In recent years there have been dramatic development in the art of Alexander Technique directing. Negative (sometimes called Inhibitory) Alexander Technique directions, first explicitly described by Alexander Technique teacher Missy Vineyard in her 1997 book How you Stand, How you Move, How you Live, have a number of advantages over their traditional counterparts and are becoming increasingly popular with Alexander Technique teachers and students. Freedom Directions, pioneered by Jennifer Roig Francoli have been shown to have all the advantages of Negative Directions without the barriers that the term “negative” has for some teachers and students. Most recently, John Macy has discovered, or perhaps re-discovered, an aspect of directing which based on a careful reading of F. Matthias Alexander’s books, and Pedro de Alcantara has developed what can be called “Neutral Directions” in conjunction with his concept of the “simplified spine”. The first interview below deals not with with the content of directions, but with effective ways to use them for yourself.
I just wanted to thank you (again!) for your Body Learning podcasts! Yesterday, in my Eastman School of Music Alexander Technique class we were talking about Alexander Technique directing and I was so glad to offer many ways to think about Direction! Classic, Negative, Freedom, Neutral (Simplified Skeleton), and Gravity/Support. – Katie Fittipaldi, Alexander Technique teacher in Rochester, New York
Effective ways to use Alexander Technique Directions
(Although primarily for Alexander Technique teachers and students, this podcast can potentially be useful for anyone.) Robert Rickover, an Alexander Technique teacher in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada talks with Mark Josefsberg about the importance of how you use Alexander Technique directions as you go through life. Robert’s website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. Mark teaches in New York City Website: markjosefsberg.com More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
A Brief History of Alexander Technique Directions
(Although primarily for Alexander Technique teachers and students, this podcast can potentially be useful for anyone.) Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Deleware, talks with Robert Rickover about the evolution of Alexander Technique directions over the years. Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto Canada. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
Neuroscience and the Alexander Technique
Robert Rickover, an Alexander Technique teacher in Omaha, Nebraska, interviews Tim Cacciatore, Phd, an Alexander Technique teacher and neuroscientist living in England, about what neuroscience can say about the effective use of Alexander Technique directions. Robert’s website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com More information about Tim’s work, and online classes, can be found at AlexanderTechniqueScience.com More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com
Original video version: youtube.com/watch?v=qUiF5v3dVa0
A simple Alexander Technique self-direction that can change your life
Robert Rickover and Imogen Ragone discuss a simple and powerful new Alexander Technique self-direction with far-reaching implications for all facets of your life. Imogen teaches in Wilmington, Delaware. Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com You can learn more about Alexander Technique directions in general here: BodyLearningCast.com/teachers. More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com Other related videos: A Simple and Practical way to Explore and Use Alexander Technique Inhibition – youtu.be/a-XOiSmu42A A Brief History of Alexander Technique Directions (from 2015) – bodylearning.buzzsprout.com/382/271700-a-brief-history-of-alexander-technique-directions Effective ways to use Alexander Technique Directions – bodylearning.buzzsprout.com/382/136406-effective-ways-to-use-alexander-technique-directions
Mind Your Mind puts this direction in a broader context: bodylearningblog.com/mind-your-mind/
A Simple Alexander Technique Self-Direction That Can Change Your Life – Part 2
Robert Rickover and Imogen Ragone return to an earlier discussion about an Alexander Technique self-direction in order to address a question about it’s usefulness when you want to let your mid be free. Imogen teaches in Wilmington, Delaware. Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com You can learn more about Alexander Technique directions in general here: BodyLearningCast.com/teachers/directions . More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com Other related videos: A Simple and Practical way to Explore and Use Alexander Technique Inhibition – youtu.be/a-XOiSmu42A A Brief History of Alexander Technique Directions (from 2015) – bodylearning.buzzsprout.com/382/271700-a-brief-history-of-alexander-technique-directions Effective ways to use Alexander Technique Directions – bodylearning.buzzsprout.com/382/136406-effective-ways-to-use-alexander-technique-directions
A Danger of effectve Alexander Technique Directing
(Although primarily for Alexander Technique teachers and students, this podcast can potentially be useful for anyone.) Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Deleware, talks with Robert Rickover about a challenge that can arise when a student or teacher makes a positive change using Alexander Technique directions. Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto Canada. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
Can Self Awareness be a Hindrance to effective Self Directing?
(This podcast is primarily for Alexander Technique teachers and students.) Robert Rickover talks with Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, about the possibility that self awareness can, paradoxically, actually get in the way of effective self-direction. Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska and Toronto Canada. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Both Imogen and Robert also teach online. More information about self-directing: BodyLearningCast.com/teachers/directions More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com
The original video of this conversation: https://youtu.be/cB_lFEJoRdc
General Eisenhower, D-Day and a basic principle of the Alexander Technique
Robert Rickover talks with Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, about an crucial event in World War 2 and how it illustrates a fundamental Alexander Technique principle. Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska and Toronto Canada. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Both Imogen and Robert also teach online. More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com
Some Basic Problems with Traditional Alexander Technique Directions
(Although primarily for Alexander Technique teachers and students, this podcast can potentially be useful for anyone.) Richard Brennan, an Alexander Technique teacher and training course direction in Galway, Ireland, talks with Robert Rickover about the wider implications of a moment in time in November, 1946 at Asley Place when Alexander announced a major change in what he felt were approriate Alexander directions. Richard’s website: alexander.ie Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto Canada. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
Refining your ability to use Alexander Technique Directions Effectively
Robert Rickover, an Alexander Technique teacher in Lincoln, Nebraska talks with Eileen Troberman about a challenge to effective self directing, and how to overcome it. Robert’s website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Eileen is an Alexander Technique teacher in the San Diego, California area. Eileen’s website: AlexanderTechniqueSanDiego.com More information about the Alexander Technique:AlexanderTechnique.com
The Power of Paradoxical Alexander Technique Directions
Robert Rickover talks with Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, about the effectiveness of Paradoxical Directions, and what that effectiveness says about the nature of our design. (This podcast is the audio portion of a video – youtu.be/1-icCAJzxwg – and you might find it useful to view it as well.) Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto Canada. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com You can learn more about Alexander Technique directions in general here: BodyLearningCast.com/teachers/directions More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at posturepage.com/support
Alexander Technique Directions, Inhibition and a new way of thinking about Body Wisdom
(This podcast is primarily for Alexander Technique teachers, trainees and students.) Robert Rickover talks with Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, about the implications of Inhibition, Alexander Technique directions for our understanding of our innate Body Wisdom. More information about Alexander Technique directions: bodylearningcast.com/teachers/directions Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska and Toronto Canada. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at posturepage.com/support Original video version of this conversation: https://youtu.be/5aHNESdviiA
The Power of Doing (Almost) Nothing
(Although primarily for Alexander Technique teachers and students, this podcast can potentially be useful for anyone.) Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Deleware, talks with Robert Rickover about the importance of making as little effort as possible when using Alexander Technique directions. Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto Canada. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
An interesting new development in Alexander Technique directing
(Although primarily for Alexander Technique teachers and students, this podcast can potentially be useful for anyone.) Jennifer Roig-Francoli, an Alexander Technique teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio talks with Robert Rickover about a discovery she’s made about Alexander Technique directing – one that might be a useful alternative to, or even a replacement for, Alexander Technique negative directions. Jennifer’s website: ArtofFreedom.me Robert’s website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about negative directions: upwithgravity.net/negative-directions More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com.
An interesting new development in Alexander Technique directing – Part 2
(Although primarily for Alexander Technique teachers and students, this podcast can potentially be useful for anyone.) Jennifer Roig-Francoli, an Alexander Technique teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio talks again with Robert Rickover about Freedom Directions and how they relate to F M Alexander’s concept of inhibition and to the fundamental idea he expressses at the beginning of his first book. Jennifer’s website: ArtofFreedom.me Robert’s website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about negative directions: upwithgravity.net/negative-directions More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com.
An incredibly simple way to move with greater ease and less tension
Robert Rickover talks with Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, about a simple and effective way to stand, sit and move with greater ease and less harmful tension. Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska and Toronto Canada. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at posturepage.com/support
Original video version of this conversation: https://youtu.be/K7btT2rkang
Alexander Technique and Choice – A Simple and Powerful Demonstration
(This podcast is primarily for Alexander Technique teachers, trainees and students.) Robert Rickover talks with Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, about a simple way of demonstrating the power of choice. More information about Alexander Technique directions: BodyLearningCast.com/teachers/directions Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska and Toronto Canada. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at PosturePage.com/support
Watch the original video version of this conversation here: https://youtu.be/cyh-JWaqrgk
Free and Easy Alexander Technique Directions
Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Deleware, talks with Robert Rickover about the power of “Free and Easy” directions that combine Freedom Directions with Mio Morales’ “noticing ease” process. Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto Canada. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com More information about the history of Alexander Directions, how to direct, and new developments in self-directing can be found here: BodyLearningCast.com/teachers/directions More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
Why do we Need to use Alexander Technique Self-Directions to Bring About a Useful Change?
Imogen Ragone and Robert Rickover discuss this question and provide some possible explanations. Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com More information about Constructive Rest: AlexanderTechnique.com/ConstructiveRest More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com
Living with Ease at the Center of the Universe
Jennifer Roig-Francoli, an Alexander Technique teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio talks with Robert Rickover about a process that she has been using – “Center of the Universe” – that has helped her students in very simple and practical ways and which anyone can use. Jennifer’s website: ArtOfFreedom.me Robert’s website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
The power of Alexander Technique Freedom Directions
Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, talks with Robert Robert Rickover about the usefulness of Alexander Technique freedom directions for teachers and students. Freedom Directions were developed by Jennifer Roig Francoli. Jennifer’s website: ArtOfFreedom.me Imogen’s website: imogenragone.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
Combining Alexander Technique Freedom Directions and Up With GravitySM
Robert Rickover, an Alexander Technique teacher in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto Canada, talks with Imogen Ragone about the ways he uses Freedom Directions in combination with the Up With GravitySM process. Robert’s website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com More information about Up With GravitySM: UpWithGravity.net More information about Freedom Directions: ArtOfFreedom.me Additional podcasts about Freedom Directions: BodyLearningCast.com/teachers/directions More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
A new approach to Alexander Technique direction and inhibition
(This podcast is primarily for Alexander Technique teachers and students.) John Macy, a physical therapist and Alexander Technique teacher in Omaha, Nebraska talks with Robert Rickover about an interesting new discovery relating to directing and inhibiting – a discovery which you can easily experiment with for yourself – that he made after carefully reading F. Matthias Alexander’s four books. John’s website: alexandertechniqueomaha.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
The origins and use of Neutral Directions
(This podcast is primarily for Alexander Technique teachers and students.) Mastaneh Nazarian, an Alexander Technique teacher in Melbourne, Australia talks with Robert Rickover about her experiences using “Neutral Directions” which are based on Pedro de Alcantara’s “Simplified Skeleton” concept. Mastaneh’s website: rediscoverease.com Robert’s website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
Gravity Support and Freedom – and the Alexander Technique – 8
Robert Rickover, an Alexander Technique teacher in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto Canada, talks with Imogen Ragone about the extraordinary weakness – and imporance – of gravity – compared with the other fundamental forces of the universe – and how that may explain the power of Alexander Technique directions. Robert’s website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Imogen teaches in Wilmington, Delaware. Website: ImogenRagone.com Up With GravitySM information: UpWithGravity.net The complete podcast series: BodyLearningCast.com/gravitysupportfreedom More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
The Simplified Skeleton
Pedro de Alcantara, an Alexander Technique teacher in Paris, France, talks with Robert Rickover about his concept, the “Simplified Skeleton”, the basis of what have come to be called “Neutral Directions”. Pedro’s website: pedrodealcantara.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com.
The Advantages of Negative Alexander Technique Directions
Amy Ward Brimmer, an Alexander Technique teacher in Yardley and Philadelphia, Pennsyvania talks with Robert Robert Rickover about the usefulness of negative directions for teachers and students. Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
More on the advantages of Negative Alexander Technique Directions
Amy Ward Brimmer, an Alexander Technique teacher in Yardley and Philadelphia, Pennsyvania again talks with Robert Robert Rickover about her experiences with negative directions and about their usefulness for teachers and students. Amy’s website: wayopenscenter.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
Using Negative Alexander Technique Directions
Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, talks with Robert Robert Rickover about the usefulness of negative directions for teachers and students. Imogen’s website: imogenragone.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
Surprising new uses for Alexander Technique negative directions
Robert Rickover, an Alexander Technique teacher in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada talks with Amy Ward Brimmer about some surprising new uses for negative directions. Robert’s website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. Amy teaches in Yardley and Philadelphia, Pennsyvania. Amy’s website: wayopenscenter.com More information about negative directions: upwithgravity.net/negative-directions More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
Simplifying the combination of Up With GravitySM with Alexander Technique Negative Directions
John Macy, an Alexander Technique teacher and physical therapist in Omaha, Nebraska, talks with Robert Rickover about ways to make the combined use of the Up With GravitySM process and negative Alexnder Technique directions easier and more effective. John’s website: alexandertechniqueomaha John is the owner of The Workout Omaha Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
Taking Negative Alexander Technique Directions in new Directions
Patrick Smith, a guitarist and long-time Alexander Technique student in the Washington, DC area, talks with Robert Rickover about his experiences in applying negative directions in areas not usually associated with the Technique. Patrick’s Alexander Technique teacher is David Jernigan. David’s website: djernigan.com Patrick’s website: PatrickSmithMusic.com Patrick’s blog, in which he regularly writes about his Alexander Technique experiences: ajourneymanswayhome.blogspot.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
How to use the Alexander Technique Constructive Rest position as a laboratory for experimenting with ways to improve your functioning – Part 1
Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, talks with Robert Rickover about how the constructive rest position an be used as a platform for experimenting with Alexander Technique negative Alexander Technique directions Parts 2 and 3 will include a disscussion about using the Up With GravitySM process during constructive rest. Imogen’s website: imogenragone.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com More information about Constructive Rest: alexandertechnique.com/constructiverest More information about Up With GravitySM can be found here: UpWithGravity.net More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
How to use the Alexander Technique Constructive Rest position as a laboratory for experimenting with ways to improve your functioning – Part 2
Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, talks with Robert Rickover about how the constructive rest position an be used as a platform for experimenting with the Up With GravitySM process. Imogen’s website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support
How to use the Alexander Technique Constructive Rest position as a laboratory for experimenting with ways to improve your functioning – Part 3
Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, talks about how the constructive rest position an be used as a platform for experimenting with negative Alexnder Technique directions and Up With GravitySM while moving parts of your body. Imogen’s website:ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Lincoln, Nebraska and Toronto, Canada. Website: alexandertechniquenebraska.com. More information about the Alexander Technique: alexandertechnique.com You can learn how to support this and other Alexander Technique websites at AlexTechExpress.com/support