science

The Alexander Technique is based on exceptionally sophisticated observation, not only by means of vision, but to a surprising extent by using the sense of touch. I noticed with growing amazement, very striking improvements in such diverse things as high blood pressure, breathing, depth of sleep, overall cheerfulness, mental alertness
Nikolaas Tinbergen MD, discussing the Alexander Technique in his Nobel Prize address

Mr. Alexander has done a service to the subject [of the study of reflex and voluntary movement] by insistently treating each act as involving the whole integrated individual, the whole psychophysical man. To take a step is an affair, not of this or that limb solely, but of the total neuromuscular activity of the moment, not least of the head and neck.
Sir Charles Sherrington MD, Nobel Prize for Medicine

Alexander developed a method to improve the use of the self, rather than the use of the body. He emphasised the inseparable unity of mind and body, often employing the term psychophysical instead of psychological or physical.

Science is founded on the Cartesian assumption that the mind is separate from the body. The sciences have generally become more reductionist over time, tending to treat the universe and the human being as a collection of parts which can be best understood when disassembled into smaller parts and studied in minute detail by specialists.

Many individual doctors and scientists who came to know Alexander's work were able to appreciate the significance of the integrated perspective to human health and happiness. However, the actual unity of mind and body is a bit of a blind spot for 20th century scientific categories, even though the Alexander Technique itself could be described as employing scientific method to study your self.


That said, modern medicine is slowly turning back towards a more complex, holistic approach and recently there have been some clinical studies seeking to quantify the benefits of this technique for people with chronic pain.

In 2008 the British Medical Journal published a study showing the Alexander Technique to be much more effective than massage or exercise in bringing about a lasting reduction in the severity of chronic and recurrent back pain. The really interesting bit is that the group of participants who had a course of 24 lessons were even better off after one year than after three months. This is because Alexander Technique is a skill - once learned, you develop it over time (whereas the benefits of a 'passive' treatment like massage tend to fade). Another group had a course of just six AT lessons and, in combination with exercise, registered about 70% of the improvement enjoyed by the other group. Read all about it here:

http://www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a884