An Alexander teacher wishes to give the student a new experience of moving, generally moving with more freedom and less excess effort while maintaining a lively attention.  The teacher’s hands are finely tuned to pick up on subtle patterns of tension and slackness that occur in their students, and are skilled to guide them through movement – usually along with verbal instruction – without activating their habitual tendencies, working towards an improved overall coordination.

It’s because of this key role of an Alexander teacher’s hands in the learning experience that individual lessons are recommended.