Is it necessary to learn from a teacher or could I learn on my own?

There are many pitfalls to learning the Alexander technique, especially if attempting to learn without a teacher. Lessons with a qualified teacher is the only safe way to learn the AT. There are many readable books on the AT, but as in any subject, these will be variable in content and quality.  And as Alexander pointed out, the written or spoken word is always subject to a variety of interpretations. What we read, particularly when it applies to descriptions pertaining to the subject of the use of the self, is always going to be filtered through our own established experiences.  Re-coordination requires skilful work, and is a delicate and subtle business. It is doubtful that anyone with misuse ever achieved really good use and coordination from a book – no matter how detailed, refined and eloquent the text. Alexander certainly wrote much about the problem of faulty sensory appreciation, which would suggest that learning without a teacher is deeply problematic. Alexander was extraordinarily dedicated – he was a frontiersman with true investigative skills. A good Alexander teacher is able to provide reliable feedback. Very few of us have the kind of dedication and tenacity shown by Alexander. He worked alone for years to discover how to solve his misuse. Hopefully the following idea is not to be found in any serious writing about the Alexander Technique nor uttered by anyone who has practical experience of AT. One example, sometimes offered as a suggestion to improve one’s posture/ use is to imagine that your head is like a balloon that has a string attached to it, pulling you upwards. The idea being that one will become more upright. By acting upon this, the individual will try to stretch upwards - thus  narrowing their back, and causing it to become more arched.  It is just too easy to get it all wrong. Any 'direct' approach to rectify the wrong (misuse) can only result in adding to the problem. This isn't the Alexander Technique way of solving the problem.
 
With misuse, there is an over contraction of some muscles, and too little work going on in others.  No matter how expert the teacher, no- one can convey in words alone how to improve the situation – not in any way that will allow the individual to bring it about.  Like so much advice to improve posture the head/balloon idea is well meaning and given in all sincerity. However, it has nothing to do with the Alexander Technique. And the trouble is, even if you could sustain the different state, it would make for strain. Pulling the head away from the body, and using extra effort to no good effect. Good balance and coordination is not achievable by following this kind of suggestion.  There is no harm in reading books about the Alexander Technique, and especially if you cannot afford lessons. You may well find some very useful pointers, and get some understanding of the Technique, but it is unlikely that you will achieve better coordination or conscious control from a book.  

How many lessons am I likely to need?

This rather depends on what you want to achieve. In order to make a judgement as to whether lessons are for you, it is advisable to give yourself a chance to understand the basics of the Technique. As a teacher, I don’t require any commitment. We take it one lesson at a time. You can stop at any point! But whoever you have lessons with; you are likely to be in a better position to make a judgement after at least a few lessons.  Give yourself a chance to find out what is on offer. 5 or more lessons would be a good point to decide whether to continue or not. But of course you have every right to make your own choice at any time. After only a few lessons, you can’t really know the benefits that you are walking away from. 

Alexander pupils improve gradually by regular lessons over a period of time. Sometimes improvement can be quick and dramatic. Sometimes it can seem slow, as if nothing much is happening. This is not often the case, Generally, change for the better is occurring. Habitual puling out of shape seems to result in a deadening of sensory appreciation. Lessons improve that state of affairs. Some Alexander pupils seem to reach a plateau and stay there, but all of a sudden, he or she improves in leaps and bounds. When it does happen, this is usually apparent to both teacher and pupil.  Learning to apply the Alexander Technique is an ongoing process, and it is not like learning anything else. What can be disconcerting for novice pupils is that there is nothing to liken the experiences to – there are no  “hooks” to hang the new concepts on either.  The light begins to glimmer, and in learning to apply the Alexander Technique, you will hopefully wake up more and more to conscious living in daily life! 

Do I need to wear special clothing for lessons?

Normal comfortable clothing that does not restrict movement is advisable. You will not be asked to remove clothing- apart from shoes! Pupils will be more comfortable wearing trousers (for female pupils, elasticated waistband is preferable, and jeans are not terribly good for Alexander lessons).  Restrictive clothing limits what can be gained from the lesson.

What can I practice in between lessons?

There are no exercises as such. But this does not mean that a pupil has nothing to work on outside of lesson time. (There is gradually all of our activity to consider). We need to start with some specifics.  In lessons I work with ordinary everyday activities. We can look at just about any activity to explore how to overcome misuse, and we need to  look at all activity afresh. My aim is always to improve coordination and to awaken the pupil to their misuse. We need to learn to consciously direct our activities - to overcome the barrier of habit, misuse, and of what Alexander termed “endgaining”.  You gain an improvement in your general state of coordination from lessons, which you need to learn to maintain. It is a process of self-discovery, and in the end, self-help.

Is there a main aim to having Alexander lessons and to learning the Alexander Technique?

Anyone new to the AT sets out with some reason/s for having a first lesson, and no doubt various preconceptions. Experience ought to lead gradually to clarification of what the Technique is, how it works, and in which way it can help with perceived problem/s. The individual’s reasons for wanting lessons may well broaden out as they discover for themselves that what they learn in lessons can be applied to the everyday, and to the whole of life. There are many benefits. Most of us are resistant to change – it can be a little frightening for some people. Change, and improvement cannot happen without something altering!  A beginning pupil cannot possibly know what the Alexander Technique is, or quite where it will lead. Like any new journey, this can be both daunting and exciting. The AT journey of discovery is always going to be a personal one – an adventure into the unknown. It ought to be an experience of gradual opening up – where the individual might for example, begin to re-examine what they do, why they do it, how they react, etc. In lessons there is no prying into a pupil’s life – but the opportunity is there in lessons to discuss how the Alexander technique can help you to have a better way of coping with life in all its aspects.