“Studying the Alexander Technique with Steve is one of my favorite things each week. He’s a body whisperer who coaxes diminishing habits away and introduces the body to a better way. As an athlete I am less sore, as a singer I have more resonance, and as a lawyer I am more in command.”
What is the Alexander Technique?
The Alexander Technique is a rich study of posture, breathing, and movement.
All of us develop patterns over time — patterns of tension, movement, and being — that quietly shape how we feel and how we move. Perhaps you clench your jaw when stressed, feel uncomfortable doing the dishes, or have pain when you play your instrument.
The Alexander Technique helps you clarify communication between brain and body so that you can decide which patterns to encourage, and which ones you’d like to prevent.
The idea at the heart of the work is simple: things are already a certain way, and wouldn’t it be nice to know how things are, so that we can make choices. And every time we make a choice toward ease and connection, it provides evidence to your whole self that things can be different.
People come to the Alexander Technique for many reasons, but back, neck, and shoulder pain are at the top of the list. It’s well known among musicians, dancers, and actors, and I’ve also worked with surfers, cyclists, and sommeliers. That range is a good reminder that the Alexander Technique isn’t a special exercise or a particular posture—it’s a practical way of using yourself with more ease in whatever you do.
Private Lessons
Private lessons are the best way to learn the Alexander Technique. Sessions are 45 minutes and tailored to you — your body, your habits, and what you want to work on.
Most people begin with weekly lessons. I recommend starting with three sessions to see how the work feels and whether it’s a good fit for you. From there, many students choose to continue with a short series of ten lessons, which allows the changes to settle into daily life.
I currently teach in the Rockridge neighborhood in Oakland, CA.
“Steve is a wonderful teacher - as a writer who spends hours every day hunched at the desk, Alexander Technique has taught me how to change my attention to movement in a way that nothing else has been able to.”
“I had no idea what AT was before I began my lessons with Steve. To call it a movement technique is to diminish the impact of the wonderful lessons that have altered — and continue to so do — not only how I sit, stand, or move but also how I think and concentrate.”
“I have various aches and pains, a total knee replacement and complex rotator cuff surgery. I have an AT lesson with Steve every two weeks and it has literally done wonders...it has to be one of the best kept secrets in health care.”
“I’ve learned so much from Steve. Alexander Technique is a subtle, powerful practice. To call it “life changing” is simultaneously true and misleading. Steve simply has shown me the ways that I’m unconsciously, accidentally, perniciously hurting myself with the way I stand, sit, type, and work. And sing. And surf. He’s taught me how to notice the way I hold tension in my shoulders, and how to let them relax. Sounds simple — it’s not. It requires constant awareness of your body. But that awareness becomes more automatic over time, if you’re diligent.
I get monthly migraines. I usually take a cocktail of pain meds to manage them, but my day is always ruined. Last week was intense for me, and I should have gotten a migraine. Instead, I kept noticing again and again the moments when I was holding tension in my head and neck and shoulders and I just gently let them release. And that migraine never happened. I’m wary of declaring victory over my migraines, or saying the Alexander Technique can cure something that’s plagued me my whole life, but these ways of being aware and gentle with my body are life changing. I intend to carry and develop these processes for the rest of my life. I’m so glad I’m learning this at age 32. Thank you!!”
Curious?
The best way to understand the Alexander Technique is to experience it.