April 2022

24 Apr

An Operational Definition of Alexander’s Discovery

by Jeremy Chance

According to Walter Carrington’s diary*, FM abandoned the use of ‘free neck’, as did my favourite teacher Marjorie Barstow. A ‘free neck’ is a state, a condition. Instead, Marj & FM talked in terms of movement, not states. FM invented “Head goes forward and up so that… etc.” Marj used to say: “It’s the delicacy of the movement that gives you your release.”

10 Apr

The Evolution of Alexandrian Inhibition

by Jeremy Chance

I avoid using the word ‘inhibition’ in my teaching because of the utter confusion and disparity of meaning attributed to that word.

As I recently discovered, this is not limited to our community – scientists also grapple with its meaning. David Anderson, a respected scholar of motor control and learning in San Francisco - and an Alexscovery teacher - commented recently:

08 Apr

Science & Scientists of the Alexander Technique

by Jeremy Chance

I am currently a student again. Relief.

This time it is with Tim Cacciatore and Patrick Johnson in their “Online workshop about the science of the Alexander Technique.”

https://www.alexandertechniquescience.com/

04 Apr

How Bad/Good Are You?

by Jeremy Chance

Thomas Hobbes (1558-1679) or Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) – who’s right?

In his delightful & uplifting book “HumanKind – A Hopeful History” (thanks Elisabeth!), Rutger Bregman poses this question at the outstart. Hobbes is on the side of “we are inherently evil, and civilization encourages good.” Rousseau is on the side of “we are inherently good, and civilization encourages evil.”