A guide to directing your life

It is important and necessary for an individual to be aware of his/her own body, both physically and mentally. As a musician, I have been even more acute to this phenomenon. I first became aware of the Alexander Technique in 2003 when a friend (a fellow musician) recommended it to me. It is useful both for those with exisiting problems (such as tendonitis) and for those who simply wish to maximize the use of themselves--this inevitably helps music-making. I started taking Alexander Technique lessons and realized the importance of this new way of thinking: new ideas were presented as well as new insights into common occurrences in daily life.

I bought a copy of this book, "The Use of the Self," and would highly recommend it to those familiar with the technique and for those that are simply curious. Though one can always learn more through private lessons, this book is an inexpensive and valuable guide to starting the process of change. I would also recommend Alcantara's book, "Indirect Procedures."

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a genuine classic

Although Alexander's writing style is spectacularly convoluted by today's standards, anyone who patiently reads through this book will come to appreciate what a gem it is! With this work, Alexander presented an explicit technology by which you can gain access to your unconscious processes, and program them effectively. In one of the most important works of the twentieth century, Alexander here opens up the whole field of "learning how to learn", in an unprecedented way.



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