“I began taking Alexander
lessons from Jeff Tessler in 1990. I immediately began to experience
less physical pain as I learned how to be more conscious in my use of
my body. I find that Jeff’s teaching style enables me to incorporate
my new learnings into my daily work, so that I look and feel healthier,
and I am stronger and more effective as a storyteller and teacher.”
- B.B.,
librarian, teacher and storyteller, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“I’m almost seventy.
I tell my friends and family that I walk out of lessons feeling like
a fifteen year old, spring and lightness to my walk, better posture
and balance. Now that’s something! Also, it is helping a lot with
the stiffness and pain in the neck, shoulders and back.”
- C.F., retired
postal worker, antique dealer, Champaign, Illinois
"I came to Alexander
Technique lessons for back trouble and to improve my acting. It’s
helped my back and I am a more flexible actress. I can reach further
for the character and am taking on musicals. A side benefit is that
I consistently beat my husband at tennis.”
- S.B., actress,
winner “CIVI” award for outstanding performance in a drama,
Indianapolis, Indiana
“Nothing is more frustrating for us musicians than when the body gets in the
way of the music we’re longing to express. Indeed,
musicians must master some of the most refined
and complex movements of any profession. By
developing body use which is less tense and rigid,
more fluid and lively, the Alexander Technique complements the work that musicians do in the teaching
studio and practice room. In my own work with Jeff
Tessler, I’ve found him to be acutely attuned to the
needs of performing artists.”
– C.J., D.Phil., Professor of Music, Greencastle, IN
“Sharp back pains, tendonitis, muscle spasms, and nerve damage forced
an end to my piano practice and musical hopes at
an early age. Fortunately, I encountered the
Alexander Technique, which has since guided me
towards efficient, healthy, injury-preventive practice.
In practice, it teaches one to consistently find the
most direct, facilitated connection to the instrument.
This training importantly transfers into the teaching
of any musical instrument, and thus, helps to pre-
vent a new generation of performance-based
injuries. The AT training integrates understanding
and trust of movements—and whether it’s anxiety
about walking and standing on stage, actually performing, or just walking down the street, this trust
has allowed me to move past these anxieties, to
fully direct both body and mind towards happier,
more enlivened performance.”
– S.G., Pianist, Germany
“I first learned about the
Alexander Technique through Frank Pierce Jones’s
book “Body Awareness in Action: AStudy of the
Alexander Technique”, which reviewed Dr. Jones’s
laboratory research into the biomechanical and
physiological principles underlying the Technique. At
the time I was on the fencing team at the University
of Pennsylvania and was highly motivated to
improve my fencing skills. Fencing is fundamentally
a problem of sensory-motor integration. The key
challenge is to maintain awareness and control of
your own body, while simultaneously monitoring
your opponent’s actions so as to respond appropriately. Any competitive fencer is all too well aware of
F.M. Alexander’s observation that knowing what you
want to do is not the same as being able to do it.
My lessons with Jeff Tessler contributed to a dramatic improvement in my competitive results, and
also alleviated a number of sports-related chronic
injuries that I suffered from.
"Sixteen years later, my training with Jeff continues
to be of great benefit to me after retiring from competitive fencing in order to focus on a career in scientific research. I recently completed my Ph.D. in
Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, and
am currently a postdoctoral researcher at MIT. I’ve
found the Alexander Technique to be an extremely
valuable tool for avoiding fatigue and maintaining
mental focus and energy.”
– D.M., Ph.D., Competitive fencer and Neuroscientist, Boston & Washington D.C.
“Initially, I began studying Alexander Technique with Jeff Tessler to improve my posture and performance while playing the pipe organ. In the course of the lessons, I have found that the principles can be applied to all aspects of everyday life. Jeff’s supportive lessons in Alexander Technique have not only improved my physical approach to music making, but also my overall confidence, poise and well-being.”
– E.J., Organist, Indianapolis