Review: The Alexander Technique: A Personal and Critical Guide for Practitioners, Students and Performance Artists

For those not familiar with the Alexander Technique, it is not concerned with developing strength, but instead it is about reducing the distortion and dysfunction of our musculoskeletal system. According to the Technique, we are creatures of habit, and sometimes we get into bad habits that unconsciously add unnecessary physical tension that builds up to cause us pain or limit the freedom of our movements.

I first encountered the Technique back in the 1990s during my Performing Arts course at university, and I found the book happily familiar – nostalgic even – and also very engaging.

I think anyone will find it accessible (even if they do not have prior knowledge) due to the style of the writing by its author, who writes much of the text in the first person. Ribeaux outlines how he found his way into trying the Technique to improve his own physicality/injuries. He then outlines how it has stayed with him throughout his life as he went from student to being a master teacher.