Welcome to Alexander Technique Science - Alexander Technique Science

This site is devoted to improving scientific understanding of the Alexander Technique (AT)—its principles, practices, reported and demonstrated benefits, and terminology. The content ranges from descriptions of direct experiments on the effects of AT lessons to focused explanations of relevant current science to rigorously researched history of the work. We reference recent peer-reviewed publications wherever possible.

We see this site as serving three primary audiences: Alexander Technique teachers and students who would like to better understand the work from a scientific perspective; scientists, medical professionals and other somatic or rehabilitation practitioners who are interested in the research basis for AT; and anyone who would like to explore scientific research on mind, movement, and posture. Read more.

Upcoming:

Free talk on the AT, Mindfulness and stress

The authors of a recent qualitative study about Alexander technique, mindfulness and stress will give an online interactive presentation on September 17th, 2025. Sign up for this free talk here.

The Latest:

Alexander Technique and Mindfulness Webinar Video

A webinar discussing the paper “Pause, observe, intend: A qualitative study exploring expert practitioners’ perceptions of how mindfulness and Alexander technique work synergistically to address stress” has been made freely available by the authors, Patrick Johnson, Gabriella Minnes Brandes, Victoria Door and Rajal Cohen.

Click here to watch the video of the webinar.

Mindfulness, Alexander Technique and Stress

By Patrick Johnson, Gabriella Brandes, Victoria Door and Rajal Cohen

Both Mindfulness and the Alexander Technique are used to help manage stress. An article comparing similarities and differences in how these two disciplines are used to manage stress was recently published in the European Journal of Integrated Medicine. The article, titled “Pause, observe, intend: A qualitative study exploring expert practitioners’ perceptions of how mindfulness and Alexander technique work synergistically to address stress”, was authored by Patrick Johnson, Gabriella Brandes, Victoria Door and Rajal Cohen.

Click here to read the abstract. Click here to read the full article.

Beyond Posture Correction: Exploring How Alexander Technique Reduces Chronic Neck Pain

By Rajal Cohen

Growing evidence suggests that learning Alexander technique (AT) can reduce musculoskeletal pain, including knee pain,¹ back pain,² and neck pain.³ However, the mechanisms by which AT works are still not well understood. The studies reported here addressed two major questions related to the mechanisms of AT.

The first question was whether the reduction in pain following AT lessons depends on intensive one-to-one hands-on work. AT teachers are skilled at hands-on work, and some AT teachers consider this aspect of the pedagogy to be essential for learning AT. However, other AT teachers work regularly and apparently successfully with groups (for instance at universities), and many now teach online. The studies presented asked whether group AT classes can reduce neck pain to a similar degree as was seen in a previous randomized controlled trial of one-to-one AT lessons.³

The second question was whether learning AT leads to persistent changes in patterns of neck muscle activity…

Read more here.

Modern Pain Science and Alexander Technique: How Might Alexander Technique Reduce Pain?

By Mari Hodges and Tim Cacciatore

Studies show that the Alexander Technique (AT) helps with various kinds of pain,^1-5 and many people come to the AT to resolve a pain condition. Two major clinical trials have shown reductions in long term back and neck pain after a course of lessons, and one smaller trial has shown reductions in knee pain. These positive results occur even though the AT does not typically target pain directly.

But how and why does the AT reduce pain? This article aims to explore these questions. Pain is complex, and modern pain science has begun to shed light on various mechanisms behind pain and its alleviation. Recent advances in pain science may help us to understand ways that AT can help to reduce pain.

Over the past few decades, there has been a substantial shift in the field of pain science that …

Read more here.

Short Video: How Does the Alexander Technique Work? Towards a Scientific Model

This video was commissioned by the FM Alexander Trust from Sci Ani (Science Animated) to explain the scientific paper by Cacciatore, Johnson, and Cohen. The animation illustrates the paper’s central proposition, that changes to postural tone and body schema underlie many of the reported benefits of the Alexander Technique. It…

Read more here.

Potential Mechanisms of the Alexander Technique: Towards a Comprehensive Neurophysiological Model

By Tim Cacciatore, Patrick Johnson, and Rajal Cohen

The Alexander Technique (AT) has been practiced for over 125 years. Despite evidence of its clinical utility, a clear explanation of how AT works is lacking, as the foundational science needed to test the underlying ideas has only recently become available. The authors propose that the core changes brought about by Alexander training are improvements in the adaptivity and distribution of postural tone, along with changes in body schema, and that these changes underlie many of the reported benefits. They suggest that AT alters tone and body schema via spatial attention and executive processes, which in turn affect low-level motor elements. To engage these pathways, AT strategically engages attention, intention, and inhibition, along with haptic communication. The uniqueness of the approach comes from the way these elements are woven together. Evidence for the contribution of these elements is discussed, drawing on direct studies of AT and other relevant modern scientific literature…

Read more here.

Video Symposium: Current Scientific Research and Models for the Alexander Technique

Patrick Johnson, Tim Cacciatore, Rajal Cohen, and Ian Loram

This symposium addresses a need for specific, up-to-date, science-based models to help AT practitioners to better understand what we are learning and teaching physiologically, better communicate with scientists, medical professionals, and AT colleagues, and broaden the base of respect and understanding for our profession.

This symposium was presented as a live webinar on May 18, 2020 and featured four speakers:

Dr. Patrick Johnson (PhD Physics, STAT/NeVLAT certified teacher of AT)
Dr. Tim Cacciatore (PhD Neuroscience, STAT certified teacher of AT)
Assoc. Prof. Rajal Cohen (PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology University of Idaho, AmSAT certified teacher of AT)
Prof. Ian Loram (PhD, Professor of Neuromuscular Control of Human Movement, Manchester Metropolitan University, PAAT certified teacher of AT)

Watch here.

Clockwise from upper left: Patrick Johnson, Rajal Cohen, Ian Loram, and Tim Cacciatore

Featured:

A History of Magnus in the Alexander Technique

By Jean M.O. Fischer

This guest post by Jean M.O. Fischer, publisher of Mouritz Press, delves into the influence of Rudolf Magnus’ research on postural reflexes on F.M. Alexander’s concept of the primary control. It was first published in the AmSAT Journal, Vol 15, 2019.

The story of Magnus and his concept of a central control in the Alexander Technique community is a story of misunderstandings, mistranslations, and the misapplication of science. While several other ideas, concepts, and theories in Alexander’s writings are forgotten today, Magnus’s work is still discussed. Why? What is clear is that Magnus’s work was seized upon by Alexander and many of his supporters as scientiﬁc proof, or at least corroboration, from the mid-1920s until the South African libel case in the late 1940s. What is less clear is the continued reference to Magnus in the Alexander Technique literature. This article covers some history of the Alexander Technique literature on Magnus through the decades… Read more.