This session connects science and soma, research and AT and honors varying approaches to teaching Alexander technique. The presentation proposes the functional awareness approach to cueing strategies for Alexander Technique teachers and students to deepen understanding of the use of arms in relation to Alexander’s directions. The presenter shares research on hypermobility and on movement function of the shoulder in relation to the head, neck, and spine. The session moves from theory to practice by providing strategies developed with the support of colleagues at Johns Hopkins Medicine and a collaborator at Columbia University’s (NYC) program in motor learning and control. The session is a combination of PowerPoint lecture and active movement exploration.

The presenter’s methodology translates and transforms research in functional anatomy and motor learning into embodied practices to support teaching the use of arms while remaining with the ‘means whereby’. The session begins with a brief PowerPoint to share the research and primary principles on this topic. The presenter leads participants through an innovative ‘lie down’ followed by an activity with arms in standing. The movement explorations draw on current research on hypermobility and postural support of the arms in relation to FMs principle of primary control. The information supports FMs Alexander’s directions, deepens one’s understanding of movement function, and offers a teaching philosophy that honors individual differences through a series of communication and feedback strategies that enhance learning potential for both students and teachers of the Alexander Technique.

Relevance: The session provides current research in motor learning and connects this data to support the contemporary viability of the Alexander Technique as a 21st century wellness modality. In addtion this presentation seeks to provide practical applications of the research for teachers and students to use in daily living.