Awareness & Consciousness

The Alexander Technique can coincide beautifully with practices of mindfulness, meditation, and greater consciousness.

“It (the Alexander Technique) bears the same relation to education that education itself bears to all other activities.”
— John Dewey, American Philosopher (and long-time student of F.M. Alexander)

The Alexander Technique is often found to be more understandable and concrete than Eastern philosophies and practices when working toward the following goals:

√ Aligning and enhancing the flow of the up and down energies in the spine

√ Freeing ourselves from reactive and
unproductive habitual responses

√ Practicing of inner stopping and
non-doing

√ Increasing the reliability of the senses

√ Developing powerful strength in coherent movement

"It is a quickening of the conscious mind”
— F.M. Alexander

"Together with improved physical and mental health, I have found that the Alexander Technique has brought about a general heightening of consciousness on all levels."
— Aldous Huxley - Philosopher

"As one goes on, new areas are opened, new possibilities are seen and realized; one finds himself continually growing, and realizes that there is an endless process of growth initiated."
— John Dewey

Many people are interested in understanding themselves better. The Alexander Technique can cultivate a true "neutral" with which to comprehend various world-views.

“There is a constant conflict between the subconscious and conscious which is only sometimes vaguely recognized as a struggle between instinct or intuition, and the reasoning power of the mind.”
— F.M. Alexander

Additionally, there is a desire to evaluate situations in a clear way.

“Intellectually, Dewey said, he found it much easier, after had had studied the technique, to hold a philosophical position calmly once he had taken it or to change it if new evidence came up warranting a change. He contrasted his own attitude with the rigidity of other academic thinkers who adopt a position early in their careers and then use their intellects to defend it indefinitely.”
— Frank Pierce Jones (from a chapter titled “Dewey and Alexander” in the book Freedom to Change)

The Alexander Technique identifies interfering, "end-gaining" behaviors in the following environments — workplaces, home, religion/faith, world events, organizations, healthcare, schools, politics, etc. "End-gaining" is defined as focusing, unduly, on an end-result without attending to process (or the "means-whereby principle" in Alexander's words), and is the cause of many types of dysfunction.

In order to understand habits of interference, obstacle, and "end-gaining" in the external world, it is immensely practical to understand those behaviors in the individual / you / yourself first.

“In the present state of the world, it is evident that the control we have gained of physical energies, heat, light, electricity, etc., without having first secured control of our use of ourselves is a perilous affair. Without the control of our use of ourselves, our use of other things is blind; it may lead to anything.”
— John Dewey

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