Alexander Technique: First Lesson

Perhaps its the advantage of the medium (video vs book) or perhaps Jane is just a particularly skilled educator. I think it is perhaps a mixture of the two as I do have other videos which I havent found anywhere near as useful as this.

I think Jane has gone as far as possible to explain the technique without actually being there in the room with you and being your teacher.

Many videos bypass this potentially difficult area and avoid the "how" bit and are really just introductions giving you enough detail to decide whether you want to contact a teacher - this is perfectly understandable given the nature of the subject but Jane has taken a risk here I think she has managed to achieve the very difficult balance between reaching a wide audience and the responsibility of an educator.

I cant recommend this enough.

I would add...

I feel this DVD is absolutely fantastic !!! If I could give 6 stars I would .

I can see why one reviewer said this DVD is worth many books - I am not saying I would give up my entire library of books for this one DVD, but it comes quite close !!

Jane's video is the nearest thing I have seen to something which could either reduce the number of lessons you require or perhaps help someone who has had lessons but has lapsed. Even if your teacher is fantastic I would still say Jane may have something for you here in this video.

I believe a total beginer should still seek 1-1 lessons ( at least 10 and preferably 30 or more ). If you live at the North Pole or something then perhaps you should proceed alone with the help of this DVD (be careful to really listen) but for anyone else I would say that an attempt at "self teach" even with this DVD is an unwise choice unless you really dont have an alternative. It took FM Alexander 9 years to work this all out for himself - a teacher can help you make the journey in weeks.


Not much content...   May 21, 2004
27 out of 49 found this review helpful

There's really not much in this DVD. It consists of two parts, a lesson in the basics of the Alexander Technique and a lesson concentrating on using the Alexander Technique to help with back problems.

There's a lot of talking and not a whole lot of doing on this DVD. Apparently this is part of the "Technique", but I found it boring. There is also a ton of overlap between the two parts...I found it slow even when I watched it in fast forward. I found the part where she corrects some student in his posture when he eats soup highly amusing, though. Who eats soup so often that it causes chronic back pain?

I know there's all this talk about how you can't learn the Alexander Technique by yourself and how you must go pay for expensive lessons. That has always sounded like a scam to me and I was hoping that this DVD would teach me the basics without having to plunk down the bucks for lessons...Perhaps it did, but if this DVD is what the Alexander Technique is all about, then there's not much there. I think I can sum it up in one sentence: "Keep your head balanced above your shoulders at all times."


Beautiful & Excellent   January 20, 2002
24 out of 25 found this review helpful

I am a computer person who is about to get disabled due to overworked muscles and bad postures. I tried accupuncture, medication, massage...etc. whatever I could think of, to ease the pain but nothing delievered satisfactory results. This DVD along with "Chi Self Massage" surpassed the all my expectations. The first time I tried the technique I instantly felt the difference and actually felt so much lighter in my neck area. I understand that this is not a quick fix and the technique should be treated and incorporated into your life more like a habbit. You should PRACTISE the theory and technique all the time. But I can guarantee you that you will love to remember what this DVD is teaching, because you feel great. I see myself walking better, sitting better and feeling better. It makes me feel more elegant and graceful too. Also I found myself thinking more positively when I carry my body in the right way. When I have my own kids, I will teach them this technique from early age, so that they can have better postures as a way of life. Thank you.


Simply the best intro to the Alexander Technique!   March 27, 2003
24 out of 26 found this review helpful

As an actor and singer, I've had several dozen Alexander Technique lessons over the years, and I learned more from this video than from all the lessons combined! I think a book is the poorest place to start, because you don't get any demonstration the way you do here.

The Alexander Technique is a way of life: to profit from it, you must add awareness of how you use your body to your daily routine. This is what an Alexander teacher will try to teach you in series of lessons. This video, however, makes it EASY to do so because of Jane Kosminsky's incredible explanations and the demonstrations.

As anyone who has had Alexander lessons knows, you may come into a lesson feeling like you were just run over by a truck, and emerge from the lesson feeling weightless, floating instead of walking. A great way to feel, but oh, how elusive!! One difficulty I had as a student was how to get that "just out of an Alexander lesson" feeling without having to go to a lesson. I think this video will help someone accomplish that, particularly with the "self lesson," which no Alexander teacher ever showed me.

I too would love to see a sequel to this video! It deserves way more than the 5 stars I'm giving it!!


Helpful with neck and back pain...   November 8, 2002
C. Estelle (Mesa, Arizona United States)
21 out of 24 found this review helpful

I have suffered with neck and back pain for a few years. Before my injury my posture was outstanding. I developed a slouch after I was injured because I got used to resting the weight of my upper body on my leaning elbows because the pressure of being upright hurt so badly. Now that a few years have passed and my back and neck muscles have become stronger, I have retained the habit of slouching. I decided to see if this would relieve some of the additional pain I felt. The technique is quite easy to master but the difficulty lies in breaking old habits like slouching. It really helped me a lot, especially with the neck pain. I would recommend this for anyone suffering medium to mild back pain. If your pain is so severe you have trouble with everyday tasks or functioning I highly recommend the "The Back Pain Book", get an electric massager with a long enough handle to massage the muscle spasms away and also floating in a swimming pool (get a cheap membership at the YMCA!) will relieve the pressure causing the pain. Other items I found helpful in my recovery are "The Back Pain Book: A Self-Help Guide for Daily Relief of Neck & Back Pain"
by Mike Hage, Robert G. Addison, "AM Yoga" with Rodney Yee and "Stress Relief Yoga" with Suzanne Deason.