Bette Chamberlin

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does good posture vanish after we are 8 years old?

9/24/2019

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Posture is defined as” the carriage of the body as a whole”.  It is understood that good posture is preferable to bad posture; but what is good posture?  And how can it help to build more efficiency in workouts?

Good posture is often wrongly portrayed as a military stance – shoulders back, chest extended, knees locked, head thrown back. The reverse, which is shoulders forward, chest collapsed and head drooping forward is the opposite; also not good posture. 

​Either of these forms of standing, sitting or working out can cause strain, pain, discomfort and injury.

The downward pull of the later causes compression of all the joints and ligaments and forces groups of muscles to work too hard to stabilize our core.  When stiffening in order to “stand up straight” there is over stabilizing, our breathing is shallow, and our ability to release our muscles in movement is seriously hampered. 


So then, what is the starting point for good posture?

Ideally, all of the parts of the body work most efficiently when the spine lengthens and muscles contract and release during movement.  The root of the lengthening starts at the top of the spine where the head rests.  

​Given that the head weighs 12-15 pounds, it is key that this heavy, bony structure is balancing and poised on top of the spine and not pressing down, compressing the top of the spine - as well as the rest of the spine.  Using ourselves with a lengthened spine supports our body as a whole. 


To prevent compression, let the muscles of the neck be free and not engage muscularly during your workouts.  Try being aware of your neck muscles the next time you are lifting weights, biking, doing Pilates, yoga or any other activity that requires effort. 

If you find that you are tightening your neck, pause for a moment to ease, and then proceed letting your free neck allow the head to balance on top of your spine rather than pull down.  The muscles needed to move you through your exercises will kick in and not compete with your neck. 

This may take practice as our habits are deeply ingrained, but awareness of inefficient habits such as too much tension lets us move towards efficiency and strength.  A series of Alexander Technique lessons facilitates this process in a subtle yet profound way.

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July 31st, 2019

7/31/2019

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Hi Everyone – After a break, I’ve resurfaced  My back injury is healing slowly and I am excited to resume writing!  Hope you are all having a great hot summer.  Stay tuned for my next blog,  “Your Feet”

It is a brutally hot summer.  I can’t go out most days after 8:30am.

​If I think that I can dilly-dally and wait until 9:30 am, the temperature has already risen 5 to 10 degrees. I can’t. Heat is intrusive and  the brain and body resists  adapting to the onslaught.

Our weather is different now.  There has been a distinct  major upwards change in in temperature in the last 50 years.   Starting in 1895,  it looked like the earth was getting cooler and it did  until 1970. Then the  average temperature starting in each 5 year time frame was reduced from the period before. Not so starting in 1970. In 1970 we started to see more dramatic upticks in temperature.  Since then, there have been NO temperature changes down, only up.    (citation below).

Our bodies go through similar scales of change.

In general, we don’t  pay attention to the small progressive changes in our functioning when we are young because there are few major challenges that our young bodies cannot meet. 

As our years go by, and we grow older, managing adulthood and  the ensuing stress is more challenging.  And our  initial free wheeling upright posture, once so natural and poised  turns into more and more aches, pains and corresponding postural changes.  We really don’t notice. When so much tension is carried around for too long, bad habits can set in, making us wonder what is happening.  

If you believe  how you function and move is a given and that resulting suffering is inevitable, it is NOT. 

We can build an awareness of harmful habits, much like the awareness of recognizing troubling climate changes that now threaten to harm us.  Change is possible, but how do we do that?  I can help you to live with more ease and comfort using self-care tools you can use for the rest of your life.
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If you want to learn more about this process, book a lesson with me, either on Zoom or if you are in the NY/NJ area at my studio in Montclair, NJ.  Please use my contact form, tell me about yourself and leave your availability.  I will respond within 24 hours.

Citation:  NOAA National Centers for Environmental information, Climate at a Glance: Global Time Series, published July 2019, retrieved on July 29, 2019 from https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/









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How do you THINK about your “posture”?

7/9/2019

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When I was a young ballet dancer, people commented on how straight my posture was – no misappropriated curves in my spine (actually few curves altogether!), basically straight.  I would hear “you have such good posture”. I thought I did and so did they.

The reality is that none of the above mentioned qualities were examples of good posture – especially outside of the studio and stage. Dancers, musicians, singers, and athletes can all develop habits while pursuing their passion and unknowingly pile on interferences.  They may be in the form of stress both mental and physical and recruiting the wrong muscles for the job prohibiting the needed muscular effort elsewhere.

If interference persists, pain, ache, tightness and injury may be the result.  I was surely there 15 years ago.

We still talk about good posture as an important contributor to health and wellbeing.  What is less talked about, though, are the potential pitfalls of our belief around good posture.

Do  these statements ring true?
  1. Having good posture means a straight neck and spine.
  2. Having good posture means that you are “doing” something.
  3. Having good posture means that you are pulling up.
  4. Having good posture means that you are very relaxed.


If we take  statements 1, 2 and 3 as inaccurate, would the contrasting #4 be accurate?
The answer is a definite NO. Very relaxed is probably collapsed or  another form of compression.
So, how in the heck can we improve our posture if our potential ‘fixes’ are all counterproductive?

Exactly!

Most postural recommendations arise out of a sense of ‘doing’ something.  The problem is that when we try to correct our posture by physically doing it, we are accessing what we already know quite well – OUR HABITS.  Oh dear, we are often back to square one.
Posture, or how we move ourselves in our lives can be tricky.  Here are some common approaches. See if you can spot yourself.
  1. Stiffening or bracing. (Vertebrae are held in place with little flexibility. Movement restricted)
  2. Pulling down. (Vertebrae are compressing.  Movement restricted).
  3. Knowingly or unknowingly holding your breath to “keep everything together”.  Movement restricted because your diaphragm and ribs are not moving.
  4. Keeping your neck ‘straight’ and tall.  See # 1.

Here is what I know from years of training and teaching:
  • Good posture comes from a belief that our thinking can be a powerful conscious tool that can modulate the tone in our body. (BTW, we are doing that anyway- but it is unconscious).
  • We can modulate the tone in our body by understanding oppositions and by recognizing habits of tension that interfere with automatic uprightness.  Look to toddlers and animals for this!
  • Good posture includes an awareness of our pattern of breathing.  Do we breath shallowly, breath in and out with unnecessary tension, or barely at all?

If you want to find out more, book a lesson with me, either on Zoom or if you are in the NY/NJ area at my studio in Montclair, NJ.  Please use my contact form, tell me about yourself and leave your availability.  I will respond within 24 hours.

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including our design......

4/22/2019

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Think, Do not try.

3/24/2019

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​What happens if you want to break a habit that you know is not working for you anymore.

For example, if you want to modify your posture, do you try to change it?

If you are trying, how are you trying?  Which of the  the mechanisms, processes, and physical conditions are being addressed in order to 'try' harder'?

Could trying be filled with habit?  And tension?   You're back to where you started.

Another example could be trying to stop a reaction, like getting angry or defensive when someone says something about you that you don't like.  When trying, we only have what we already know.

This is the classic usage of trying - attempting to change a habit by replacing it with another one that looks a lot like the original! 

Why is that?  Habits can be cozy and familiar.  But what do we need if we want an alternative?

 What we don't already know. 

Now we're getting somewhere.

Those who play sports, performers who wish to increase their skill level or anyone seeking relief from back pain caused by poor posture needs to know the thing that is interfering with their goals.  Things like recruiting neck muscles to do the job that requires other muscles to engage but can't because neck tightening has taken over.

But don't judge them, have compassion for your newly discovered habit. Give it life - beware of aversion.  By accepting it, you can start to work with it.
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  •  Believe that we can't make these habits go away completely, but we can change our relationship to them.
  • We can change our relationship to them by changing our thoughts - directing  our body to move in the way we are designed - slowly developing awareness  of what we are actually doing in the moment.


Stay tuned!  Next week in Part 2, I'll recount the stories of students that I have worked with and how they have changed their relationship to their habits in a positive way.

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What is Occam’s razor? How can embracing it help our daily activities?

2/19/2019

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Whenever I hear ‘keep it simple’, I know that IT feels complicated, hence the reason for stripping away the extraneous stuff that is contributing to the complication, overwhelm, distraction, frustration, whatever you want to call it.

I have some feedback about this from my dance teachers who have named me overthinking, too scientific and complicated. I have no explanation for this except, being a professional ballet dancer instilled a drive for perfection, precision and flow, the three working cooperatively to create a pleasing aesthetic experience.

Yet, there were times when the simplest learning seemed to be the most difficult.   I soon learned that it seemed ‘easier’ to analyze the heck out of a few movements than to just do it and start the process in this fashion: Don’t complicate first, simplify. But why do we do the former?  That is why the Occam’s razor rule resonated so powerfully.  Here it is via Webster:

William of Occam (also spelled “Ockham”) didn’t invent the rule associated with his name. Others had espoused the “keep it simple” concept before that 14th-century philosopher and theologian embraced it, but no one wielded the principle (also known as the law of parsimony) as relentlessly as he did. He used it to counter what he considered the fuzzy logic of his theological contemporaries, and his applications of it inspired 19th-century Scottish philosopher Sir William Hamilton to link Occam with the idea of cutting away extraneous material, giving us the modern name for the principle.

In F. M. Alexander’s principles, Occam’s razor lives in the technique and offers a simple yet profound thinking process as a jumping off point.  It was after my training that I could see how simple and profound could share the same stage. Profound = all encompassing, complete.  Simple = free of secondary complications.

I remind myself and my students to embrace the simplicity of the words; ‘allow my neck to be free so that my head can release forward and up’  It is all that we need to become aware of more freedom.  Don’t try to feel it and check if it’s right, it is only the words that matter.

So the next time you you are stumped by a problem, either working out or seeking to figure out why your newly installed app is not working as expected, replace “why is this so difficult?” with ‘is there a simpler approach to solving this’?
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And while you’re at it think ‘allow my neck to be free so that my head can release forward and up’  Try it – you may find a freer posture AND a simple solution!

If you want to find out more, book a lesson with me, either on Zoom or if you are in the NY/NJ area at my studio in Montclair, NJ.  Please use my contact form, tell me about yourself and leave your availability.  I will respond within 24 hours.

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Being in the moment for a Happier new year

1/1/2019

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I’ve noticed that the whole world is embracing the tenets of “being in the moment”, including the NY Times. This week on page 3 appeared “Here to Help”, how to be more mindful on the go. This short article highlights pausing, leaving work at work and an exercise known as R.A.I.N. or Recognize, Accept, Investigate and Non-Identification. These’ exercises’ can be interchangeable with the powerful tools of the Alexander Technique, which I call on regularly to help my students look better, feel better and move better.  Here they are:

Recognize.  NY Times: “Acknowledge what is happening, just noting it in a calm accepting matter”. I call this awareness.  You may become aware of  tension/pain in your neck during your workout.  It is simply what is with no value judgement.

Accept.  NY Times: “Allow life to be just as it is without changing it right away and without wishing it were different somehow”. I call this pausing before taking action. In lessons, give yourself a moment to reconsider your next movement.

Investigate. NY Times: “See how it feels, whether it is making you upset or happy, giving you pleasure or pain, just note it”. I see this as part two of recognize and accept.

Non-Identification. NY Times: “Realize that the sensation you are feeling make for a fleeting experience, one that will soon pass. It isn’t who you are”. I call this realizing that we all have habits but they don’t have to define us.  It is possible to direct ourself away from them in a new efficient manner.  Think how can I use the muscles I really need to get in and out of my car?

The way we have been doing this for years feels right so why should we stop doing it this way?  Right is good  yes?  But familiar (or right feeling) is not necessarily efficient. 
As habits become more ingrained, we move farther away from freedom and ease.So, we may need someone to help us sort it all out. I can do that!

​If you want to find out more, book a lesson with me, either on Zoom or if you are in the NY/NJ area at my studio in Montclair, NJ.  Please use my contact form below, tell me about yourself and leave your availability.  I will respond within 24 hours.

  If you know others who may benefit from reading my blog, please forward.  
​

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The pause that refreshes’

11/8/2018

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To pause is not foreign to most of us.  The phrase “sleep on it” is a form of pausing. It means do nothing and be open until a later time. 

I first learned about this pause when as a child I was told by my mother to count to ten so as not to morph into a full blown temper tantrum.  As I remember, most of the time I counted to 10 as though it was part of the tantrum – not exactly the nervous system calming pause that Alexander indended! 

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When F.M. Alexander first ran into problems with his voice, he might have given up, thinking, as his doctors suggested, that he needed to stop speaking altogether to avoid hoarseness.  Instead, he observed himself speaking while surrounded by mirrors.  It wasn’t long before he discovered that just before he began to speak, he tipped his head back, causing a downward compression in his neck and the rest of his spine.

He learned that in stillness he could reorganize himself in a way that enabled expansion and spinal lengthening. While this was an important revelation, he could not stop his compressive habit after giving himself the cue to speak – an activity requiring movement that translated into a familiar, yet harmful response.

What followed was years of observation and frustration.  The key to his stopping his habit finally came in the form of ‘doing nothing’ which became a core principle of the Alexander Technique.  He called it inhibition, or more simply ‘to pause’.

When we ‘refresh’ our Inbox, we are inviting new email messages to appear.  Similarly, when we refresh our kinesthetic systems by pausing, we are doing the same thing – letting the old habits dissipate, leaving the door open for new messages to stimulate our nervous system.



But somehow the idea became imbedded into my unconscious and I referenced it during the first part of my training.  What I learned though, was that it is possible to pause and stiffen, tensing unnecessarily.

The pause that Alexander wrote about is different, it is the stopping of the energy going down the wrong pathways (as in compressing), requiring a form of ‘non doing’, or being quiet with oneself.

With that space opened up, something new can happen; something more expansive and in accordance with how we are anatomically designed to move.  The Alexander Technique is a rich source of self-care education combined with gentle touch designed to spot habits and to change our relationship to them.

The next time something or someone stimulates you to become anxious, angry or tense, pause, and release the grip of your neck muscles and notice what that does to your mood, your level of tension  and your breathing.

As we wish for more freedom, expansiveness, and lightness in our body, can pausing be the thing we need to do first?

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If you want to find out more, book a lesson with me, either on Zoom or if you are in the NY/NJ area at my studio in Montclair, NJ.  Please use my contact form below, tell me about yourself and leave your availability.  I will respond within 24 hours.

  If you know others who may benefit from reading my blog, please forward.  



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What does your body appreciate? Here are 3 important things.

10/30/2018

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First off - it passionately appreciates food, drink, activity and all manner of feel good emotions and sensations.  Right?

But here are 3 more things that your body really appreciates:



  1.  An appropriate level of tone to get the job done.  Think using your arms with less big muscle tension and more oppositions.
  2. An awareness of your interfering habits (Yes, we all have them!) Awareness = knowing what to modify.  I can help you become aware of what is inefficient and then modify it towards efficiency.
  3. Freer breathing which is facilitated by 1 and 2.

I remember how uncomfortable I felt nearly 16 years ago during my Alexander Technique training, being encouraged to adjust the level of tone in my body, even while walking across the floor. 

My habits were strong and automatic. 

It just didn't feel right to modify the thing that felt right, yet slowly the "new" wrong feeling became what felt right, because it was more easeful and coordinated.  That feeling helped me to consciously adopt a methodology for CHANGE.


If it were a formula, it might look like this:
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right feeling = wrong feeling
wrong feeling = pause and consider
pause and consider = awareness
awareness = possibility of a new feeling
a new feeling = the new efficient habit

Will the old habits go away completely?  Certainly not!  Yet, can our thinking activate more organization, strength AND ease whenever we choose?  Definitely.

As a ballet dancer, I wish I knew about this way back then.  Looking back I estimate that I was using at least 30% too much muscular tone in classes, rehearsals and performance.  I can see now that often, fear of losing my balance, forgetting the choreography, and holding my breath contributed greatly towards this 30% excess.

I can help you to create a new conscious tool that can make you feel better in ALL your activities.  

If you want to find out more, book a lesson with me, either on Zoom or if you are in the NY/NJ area at my studio in Montclair, NJ.  Please use my contact form, tell me about yourself and leave your availability.  I will respond within 24 hours.

  If you know others who may benefit from reading my blog, please forward.  

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Inspiration from a marathon runner mega star

9/18/2018

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Picture“I want to run with a relaxed mind.” Eliud Kipchoge

I love this guy!

​He is Eliud Kipchoge (El-ee-yood Kip-cho-gay). Eight straight marathons and Olympic gold are his.

He won the Berlin marathon on Saturday in a world record time of 2 hours, 1 minute, 39 seconds.  He is not far from an impossible sounding sub-2 hour marathon.

But it is his attitude around life that impresses, his disciplined, measured training and his intolerance for physical and emotional interferences that can easily highjack discipline.

For him, discipline is the premier reason he is successful. This is a familiar  training element with elite (and amateur) athletes, musicians, singers, and dancers, everywhere.  It is not about waiting to feel inspired to train, you just do it because it is the only way to get better.

But, here is the unique aspect of his discipline:

It is not about giving 100 per cent 100 per cent of the time.
 
“He estimates that he seldom pushes himself past 80% – 90 % tops – of his maximum effort when he circles the track for interval sessions, or when he embarks on a 25 mile run. Instead, he reserves the best of himself, all 100 per cent of Kipchoge, for race day – for the marathons he wins, for the records he chases”. (NY Times article 9/15/2018)

He goes into his marathons not overtrained, burned out or any version of doing too much.  He has measured out his considerable facility along the way with good health as a result.  He has never sustained a serious injury.

Of course I love this guy.  He already embodies the Alexander Technique principles of ‘knowing what you are doing while you are doing it’ and it’s not what you do but how you do it.   He’s not just working hard, he’s working smart. He is as energized by what he doesn’t do, as by what he does do.

Yet, he says “Only the disciplined ones in life are free.  If you are undisciplined you are a slave to your moods and passion”.  It’s just that his flavor of discipline includes a distilling down of all things unnecessary towards his goal.
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The work I do focuses on this element of tuning your body like a radio station dial to get the best reception, sound, volume and balance of bass and treble.  It’s a process of learning how your body works for you and noticing when it works against you and what to do about it.

If you want to find out more, book a lesson with me, either on Zoom or if you are in the NY/NJ area at my studio in Montclair, NJ.  Please use my contact form below tell me about yourself and leave your availability.  I will respond within 24 hours.
​
 If you know others who may benefit from reading my blog, please forward.  


"You are all trying to do something, and that something is your habit. All I want is to show you is a little bit of nothing".
Marjory Barstow, trained by F. M. Alexander

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Student Reflections



 I had no idea how profound this work would be! Of course most of it has to do with Bette’s expertise and innate sense of what I need. It was like magic – my head no longer felt heavy and my jaw, shoulders and neck were free of tension. Through common sense and subtle reminding without actually DOING, I have been able to address my unconscious habits which have freed my body and thus my emotional state considerably. I highly recommend this work for everyone who moves!
Susan Borofsky
Singer

 I
 had struggled with pain for a few years - rotator cuff disease, carpal tunnel in both hands, and pain in one of my legs that was sometimes so bad that I could barely walk. A friend whose daughter is an Alexander teacher had been urging me to go for a couple of years, but I resisted the idea until last December when physical therapy wasn't working and I thought I might need back surgery. I sent out some inquiries and Bette responded and even fit me in for a session just before the holidays. The results are way beyond expectations. My pain is so much better, I've been able to decrease the medication by over half, and I never have trouble walking. The sessions are enjoyable, and I always learn something. Bette is professional, kind, and has a great sense of humor. I'm only sorry it took me so long to get there!
​Phyllis Zoon, Pastor


It is really important to choose the right instruction tailored to your needs. Bette’s extensive movement background coupled with her acute sensitivity and gentle style put me at ease immediately. Starting off on that note allowed me to be the most receptive in getting a lot out of each session.
Terri Gelenian-Wood
Artist/Silversmith

 “I believe this work helps the nervous system to unload habitual patterns of movement and provides opportunities to discover new ones.” I leave sessions feeling significantly more relaxed. Sitting, standing and moving with less tension has great implications. Bette brings her knowledge, experience and insight to each session while making it a fun experience.
Rebekah Frome
Structural Integrationist

I’m a yoga teacher and I really thought I knew my body. But Bette was able to reveal more of me to myself. Alexander Technique is a great way to get to know your habits and your blindspots; I use the new awareness I learned from Bette every day!
Emma Magenta
Yoga Instructor/Acupuncturist

I finally learned what “stand up straight” and “sit up straight” means. Until I worked with Bette, I was completely confused about my posture – I didn’t know what to do with my neck, my shoulders, anything! And most importantly – I learned what I was doing that was the root cause of my excruciating neck pain — and I licked it. Before I met Bette, I was considering neck surgery – I just couldn’t take the constant pain from my herniated disks. After working with her for a few months the pain went away, and never came back.!
Judy Hoffstein
Consultant

 “I have become aware of how I “organize” my body through stillness and movement. I have begun to see that “organization” as something thru which I can move into towards greater support, freedom and less tension. Alexander work – a gentle and profound process has illuminated for me how we tend to rely upon habitual ways of bracing our bodies through life. I have come to see those patterns as a box. Alexander work presents a way out of the box.”
Jeanne Heinzer
Founder and President of Heinzer Consulting

 “Studying AT with Bette, I am no longer suffering from a repetitive strain injury (I can play the saxophone pain free again) and, wonder of wonders, the chronic pain that I’ve had for a number of years in my right hip has disappeared.”
Steven Hartman
Attorney/Saxophonist 


Lessons in the Alexander Technique made me conscious of how I was using my body.  It helped me understand how to do things in a more efficient way without hurting or exerting unnecessary muscles.
Carol Meiseles
Violinist/Teacher

My work with Bette began many weeks before my first lesson with her. I was suffering from back pain and was making some choices about my care, not sure which direction to turn.  I wanted to re-connect with Alexander Technique because I had studied it in my 20s and found it transformative.  

Knowing no one in the area (my teacher had been in New York City and moved away many years ago), I found her practice on the internet and phoned her. She was leaving her house, but arranged to call me back. She did so and her generosity was evident immediately as her thoughtful questions and conversation made me feel listened to and respected. She even emailed me pointers for “Constructive Rest” so that I could begin to get some of the AT benefits even before my first session. I thought, “Wow! She is helping me before any money has been paid. And she doesn’t know me!” If you’ve grown up in New York and New Jersey, you know how rare that is.  

She spoke with me a second time as well and she again gave me the benefit of her experience with some advice about movement/exercise. We also discussed some logistics about travel and cost (I do not have a car and was in a stressful place financially). Again, her thoughtfulness was so evident, that I made up my mind that she was the right teacher for me. I called to schedule an appointment within a few weeks.  

Bette’s studio is a light-filled, lovely space that makes one feel better just by being there. Her manner is respectful, warm and intelligent. I have a personal history that makes a sense of safety of key importance. I felt within one session that Bette was not only very skilled, but very safe as well. She also has a great sense of humor!  

I cannot say enough about Bette’s excellent work, her kindness and professionalism. I recommend her whole-heartedly as a teacher and as an individual.  
Douglas Oxenhorn,
Teacher

"Paying attention to how I hold my body and how I move helped me with my long hours of sitting in front of a computer.  The attention to form and alignment that I learned in my lessons also improved my yoga practice.  Practicing awareness of how I hold tension in my body and breath helped me manage my stress and anxiety better.

Bette is a wonderful teacher with great energy.  Alexander Technique is a subtle practice, and she does an excellent job tailoring the lesson to each student’s abilities and understanding.  She’s very positive and encouraging.  I always leave a session feeling better than when I got there."
Grace Dadoyan
IT Professional/Yoga Practitioner

What I love most in working with Bette is how she is able to show me through completely nonjudgmental observation, words, gentle and informed touch, where the strain is in my doing and what it feels like to enjoy the ease of doing.  For example, as she guided my walking, I learned immediately how I tighten and strain my neck muscles and what it feels like to just allow my head to rest easily on top of my spine, inviting delicious ease and alignment.   When Bette gets me on her table and rearranges my head, neck and limbs, it’s as if she has triggered a resetting of my muscle memory back to the carefree, limber, physically integrated child (or even baby) that I once was.
Wendy Dolber

Option Method Practitioner


What Health Professionals Say About The Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique remains the best of the self care strategies to prevent the sequel of poor posture and poor breathing.
Harold Wise, MD, PC New York, NY

The Alexander Technique stresses unification in an era of greater and greater medical specialization. Its educational system teaches people how to best use their bodies in ordinary action to avoid or reduce unnecessary stress and pain. It enables clients to get better faster and stay better longer. This is undoubtedly the best way to take care of the back and alleviate back pain.
Jack Stern, MD, PhD
Neurosurgical Group of Westchester White Plains, NY

I found the Technique to be so beneficial in my condition that I have been referring patients in certain situations for Alexander lessons over the last several years.
Howard L. Rosner, MD Director, Pain Management Service The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center New York, NY

Lessons in the Alexander Technique taught me how to sit in a state of lumbosacral poise, and my chronic low back pain gradually became cured. The Technique is true education. Compared to surgery (e.g., for low back pain or for chronic obstructive lung disease) a course of instruction is inexpensive.
John H.M. Austin, MD
Professor of Radiology; Chief, Division of Radiology Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center New York, NY

I think I have given my patients something almost as good as magic. I have taught them what to do and not do when their backs give them trouble, and how to reduce unnecessary stress and pain. As a result, they no longer have to feel afraid and helpless when back pain occurs. Many consider themselves cured because they have been able to return to an active, normal lifestyle.
Deborah Caplan, PT
certified Alexander Technique teacher
author of Back Trouble

Not only do I see the therapeutic benefits of this work with various patient problems, but it has helped me deal effectively with my own adverse muscular tension. I continue to experience a newfound freedom of movement in my own body that I believe is making me a more effective therapist.
Howard W. Makofsky, MS, OCS
Mastic Beach, NY

In addition to its physiologic and musculoskeletal benefits, the Alexander Technique is extremely helpful in relieving the psychological states of depression and anxiety that so often accompany chronic pain and disease. It is my belief, based on professional experience, that the Alexander Technique should be part of all preventative health and education programs. It is as basic as good nutrition.
Jill Sanders, DO
New York, NY

The Alexander Technique makes sense in that appropriate use of the body will lead to reduction of various musculoskeletal disorders and remediate others which are established. No equipment is needed, just the skill and training of the teacher. This technique is very worthwhile as a primary preventative therapy. It is especially useful when posture is a key factor in back injuries while lifting and for workers who perform repetitive tasks while sitting.
Robert D. Greene, MD
Emergency Department, Norwalk Hospital Norwalk, CT

I recommend people to the Alexander Technique who have not improved with traditional rehabilitative therapies. Part of their pain may be due to posture and the improper use of their bodies. Many people who have neck or back pain and have gone through heat, ultrasound and massage with no relief can be helped by learning the Alexander Technique. It definitely works. Nothing works for everyone, as one well-versed in using physical therapy and biofeedback, I know how valuable this technique is. I highly recommend it.
Barry M. Scheinfeld, MD
Specialist in Rehabilitation Medicine and Pain Management Community General Hospital, Harris, NY

The Alexander Technique has been very helpful in identifying the postural and breathing habits that contribute to my fatigue and muscle soreness. I found it a good value: cost effective, making me less dependent on chiropractors and more comfortable at work.
Douglas J. Bush, DMD
Chester, NJ

When, in spite of my instruction, a patient is having difficulty understanding how to make changes in habitual movement patterns or has a profession with particular physical demands, I typically suggest the Alexander Technique. I have found it very helpful for patients who have low body awareness or who have trouble relaxing. Improvement in these areas facilitates many physical therapy modalities, especially cervical spine joint mobilization.
Gail King, PT, MS
Backtec Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy New York, NY






The Complete Guide To The Alexander Technique: Medical And Scientific Endorsements and Research

This site contains case studies related to the Alexander Technique and Parkinson’s Disease, physical therapy and respiratory functioning.