Mouritz

"Embodying Prayer – Exploring Franciscan Spirituality With the Alexander Technique"
by Jennifer Fox Eades.
Paperback. 103 pages.
Published: 1 September 2024 by Christian Alternative Books (UK).
In Bibliography: https://mouritz.org/bibliography/listing

New article in the Poise journal:
"Working on Yourself" by Ruth Rootberg.
18 pages. PDF.

Abstract: There is value and even necessity in students of the Alexander Technique working on themselves. Various terms are used to describe such work, and Alexander Technique teachers understand the work in different ways. Some consider the work the application of Alexander’s principles and concepts at any moment in life. Others take time out of their day to improve their use. This article discusses these variations. Other topics include the purpose and benefit of working; characteristics of students that predispose them to easily working on themselves; the optimal time to begin self-work during a course of hands-on instruction; examples of ways people work on themselves; and responsibilities of teachers and training directors to instill a value of working on the self in students and trainees.

https://mouritz.org/journal/articles/POI024JE1.15

Congratulations to Ruth Rootberg who has been awarded 1st prize in the annual Mouritz Award for Writing on the Alexander Technique for her article "Working on Yourself". It is published in the Poise Journal.
https://mouritz.org/journal/articles/POI024JE1.15
https://mouritz.org/more/Mouritz-Award
https://mouritz.org/journal/issues/21080

Picture credit: © Clive J. Mealey.

"The Alexander Technique: A Personal and Critical Guide for Practitioners, Students and Performance Artists"
by Peter Ribeaux.
Hardback. Paperback. 224 pages.
Published: 22 August 2024 by Methuen Drama (UK).
In Bibliography: https://mouritz.org/bibliography/listing

New article in the Poise journal:
"Virginia and Leonard Woolf's lessons with F. M. Alexander" by Regina Stratil.
17 pages. PDF. 2024.
https://mouritz.org/journal/articles/POI024JE1.14
Overview of articles in Poise 2024 issue:
https://mouritz.org/journal/issues/21118

Last week I posted in the FB group "Alexander Technique Forum" a word of caution regarding several new AI-generated books on the Alexander Technique which have appeared on Amazon. Self-published, print-on-demand, by an "author" who cannot be identified, and who has typically published many books on different therapies, treatments and bodywork in a short time span.

They all consist of the most bland, superficial statements, frequently promising all sorts of benefits. They typically have very short, generic descriptions of the Alexander Technique. You can read reviews of them in the Mouritz bibliography (https://mouritz.org/bibliography/listing).

However, there is a new AI-generated book on the Technique, which is different. It contains more detailed information and the reason for this is that it is plagiarising AT teachers, probably using an AI summariser generator. I identified three teachers who have been plagiarised and the sources of plagiarism, but there be may more. For example, in one chapter it summarises Pedro de Alcantara’s example of two cello players from his website (without acknowledgement, credit or reference).

For details, see the "Mouritz Description" for the book by "Dani Twain" here: https://mouritz.org/bibliography/item/21182

New article in the Poise journal:
Book review by Jean M. O. Fischer of
"Marjorie Barstow and the Alexander Technique" by Amanda Cole.
13 pages. PDF. 2024.
https://mouritz.org/journal/articles/POI024JE1.12
Overview of articles in Poise 2024 issue:
https://mouritz.org/journal/issues/21118

Free new PDF book

"Reflections of the Alexander Technique" by Joe Armstrong

Armstrong’s memoirs and thoughts on fifty years of living with and teaching the Alexander Technique.

298 pages. PDF (3.1 MB). 2024.

Available to download from the Mouritz Library > Articles.

https://mouritz.org/library/articles/listing

Details of contents in the Mouritz Bibliography.

https://mouritz.org/bibliography/item/21183

A new item in the Mouritz Library:
“Gurney MacInnes Marginalia to The Use of the Self" edited and introduced by Tomonori Ikeda.
27 pages.
Gurney MacInnes trained as a teacher of the Alexander Technique 1931–34 with F. M. Alexander. MacInness made pencil notes in his copy of the first edition of "The Use of the Self" (1931) over several years. His notes have been transcribed and the text he commented upon is reproduced. His notes contain his thoughts, observations, and critiques.

https://mouritz.org/library/articles/listing

New article in the Poise journal:
Book review by Marcus James of
"Exploring the Alexander Technique with Walter Carrington: Lessons and Games" by Seán Carey.
Link in comments.

New article in the Poise journal:

"Gaslighted: The experiences of Robert D. Best, an Ashley Place pupil"
by Jean M. O. Fischer

Abstract: Robert D. Best had lessons with F. M. Alexander, starting in 1929 and continuing through the 1930s. Unhappy with Alexander’s method of presenting and teaching his technique, he drafted notes for a critique in 1941. Best’s unpublished manuscript raises a number of issues. Some are only sketched out. But covered in some detail – and highlighted in this article – are two issues: mirror work and the experience of being ‘gaslighted” (in this context meaning a pupil having any observations or questions being dismissed by the blanket explanation that a pupil’s sensory appreciation is unreliable). Also included are a summary of other issues raised and an overview of the responses Best received from a number of teachers and pupils to his initial draft. Best’s dissatisfaction with Alexander’s approach highlights some of the complexities involved in teaching, among them the role of feelings and the importance of pupil feedback.

Links in comments.

New article in the Poise journal:

"Manner and Conditions of Use - A crucial distinction in teaching the Alexander Technique and Alexander teacher training" by Joe Armstrong. (11 pages.)

First published in 2003 this article is published in the ‘Reprints’ series. Also included are four responses.

https://mouritz.org/journal/articles/POI024JE1.05

Sale 25 February – 2 March
30%–50% off selected books
Among the titles for sale are:
"Teaching by Hand, Learning by Heart" by Bruce Fertman – €12.00 (was €22.00)
"F. M. The Life of Frederick Matthias Alexander" by Michael Bloch – Hardback (slightly damaged) – €10.00 (was €22.00)†
"A Means to an End" edited by J. M. O. Fischer – €15.00 (was €28.00)
"An Examined Life" – Hardback (slightly damaged) – 2002 edition – €10.00 (was €25.00)†
"Directed Activities" by Gerard Grennell (slightly damaged) – €10.00 (was €25.00)
Direction Journal Vol. 1 No. 8 "Musicians and Music" – €3.00 (was €5.00)
"Explaining the Alexander Technique" by Walter Carrington and Seán Carey – €7.50 (was €15.00)
"Personally Speaking" by Walter Carrington and Seán Carey – €7.50 (was €15.00)
"Forward and Away" by Elisabeth Walker – €12.00 (was €23.00)
"The Expanding Self" by Goddard Binkley – €8.75 (was €16.75)
Link to the sales items in the comments below.
†: there is a limited supply available.

Dart Procedures Poster.
This is a new print of the original Dart procedures poster made by the Alexander Teachers Associates (Old Street, London) around 1980.
A1 poster printed on 250 gsm heavy paper, matt.
See comments for links to the online shop.

Selected, edited and enlarged anatomy pictures from the Grundy book, "Human Structure and Shape".
7 high-quality, full colour A2 posters printed on 300 gsm heavy paper, matt.
Link to the shop in the comments below.

Poise Journal Vol. 2 (2024). Edited by David Gibbens.

New articles in the Poise journal:

"Editorial" by David Gibbens.

"A 1927 letter by F. M. Alexander in ‘The Brooklyn Citizen’"
by Jean M. O. Fischer.
This article discusses a recently-discovered letter by F. M. Alexander, originally published in 1927 in "The Brooklyn Citizen".

"Gerald Stanley Lee, Jennette Lee, and their balance-coordination method" by Jean M. O. Fischer.
This article discusses the ideas and practices of Gerald Stanley Lee and those of his wife Jennette Lee, mainly in the 1920s and 1930s. Originally inspired by lessons with F. M. Alexander, the Lees went on to develop their own ‘balance-coordination method’, which discarded many of Alexander’s tenets and introduced new ideas.

https://mouritz.org/journal/issues/21118

Exploring the Alexander Technique with Walter Carrington
by Seán Carey
Hardback. 338 pages.
Published: 5 November 2023 by HITE (UK).
In Bibliography: https://mouritz.org/bibliography/listing

Man’s Supreme Inheritance (White edition)
Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual (White edition)
Published: 5 November 2023 by Mouritz.
Paperbacks. 264 pages. 258 pages.
In Shop: https://mouritz.org/shop/
In Bibliography: https://mouritz.org/bibliography/listing
These are new white editions. For details of the new editions and the difference between the "white-coloured" and the "cream-coloured" editions see https://mouritz.org/news/story/new-white-editions-of-alexanders-books

New article in the Poise journal:
"Postures and Positionings – The Alexander Technique versus posture and positions" by Jean M. O. Fischer.
F. M. Alexander’s novel approach to the topics of posture and positions are set out and reviewed, and then compared and contrasted with various approaches to posture during his lifetime and later. The drawbacks of a posture approach to human health and well-being as well as the advantages of Alexander’s approach are summarised. PDF (16 pages) here:
https://mouritz.org/journal/articles/POI023JE1.05

Articles and Lectures (White edition)
The Universal Constant in Living (White edition)
Published: 25 October 2023 by Mouritz.
Paperbacks. 298 pages. 255 pages.
In Shop: https://mouritz.org/shop/
In Bibliography: https://mouritz.org/bibliography/listing
These are new white editions. For details of the new editions and the difference between the "white-coloured" and the "cream-coloured" editions see https://mouritz.org/news/story/new-white-editions-of-alexanders-books

Lighten Up
by Mark Josefsberg
Paperback. 73 pages.
Published: 13 September 2023 by Bookbaby (USA).
In Bibliography: https://mouritz.org/bibliography/listing

STAT is having a book sale. 50% off many books. See their website for details: https://alexandertechnique.co.uk/no-section/publications-book-sale

New article in the Poise journal: "Tabla Talk - The Use of the Self (Chapter 1) reimagined through the lens of playing the Tabla" by Ainesh Madan.
"Tabla Talk" summarises an exploration of the processes F. M. Alexander describes in the first chapter of "The Use of the Self". Instead of using the voice, the author looks at Alexander Technique principles through the art of playing the tabla. The article describes seven distinct experiments.
https://mouritz.org/journal/articles/POI023JE1.04

...Congratulations to Ainesh Madan who have been awarded 3rd prize in the Mouritz Award for Writing on the Alexander Technique for his article "Tabla Talk". It will be published in the Poise journal soon.

https://mouritz.org/more/Mouritz-Award
https://mouritz.org/journal/issues/21080

The inaugural issue of "Poise", a new online journal of the Alexander Technique, is now available.

It is an open-access journal, a PDF, free to read and download. Articles are published as they are ready. The aim is provide a forum for AT teachers worldwide, independent of any society. It is published by Mouritz and the chief editor is David Gibbens.

You can read about it here:
https://mouritz.org/journal/welcome-to-poise

The first article in the issue is published here:
https://mouritz.org/journal/issues/21080

More information here:
https://mouritz.org/journal