Who was FM Alexander?

Frederick Matthias Alexander was born in Tasmania in 1869. In his 20's he moved to Sydney where he became a professional reciter of dramatic pieces. He had vocal problems and kept losing his voice. He tried many methods to regain is vocal ability but in despair he began research into the 'use' of his body. He cured his vocal problems without medical intervention. By then he was more than curious about human movement and began to study his fellow man and discovered that the majority of folk stood, sat and moved in a poor manner. It also occurred to Alexander that the external 'disease' or 'use of the self', may have something to do with the internal 'disease' and human suffering. Alexander began to teach this method, he moved to London where he established a school. He died in 1955 but his 'principle' lives on through many teachers having been trained in this remarkable method.
Here is an article from a number of years ago. It gives one a little more insight into the uses of the Alexander technique.

Posture Perfect Magazine Article |