HEALTHY BODY, MINDFUL LIVING
Lessons in the Alexander Technique with Danielle Amedeo
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Due to the ongoing pandemic and concerns with aerosolized virus particles in small spaces, all lessons in Alexander Technique will be taught online until further notice.
What's standing in your way?
Are you struggling with pain? Is your physical or mental state holding you back on stage, at work, in life? So many of us believe that we must accept and live with our discomforts, stress and anxiety, but it doesn't have to be this way. You can learn to improve your mental and physical condition by identifying and addressing the root causes of your concerns. The Alexander Technique blends kinesthetic awareness, body work, and a mindfulness practice to restore healthy muscle function and improve coordination of the whole musculoskeletal system. Together, we will identify the harmful behaviors causing your symptoms and address them. You will start noticing these behaviors as they happen throughout the day and make healthier choices so that symptoms don’t recur.
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WHAT ARE LESSONS LIKE?
Lesson are constructed in two parts:
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First, student and teacher work together to restore length and tone to muscles. This takes place laying on a table and sitting or standing with a chair. The teacher uses light, kind and passive hands to encourage awareness and bring about change.
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Second, we look carefully at your daily activities, first simple then increasingly complex, to identify and address problematic thinking and habits.
HOW IS THIS WORK UNIQUE?
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A core theory of upright posture that is holistic and based in scientific fact. Students will learn to restore a malfunctioning postural system so it works efficiently, without undue effort and strain.
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A unique view of the mind/body connection and our deeply engrained habits. In essence, this work teaches us to live a more present and conscious life.
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You are a student learning a skill, not a patient receiving treatment. You are not reliant on your teacher for relief. Your skills stay with you and can improve over your lifetime.
RESEARCH
There have been many studies in peer-reviewed journals showing the effectiveness of the Alexander Technique in a variety of scenarios. Some helpful overviews from respected pubs and research links are listed below.
BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE (1987)
Dr. Karen H. Siegal’s (PhD in Neurochemistry) three-page article on the technique is thoughtful, thorough and easy to read.
*"How-to" explanations in the above articles are made by experts in other fields with limited exposure to the technique. These summaries are, in my opinion, overly simplistic but directionally helpful and still worth reading.
WHAT DOCTORS SAY
"The Alexander Technique stresses unification in an era of greater and greater medical specialization. Its educational system teaches people how to best use their bodies in ordinary action to avoid or reduce unnecessary stress and pain. It enables clients to get better faster and stay better longer. This is undoubtedly the best way to take care of the back and alleviate back pain."
— Jack Stern, MD, PhD, Neurosurgical Group of Westchester