The Use of the Self: Its Conscious Direction in Relation to Diagnosis Functioning and the Control of Reaction

Frederick Matthias Alexander was born in Tasmania in 1869. In his twenties, he became a professional reciter of dramatic pieces. After almost completely losing his voice, he pioneered a method of improving the “use” of his body musculature in all positions and movements, curing his vocal problems without medical aid. Alexander came to realize that most people stand, sit, and move in a defective manner and that the incorrect “use of the self” might be the cause of much human suffering. He moved to London and established a school, publishing several books and achieving international success. Alexander died in 1955, but his technique of mind and body re-education lives on through the work of the many teachers of his method. The Use of the Self is the foremost text on Alexander’s revolutionary technique.