Alexander Technique Lessons
in New York City
Lindsay Newitter is an AmSAT-Certified Alexander Technique Teacher, offering private lessons and small group classes in New York City.
The Alexander Technique is an educational self-care method that has been around for over 100 years. It will equip you with skills to eliminate tension and strain and can be applied to sitting, walking, speaking, working out, playing music, lifting children – anything you do!
Click here to read Lindsay's personal story.
Want to find out if the Alexander Technique is for you? Click here for information on Lindsay's FREE monthly introductory workshops.
three common reasons for taking Alexander Technique lessons
1 - Reduce/Eliminate Chronic PAIN: The Alexander Technique can reveal unconscious habits of tension that may be at the root of chronic pain (back pain, neck and shoulder pain, wrist pain, jaw pain, Repetitive Stress Injury, and a variety of other ailments)
2 - Improve a SKILL: Addressing habits of unnecessary tension and strain helps to improve the performance of actors, musicians, dancers and athletes and can help improve day-to-day skills like walking, lifting and bending, reducing the potential for injury.
3 - Promote General WELL-BEING: Alexander lessons help to integrate the mind and body, generating greater clarity of thinking and body-awareness. Students often feel more relaxed and energized and are able to use their new awareness as a preventative tool to avoid strain and injury.
Understand the source of a problem and you'll learn how to resolve it:
People often begin to take Alexander Technique lessons because they are experiencing chronic pain, discomfort or other difficulty that interferes with their ability to do their job and function well in their daily activities. They may suffer from back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hand/wrist pain, experience vocal trouble, breathing problems, stress or any other of a variety of specific issues. Regardless of a student’s specific problem, the Alexander Technique teaches that the manner in which we use ourselves as a whole affects how we function. Any specific pain or problem is addressed through a re-education of the student’s overall coordination. Patterns of tension and collapse often become so ingrained in a person that the individual becomes unaware of these problems. Sooner or later pain may present itself, but because the source of the pain has become unconscious, any attempt to eliminate the problem tends to treat the pain directly rather than eliminate the cause. It is difficult to stop doing something that is damaging to your body if you do not first perceive that you are doing it. When studying the Alexander Technique, students learn to identify and consciously release unnecessary muscle tension that they are holding as well as learning to avoid pulling down (slouching). Generating excess tension as well as collapsing down on oneself both interfere with natural coordination and may be the source of pain and other difficulties. Reducing or eliminating these harmful patterns will allow the postural muscles to function more efficiently, improving the quality of movement, posture and breathing in all activities. The resulting condition is neither overly tense nor excessively relaxed. It is instead balanced, comfortable, efficient and free of strain.
Click here to read about what happens during an Alexander Technique lesson.
Problems, Conditions, & Activities that The Alexander Technique Can Improve:
The Alexander Technique helps people to restore their natural balance and coordination and has been medically proven to significantly reduce chronic back pain. A recent randomized, controlled clinical trial funded by the British Medical Research Council and published the British Medical Journal concluded that after 24 lessons in Alexander Technique, the number of days with back pain was reduced by 85%. The Technique addresses chronic and unconscious misuse of the body and facilitates restoring the strain-free postural coordination exhibited by most young children. It can therefore help to prevent or alleviate many common problems including, but not limited to:
Pain, Strain, or discomfort in the:
Back
Neck
Shoulders
Elbows
Jaw
Wrists
Hands
Hips
Knees
Ankles
Alexander lessons may also help people with:
Herniated discs
Breathing issues
Vocal issues
Sciatica
Arthritis
Headaches
Restlessness
Difficulty focusing attention
Difficulty maintaining a static sitting/standing position comfortably (doing office work, dental work, etc)
Low energy
Depression
Stress
Pregnancy-related strain
RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury)
TMJ Syndrome
Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
Pain/discomfort related to Scoliosis and Scoliosis treatment
Stuttering
And cope with symptoms of conditions such as:
Parkinson’s Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Fibromyalgia
People often take lessons to help with the following activities:
Sitting at a desk/computer
Public speaking
Walking
Running
Acting
Singing
Dancing
Performing dental work or surgery
Playing a musical instrument
Working out
Playing sports
Doing detailed work with the hands (ranging from painting to dental cleanings)
Lifting and carrying
Holding a baby or child
Doing housework
