F.M. Alexander (1869-1955)

Frederick Matthias Alexander developed his Technique when his career as a Shakespearian reciter was threatened by a stress related, frequent loss of voice when performing. His doctor could not find a reason for the hoarseness and so Alexander realised that is must be something that he was doing to himself that was causing the problem.

Therefore, Alexander set about observing himself through the use of mirrors. He discovered that when he starting performing, he had strong habitual tendencies that included tightening his neck which led to a pulling back of his head, gasping in the air and shortening his stature. These habits became more apparent when Alexander tried to recite more difficult passages, and he realised that it was this 'startle pattern' that was causing his loss of voice.

After years of painstaking study, Alexander developed a Technique which enabled him to free himself from his habitual constrictions. He realised that these habitual tension patterns were a universal problem and were likely to lead to various health problems. After successfully teaching fellow performers and 'incurables' sent to him by local doctors, Alexander set up a school in 1931 to train others to teach his Technique and it is still helping people today.