Body Learning: The Alexander Technique

Robert Rickover and Imogen Ragone discuss a simple and powerful new Alexander Technique self-direction with far-reaching implications for all facets of your life. Imogen teaches in Wilmington, Delaware. Imogen's website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com You can learn more about Alexander Technique directions in general here: BodyLearningCast.com/teachers... More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com Other related videos: A Simple and Practical way to Explore and Use Alexander Technique Inhibition - youtu.be/a-XOiSmu42A A Brief History of Alexander Technique Directions (from 2015) - bodylearning.buzzsprout.com/382/271700-a-brief-history-of-alexander-technique-directions Effective ways to use Alexander Technique Directions - bodylearning.buzzsprout.com/382/136406-effective-ways-to-use-alexander-technique-directions Mind Your Mind puts this direction in a broader context: bodylearningblog.com/mind-your-mind/

Marjorie Barstow would often say, at the end of one of her four week long Alexander Technique workshops: When you get home, and people ask you what you learned in Nebraska, don't tell them 'a little bit of nothing.' In this conversation, Imogen Ragone and Robert Rickover discuss the implications of this admonition from several different points of view. Imogen teaches the Alexander Technique in Wilmington, Delaware. Imogen's website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska. Robert's website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Imogen and Robert also teach online. More information about Marjorie Barstow: MarjorieBarstow.com More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com

Amanda Cole, an Australian academic researcher, writer and performer, is the author of "Marjorie Barstow and the Alexander Technique - Critical Thinking in Performing Arts Pedagogy." She is also a long time student of both the classic and Barstow-inspired versions of the Technique. She draws on multiple sources, including a significant collection of written correspondence between F. M. Alexander, Marjorie Barstow, Frank Pierce Jones and Professor John Dewey that provides a new, and very different, perspective on the history of the Alexander Technique. This is the sixth in a series of her conversations with Robert Rickover about her discoveries. Robert is an Alexander Technique teacher in Omaha, Nebraska. In this conversation, Amanda and Robert discuss the importance of this new perspective for Alexander Technique teachers and students today. More information about Amanda: https://amandacolemezzo.com/ More information about Robert: https://alexandertechniquenebraska.com More information about F M Alexander: https://alexandertechnique.com/fma More information about Professor John Dewey: https://alexandertechnique.com/dewey More information about Marjorie Barstow: https://marjoriebarstow.com More information about the Alexander Technique: https://alexandertechnique.com Information about ordering Amanda's book from Amazon: https://marjoriebarstow.com/book

Amanda Cole, an Australian academic researcher, writer and performer, is the author of "Marjorie Barstow and the Alexander Technique - Critical Thinking in Performing Arts Pedagogy." She is also a long time student of both the classic and Barstow-inspired versions of the Technique. She draws on multiple sources, including a significant collection of written correspondence between F. M. Alexander, Marjorie Barstow, Frank Pierce Jones and Professor John Dewey that provides a new, and very different, perspective on the history of the Alexander Technique. This is the first in a series of her conversations with Robert Rickover, an Alexander Technique teacher in Omaha, Nebraska. This episode provides an overview of her findings. Subsequent videos will go into greater detail. More information about Amanda: https://amandacolemezzo.com/ More information about Robert: https://alexandertechniquenebraska.com More information about F M Alexander: https://alexandertechnique.com/fma More information about Professor John Dewey: https://alexandertechnique.com/dewey More information about Marjorie Barstow: https://marjoriebarstow.com More information about the Alexander Technique: https://alexandertechnique.com Information about ordering Amanda's book from Amazon: https://marjoriebarstow.com/book

Amanda Cole, an Australian academic researcher, writer and performer, is the author of "Marjorie Barstow and the Alexander Technique - Critical Thinking in Performing Arts Pedagogy." She is also a long time student of both the classic and Barstow-inspired versions of the Technique. She draws on multiple sources, including a significant collection of written correspondence between F. M. Alexander, Marjorie Barstow, Frank Pierce Jones and Professor John Dewey that provides a new, and very different, perspective on the history of the Alexander Technique. This is the first in a series of her conversations with Robert Rickover, an Alexander Technique teacher in Omaha, Nebraska. This episode provides an overview of her findings. Subsequent videos will go into greater detail. More information about Amanda: https://amandacolemezzo.com/ More information about Robert: https://alexandertechniquenebraska.com More information about F M Alexander: https://alexandertechnique.com/fma More information about Professor John Dewey: https://alexandertechnique.com/dewey More information about Marjorie Barstow: https://marjoriebarstow.com More information about the Alexander Technique: https://alexandertechnique.com Information about ordering Amanda's book from Amazon: https://marjoriebarstow.com/book

Amanda Cole, an Australian academic researcher, writer and performer, is the author of "Marjorie Barstow and the Alexander Technique - Critical Thinking in Performing Arts Pedagogy." She is also a long time student of both the classic and Barstow-inspired versions of the Technique. She draws on multiple sources, including a significant collection of written correspondence between F. M. Alexander, Marjorie Barstow, Frank Pierce Jones and Professor John Dewey that provides a new, and very different, perspective on the history of the Alexander Technique. This is the third in a series of her conversations with with Robert Rickover, an Alexander Technique teacher in Omaha, Nebraska. This episode is primarily about the gap between Alexander's stated hopes for the future of the Technique, and his actual behavior. More information about Amanda: https://amandacolemezzo.com/ More information about Robert: https://alexandertechniquenebraska.com More information about F M Alexander: https://alexandertechnique.com/fma More information about Professor John Dewey: https://alexandertechnique.com/dewey More information about Marjorie Barstow: https://marjoriebarstow.com More information about the Alexander Technique: https://alexandertechnique.com Information about ordering Amanda's book from Amazon: https://marjoriebarstow.com/book Part 1: https://youtu.be/KpKE7U0uBHk Part 2: https://youtu.be/0KZMpPAcCug Part 3: https://youtu.be/p2IIh8r9FKw Part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3fRz6W0cfs Part 5: https://youtu.be/AyxvQv1ofak Part 6: https://youtu.be/aEtwPff7qj8

Robert Rickover continues his discussion with Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, about F. Mathias Alexander's use of the term "psycho-physical." An earlier conversation was about why he used that phrase, and some of the implications of the meaning he assigns to it, and can be seen here: https://youtu.be/b9NxHqCLuX8 In this video, they explore the subtle physical manifestations of simply thinking about speaking as a way of experiencing just how tightly-knit "mind" and "body" actually are.More information about Amanda: https://amandacolemezzo.com/ More information about Robert: https://alexandertechniquenebraska.com More information about F M Alexander: https://alexandertechnique.com/fma More information about Professor John Dewey: https://alexandertechnique.com/dewey More information about Marjorie Barstow: https://marjoriebarstow.com More information about the Alexander Technique: https://alexandertechnique.com Information about ordering Amanda's book from Amazon: https://marjoriebarstow.com/book Part 1: https://youtu.be/KpKE7U0uBHk Part 2: https://youtu.be/0KZMpPAcCug Part 3: https://youtu.be/p2IIh8r9FKw Part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3fRz6W0cfs Part 5: https://youtu.be/aEtwPff7qj8 Part 6 https://youtu.be/AyxvQv1ofak

Amanda Cole, an Australian academic researcher, writer and performer, is the author of "Marjorie Barstow and the Alexander Technique - Critical Thinking in Performing Arts Pedagogy." She is also a long time student of both the classic and Barstow-inspired versions of the Technique. She draws on multiple sources, including a significant collection of written correspondence between F. M. Alexander, Marjorie Barstow, Frank Pierce Jones and Professor John Dewey that provides a new, and very different, perspective on the history of the Alexander Technique. This is the fifth in a series of her conversations with Robert Rickover about her discoveries. Robert is an Alexander Technique teacher in Omaha, Nebraska. This episode focuses primarily on the influence of Professor John Dewey's influence of Marjorie Barstow's group teaching. More information about Amanda: https://amandacolemezzo.com/ More information about Robert: https://alexandertechniquenebraska.com More information about F M Alexander: https://alexandertechnique.com/fma More information about Professor John Dewey: https://alexandertechnique.com/dewey More information about Marjorie Barstow: https://marjoriebarstow.com More information about the Alexander Technique: https://alexandertechnique.com Information about ordering Amanda's book from Amazon: https://marjoriebarstow.com/book Part 1: https://youtu.be/KpKE7U0uBHk Part 2: https://youtu.be/0KZMpPAcCug Part 3: https://youtu.be/p2IIh8r9FKw Part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3fRz6W0cfs Part 5: https://youtu.be/AyxvQv1ofak Part 6: https://youtu.be/aEtwPff7qj8

Robert Rickover continues his discussion with Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, about F. Mathias Alexander's use of the term "psycho-physical." Our previous conversation was about why he used that phrase, and some of the implications of the meaning he assigns to it, and can be seen here: https://youtu.be/b9NxHqCLuX8 In this podcast, they discuss more implications that flow from Alexander's concept of mind/body unity - specifically how an understanding of it can help us avoid one of the major obstacles faced by students - and teachers! - when self-directing and inhibiting. Imogen's website: https://ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska. Website: https://AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Both Imogen and Robert also teach online. For more information about the Alexander Technique: https://AlexanderTechnique.com Here is part of what Alexander wrote in his second book, Constructive Conscious Control, and which is quoted in the interview: "I wish to make clear the sense in which I use the word psycho-physical. The term psycho-physical is used both here and throughout my works to indicate the impossibility of separating "physical" and "mental" operations in our conception of the working of the human organism. As I wrote in (my first book) Man's Supreme Inheritance, 'In my opinion the two must be considered entirely interdependent, and even more closely knit than is implied by such a phrase." (emphasis mine) Part 1: https://youtu.be/b9NxHqCLuX8 Part 2: https://youtu.be/-KQmTjo_Vf4

Robert Rickover continues his discussion with Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, about F. Mathias Alexander's use of the term "psycho-physical." Their previous conversation was about why he used that phrase, and some of the implications of the meaning he assigns to it and can be seen here: youtu.be/b9NxHqCLuX8 In this video, they discuss specific examples of processes and activities that illustrate those implications. (As one point I mention an Alexander Technique and Physicist in Amsterdam, but I couldn't think of his name at the time: Patrick Johnson, Phd. Website: smartbody.nl/alexander-technique ) Imogen's website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Both Imogen and Robert also teach online. For more information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com Part 1: youtu.be/b9NxHqCLuX8

Robert Rickover talks with Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, about F. Mathias Alexander's use of the term "psycho-physical" - why he used it, and the implications of the meaning he assigns to it. This is the podcast that inspired our conversation: bodylearning.buzzsprout.com/382/313810-mind-body-unity-and-the-alexander-technique Here is part of what Alexander wrote in his second book, "Constructive Conscious Control", and which is quoted in the interview: I wish to make clear the sense in which I use the word psycho-physical. The term psycho-physical is used both here and throughout my works to indicate the impossibility of separating "physical" and "mental" operations in our conception of the working of the human organism. As I wrote in (my first book) "Man's Supreme Inheritance", "In my opinion the two must be considered entirely interdependent, and even more closely knit than is implied by such a phrase." I am forced to use the words "physical " and " mental" here and throughout my argument because there are no other words at present which adequately express the manifestations of psycho-physical activity present at these various stages, not in any sense because the "physical" and the "mental" can be separated as such. I wish, therefore, to make it clear that whenever I use the word "mental," it is to be understood as representing all processes or manifestations which are generally recognized as not wholly "physical," and vice versa the word " physical " as representing all processes and manifestations which are generally recognized as not wholly "mental." Part 2 of this topic: youtu.be/-KQmTjo_Vf4 Imogen's website: https://ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska. Website: https://AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Both Imogen and Robert also teach online. For more information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com

This talk was given live during a session at the third annual ATTGP online Alexander Technique Summit in October 2022, and is designed to be listened to while lying down in Constructive Rest. Heather is an Alexander Technique teacher in Philadelphia, PA. ATTGP (Alexander Technique Teachers of Greater Philadelphia) website: alextechgreaterphila.com. Heather’s website: heathergardnerstudio.com. More information about Constructive Rest: AlexanderTechnique.com/ConstructiveRest. More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com

Robert Rickover talks with Imogen Ragone about the effectiveness of the Alexander Technique self-direction "I'm not doing" and 2 variants: "I'm not doing anything" and "I'm not doing everything" and what what the implications are for the basic Alexander Technique principle that every aspect of us is connected to every other aspect, and that a change anywhere affects everything else. Imogen's website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska. Website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Both Imogen and Robert also teach online. You can learn more about Alexander self directions here: BodyLearningCast.com/teachers/directions More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com Original video version: https://youtu.be/uFdivwKGA5c

Robert Rickover talks with Imogen Ragone, an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware, about perfection and the Alexander Technique. Imogen's website: ImogenRagone.com Robert Rickover is an Alexander Technique teacher in Omaha, Nebraska. Robert's website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Their conversation centers on the following quotes: 1. "If you get perfection today, you will be farther away from perfection that you ever were" - F M Alexander 2. "If you see a man who thinks himself wise, then there is more hope for a dullard than for him." - Proverbs 26:12 3. Every man, woman and child holds the possibility of physical perfection. It rests with each of us to attain it by personal understanding and effort." - F M Alexander More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com Original video version: https://youtu.be/s8grE6WMV0Q

(This podcast is primarily for Alexander Technique teachers and students. Zoom was acting up during this recording and there are some audio glitches in Robert's side of the conversation.) Alexander wrote 4 books: "Man's Supreme Inheritance", "Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual", "The Use of the Self', and "The Universal Constant in Living". Robert Rickover and Imogen Ragone discuss the meaning of those titles, and their sequence. There is also a reference to "The Authorized Summaries of F M Alexander's Four Books" by Ron Brown. You can learn more about, and order, Brown's book, here: mouritz.org/library/database/item/authorised-summaries-of-f-m-alexanders-four-books Imogen's website: ImogenRagone.com Robert teaches in Omaha, Nebraska. Website: AlexanderTehniqueNebraska.com Both Imogen and Robert also teach online. More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com

(Zoom was acting up during the recording and there some audio glitches in Robert's side of the conversation.) Power Poses, developed by Amy Cuddy and others, are postures associated with being powerful that help you feel and behave more assertively. Cuddy's TED talk, which helped popularized Power Poses: tinyurl.com/2p8ck4a3 Robert Rickover and Imogen Ragone discuss how Alexander Technique Constructive Rest can be seen as a type of Power Pose, and how an understanding of how Power Poses work can make Constructive Rest more powerful. Imogen Ragone is an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, Delaware. Imogen's website: ImogenRagone.com Robert Rickover is an Alexander Technique teacher in Omaha, Nebraska. Robert's website: AlexanderTechniqueNebraska.com Both Imogen and Robert teach primarily online. More information about Constructive Rest: AlexanderTechnique.com/ConstuctiveRest More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com How to easily and quickly enhance the effectiveness of Power Poses: youtu.be/zKeLRA5lEYo The video version of this podcast can be found here: https://youtu.be/8aKdmg9ZuAA

This talk was given live during a session at the third annual ATTGP online Alexander Technique Summit in October 2022, and is designed to be listened to while lying down in Constructive Rest. Imogen is an Alexander Technique teacher in Wilmington, DE. ATTGP (Alexander Technique Teachers of Greater Philadelphia) website: alextechgreaterphila.com. Imogen’s website: imogenragone.com. More information about Constructive Rest: AlexanderTechnique.com/ConstructiveRest. More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com

This talk was given live during a session at the third annual ATTGP online Alexander Technique Summit in October 2022, and is designed to be listened to while lying down in Constructive Rest. Meade is an Alexander Technique teacher in Lawrenceville and Princeton, NJ. ATTGP (Alexander Technique Teachers of Greater Philadelphia) website: alextechgreaterphila.com. Meade’s website: meadeandrews.net. More information about Constructive Rest: AlexanderTechnique.com/ConstructiveRest. More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com

This talk was given live during a session at the third annual ATTGP online Alexander Technique Summit in October 2022, and is designed to be listened to while lying down in Constructive Rest. Ariel is an Alexander Technique teacher in Philadelphia and Wallingford, PA. ATTGP (Alexander Technique Teachers of Greater Philadelphia) website: alextechgreaterphila.com. Ariel’s website: atphila.com. More information about Constructive Rest: AlexanderTechnique.com/ConstructiveRest. More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com

This talk was given live during a session at the third annual ATTGP online Alexander Technique Summit in October 2022, and is designed to be listened to while lying down in Constructive Rest. Mary is an Alexander Technique teacher in Philadelphia and Montgomery County, PA. ATTGP (Alexander Technique Teachers of Greater Philadelphia) website: alextechgreaterphila.com. Mary’s website: explorealexander.com. More information about Constructive Rest: AlexanderTechnique.com/ConstructiveRest. More information about the Alexander Technique: AlexanderTechnique.com Note: This audio is intended for informational purposes only. Not for commercial use. This audio cannot be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the express permission of Mary McCann. Please do not listen while driving. © 2022 Mary McCann