Alexander Technique Courses and Fees:

Are You Paying by the Lesson or per Hour?
A Subtle but Important Difference

When you compare different Alexander teachers' fees, don't be confused by ”per hour“ quotes. You are really paying for the lesson, not for the time the lesson takes. A fee of £100 an hour would really no cheaper than £100 for a half-hour lesson. (Either way, you would be paying £100).

An Alexander lesson should be elastic. Whatever time it takes to do the job properly, that's how long it takes. Carrying on beyond that is a waste of time and attention for both pupil and teacher. It can even be counter-productive.

If you still think longer lessons would be better, read on. If you've got the point, skip to the next section.

Counter-productive? Yes. If you try to progress too far in one lesson, the feeling of strangeness that comes with getting used to your new way of moving becomes too strong (see debauched kinaesthesia). Too much strangeness is not just confusing: it's impossible to cope with. That's discouraging. Avoid it. (An Alexander teacher might say, jokingly, “you're done” or, “you're cooked”. You have taken it as far as you can for the moment. It's time to enjoy what you've achieved. Don't fry yourself trying for more.)

This is why I schedule half-hour lessons. That way, I can stop after half an hour if you're “done” and only take longer if that is to your advantage. Many of my pupils usually only need half an hour. When they do, that is what they get.

Number of Lessons

This is your choice. Nobody can make it for you. Each lesson is helpful in itself and it is up to you to take the process as far as you want. If, at a later date, you want to take it further, you can carry on from where you left off.

Frequency of Lessons

Frequency is vital. Have your lessons close together. You achieve much more that way. Once, or even twice, a week is just not good enough. It doesn't give you a proper chance.

Frequent lessons are so much better that I now insist on three a week. Just slightly better, if you can manage it, is to have them on consecutive days. Don't have more than one lesson a day unless you have money to burn. You need a night's sleep before you're ready for the next one.

Have them in batches of six lessons. (Maybe eight lessons if you're in a hurry).

Then take a 6-week break before having some more. That's better than having them all in one go. You will probably be impatient for your next lesson but, remember, patience is a virtue. Your new understanding will be more solid and mature. You will learn more from your next concentrated block of lessons.

“You still haven't told me how many lessons I need”.

How long is a piece of string? As long as this work is important to you, you will always learn more from more lessons. I recommend you have at least thirty. You can gain a lot from less, but you certainly couldn't claim to have “done” the Alexander Technique).

“What happens when I stop having lessons?” “Will I lose the benefit?” These worries are normal, but there's really nothing to worry about.

You have will been learning how to stop causing yourself trouble: how to drop the unhelpful effort you put into everything you do. That effort was getting in the way. That was the problem.

The Alexander Technique teaches you how to get out of your own way. Just continue to practice getting out of your own way. The less you rely on the wrong thing the more right thing will do itself. Guaranteed.

What you've learned, you've learned. It doesn't depend on never-ending input from a teacher. When you stop having lessons, keep applying what you've learned and you will continue to improve. More slowly maybe, but improve you will.

Some people end up having many, many lessons. That's good. There is always more to learn. There's always much more to learn. But you can't rush it. So don't let a course stretch on indefinitely. At some point, go away and enjoy the result.

You are not being banished. You can always go back and study more in the future — if you choose to.

Find a teacher — Suggestions for further reading.

Find a teacher — Suggestions for further reading.

• The Alexander Technique exists to solve a very particular problem. Though you cannot afford to ignore this problem, very few people even know about it. Why? Find out.
• Learn more about debauched kinaesthesia. (Very important)
• Investigate how the Alexander Technique works.
• Why don't the experts really understand breathing? Even the most brilliant minds are confused by their own debauched kinaesthesia. Here, you can find out how it's meant to work.
• The same goes for posture. Most postural correction programmes are a well-meaning mess.
• What happens in an Alexander lesson?

If you live in the UK, start here.
Otherwise, start here.

Come back soon and read some more.