The Primary Movement
In seeking, through re-education, to change the basic
patterns of coordination that shape a person’s
movements, the Alexander teacher will study first of
all the way the pupil prepares his body for movement
as a whole, for on this depends the quality or effectiveness
of the ‘use” which one shows in individual
physical actions, including those involved in artistic,
musical or sporting activities.
The teacher’s knowledge and his hands’
ability to distinguish between good ‘use of self’
and ‘misuse’ means that he can help anyone
–amateur or professional- to respond mobility
wise to the best of their psycho-physiological capability
and to incorporate effectively and appropriately into
their daily lives the necessary adjustments learned
in the lessons.
The result of a successful personal re-education program
will be seen in the pupil’s new-found ability
to give free expression to the natural forces which
enable the body to expand upwards in movement, or more
precisely, forwards and upwards, which is the internal
direction of movement required to deal effortlessly
with the force of gravity.
The pupil will then be able to bring and test in his
chosen activity the improved use of himself which he
will have learn through experimenting in daily life.
The Alexander Technique teacher may well have been
trained as an artist, musician, dancer or sportsman,
enabling him to bring to his work certain additional
technical skills. Bur the Alexander technique’s
primary aim is helping to improve one’s general
use of oneself first of all, as a prerequisite to learn
or improve other skills.
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