My new book:
​
Illusion or Reality; are we teaching what FM Alexander was teaching?
​
Is for Alexander teachers and trainee teachers. It explains the writings of FM Alexander, and how there is a mismatch between what he was teaching and what many Alexander teachers are now teaching.
Read the first chapter here:
Synopsis of the book:
​
ChatGPT says that the Alexander Technique is a method of ‘...improving posture, movement, and overall body mechanics. It focuses on increasing awareness of how one uses their body in everyday activities...’
That is an algorithm’s distillation of what it found online. It would have distilled something very different from FM’s writings. Something like this:
‘The Alexander Technique is a powerful method for bringing about profound physical and psychological change. By teaching how to be more conscious, and how to pause and reconsider before acting, it empowers people to take charge of their lives; to drop mental and physical habits and become their authentic selves’.
Why this enormous mismatch?
This book clarifies FM’s writings and explains what he was teaching, and answers questions like, how did the work get turned into something focusing on awareness of body use? Why are so few of us teaching what’s in the books? And why do so many of us find FM’s simple-but-not-easy books so difficult?
My first book - Mindfulness in 3D.
​
"This is a wonderful little book that belongs on everyone's AT bookshelf"
​Review in STATNews - the news magazine of the mainstream professional body.
​
​
Provocatively subtitled "Alexander Technique for the 21st Century", my book was published in early 2018. A second edition, with new content, was published in early 2020.
The publisher has described it as his "controversial best-seller."
.jpg)
Reviews by Alexander teachers:
​
-
'Thank you, Peter for sharing the essence of this practice! I highly recommend this book and encourage others to embrace this work. It will change your life!'
-
'Thank you Peter Nobes for this important contribution to the AT literature. We finally have a book that speaks the honest truth about what the Alexander Technique actually is. This book is a joy to read.'
-
'Great book specially the last 2 chapters! "Zen for people who go to the pub" - Funny, clever and fresh!'
.jpg)
Keynote Speech
​
In October 2016 I gave the Keynote Speech at the Annual Conference of my Professional Body - Alexander Technique International.
You can download a copy here, either in English or in French.