designed to have,” she says.

The Alexander Teachers Association of Westchester and Putnam, whose members are nationally certified teachers, will be offering workshops and group classes this fall as part of their educational outreach in Westchester. Joy Jacobson, Karla Booth Diamond and Eve Silver all teach in the Mamaroneck, Rye and Mount Kisco area. For a full list of teachers and events, visit ATAWestchester.com. For more info, contact Diamond at 914.649.9565.

Try the Technique

Alexander Technique Awareness Week is October 10-16. Listed below are some classes for people interested in exploring the technique. Learn more about local resources and events at ATAWestchester.com.

Introduction to the Alexander Technique
Six-week course: October 17-November 21
Offered through Chappaqua Continuing Education
$150
Register: Chappaqua.k12.ny.com (click “Self-Help”)
Karla Booth Diamond leads this introductory session on how to apply postural integration in daily activity to move with greater ease.

Smart Phone. Smart Posture?
October 12, 5:30 & 7 p.m.
Quest Yoga Arts, Mt. Kisco
$25
Register: 914.649.9565
Karla Booth Diamond introduces the Alexander Technique and offers tips for better body awareness and movement while using a smart phone.

Alexander Technique for Parkinson’s with Carol Strozier
Tuesdays, October 18-November 22, 4-5 p.m.
Mt. Pleasant Recreation Department Broadhurst Community Center
$125 residents / $150 nonresidents
Register: 914.742.2310

Alexander Technique Demonstration with Carol Strozier
October 4, 5-6:30 p.m.
Mt. Pleasant Community Center

For a full list of teachers and events, visit ATAWestchester.com. For more info, contact Diamond at 914.649.9565.