Our Tent is Large and All are Welcome
The 12th Alexander Technique International Congress this past August in Berlin was a wonderful congress. Attended by over 560 Alexander Teachers from 34 different countries, it was a truly global event! The work of Andreas Dirscherl and Rossella Buono, along with Bob Britton was outstanding. Plus, a great support team made the whole event run smoothly.
We look forward to the 13th International Congress, August 3rd to 9th, 2025 – at University College Dublin. The Congress Directors are Michaela Wohlgemuth (Ireland), Kamal Thapen (England), and myself, Michael Frederick (U.S.A.). We are thrilled to be the Directors and are already working to create a unique, inspirational, and fun event!
This Congress will open its doors for the first time to the public!
A brief overview of what will be presented at the 2025 Dublin Congress…
Performance – Science – Education
We will highlight innovative Keynote Speakers, exciting Plenary Sessions, and engaging Workshops to support each of these primary points.
Performance – this work started with an actor discovering the principles that became known as the Alexander Technique. Understanding how ‘Use Affects Functioning’ is key for all performers.
Science – contemporary science continues to deepen our understanding of Alexander’s genius. You’ll gain insights that will help you teach the Alexander principles that are relevant today.
Education – we will explore the way Alexander’s work helps accelerate and enrich the process of learning. Seeing that psycho-physical re-education is essential for balanced learning.
Trauma and the Importance of the Alexander Technique
The brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. – Exploring the relevancy of the Alexander Technique as a ‘complimentary support’ in people’s healing process. It is highly undervalued. This is an extremely important topic for the world we all live in today.
We are not licensed therapists; we are teachers of a ‘learning method’ where students recognize tension and stress patterns that interfere with their balance and coordination. However, this psychophysical shift has important implications for good health and therapeutic well-being.
Earning Your Living as an Alexander Technique Teacher
(Exploring the Difference between Vocation and Avocation)
Why is it that so many Alexander teachers have a hard time earning their living? Especially since just about everyone you meet would benefit from studying this work. We will take a hard look at the patterns that limit us from earning our living and how to change them. We need to value our work, and this starts with valuing ourselves as teachers. Being able to “earn your living” as an Alexander Technique Teacher is a skill that is well within your ability to learn and implement.
The Alexander Technique as Western Zen – A Transformational Approach
The theatre director Peter Brook, author of the seminal book, The Empty Space, talked about the space between two silences.
“…there are two ends of the pole of silence. There is a dead silence, the silence of the dead, which doesn’t help any of us, and…there is the other silence, which is the supreme moment of communication–the moment when people, normally divided from one another by every sort of natural human barrier, suddenly find themselves truly together… In between the two silences…are the…areas where all the questions arise.”
The core principle of the Alexander Technique is conscious inhibition…creating a space between ‘stimulus and response.’ By allowing this space between this reactional pattern, we move into a different world of awareness.
I need to see that what is lacking is a connection with my body. Without a connection, I am caught in thoughts or changing emotions that give way to fantasy.” – Jeanne de Salzmann
This is “just a taste” of what will be offered at the 13th International Congress in the first week of August 2025… More announcements to come!