F.M. Alexander was born in 1869 in Tasmania. As a young man performing as a Shakespearean orator in Melbourne, Australia in the late 1890s, he developed chronic laryngitis. He was prescribed periods of vocal rest during which he would recover, only to loose his voice again when returning to orating. He initiated an intense course of self-study aimed at learning what he was doing to cause his hoarseness. Using mirrors, he discovered a discrepancy between the physical actions that he visually observed himself doing and those which he kinesthetically perceived himself doing when preparing to speak. Over time, he identified and eliminated habitual patterns of tension and discovered a more efficient and balanced way to speak, move and go about his all of his activities. As a result of addressing the manner in which he had been using himself overall, he no longer suffered from vocal trouble. Subsequently he developed a subtle, yet powerful hands-on technique that helps people to stop interfering with their natural balance and coordination. He settled in London and taught and refined his technique in both the UK and the US until his death in 1955. Alexander’s supporters included John Dewey, Aldous Huxley, George Bernard Shaw, Raymond Dart, George E. Coghill, and Nobel Prize winners Charles Sherrington, and Nicholas Tinbergen.
Aging tends to be associated with stiffness and inability to bend. Here's Alexander, as an older gentleman, squatting with his feet flat on the ground.
Click here to read about what happens during an Alexander Technique lesson.
