Pause, Observe, Intend: Mindfulness and The Alexander Technique
ASO Newsletter - Edition 66
Working together to enable greater understanding of the Alexander Technique through disciplined inquiry.
Introduction
This month we are releasing a conversation with the team of researchers behind a paper, published in 2025, "Pause, observe, intend: A qualitative study exploring expert practitioners’ perceptions of how mindfulness and Alexander technique work synergistically to address stress”. The team is, Patrick Johnson, Gabriella Minnes Brandes, Victoria Door and Rajal G. Cohen. The conversation is in two parts, the second of which will be released in September, 2026.
This month we learn the background to the study and how it came about, and each researcher contributes their main takeaway from the findings of the study. This ranges from how effective the decision to use dual discipline experts turned out to be, how the results demonstrated that Mindfulness and the Alexander Technique are distinct modalities, and some of the differences are highlighted. However, the two modalities are inherently complementary and can be implemented together effectively to address a stressful situation by people who are trained in both. A link to the full paper can be found below.
Viewing Note
MBSR – Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
MBCT – Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
MBIs – Mindfulness-Based Interventions
Additional links
Downloadable PDF of the discussed study, from Alexander Science.
Johnson, P.M., Brandes, G.M., Door, V. and Cohen, R.G. (2025) ‘Pause, observe, intend: A qualitative study exploring expert practitioners’ perceptions of how mindfulness and Alexander technique work synergistically to address stress’,European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 77, article 102494. doi: 10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102494.
Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=qnFvxvAAAAAJ&hl=en
Mind in Movement Laboratory - Rajal G. Cohen, Ph.D. : https://rajalcohen.com/
The Poise Project: https://www.thepoiseproject.org/tpp-research
About
Victoria Door, PhD, MSc, MPhil, B.Ed, PAAT, ATI has been teaching in private practice and teacher training for 40 years. She qualified in Mindfulness-Based Interventions in 2020 and has been researching possible relationships between the two approaches since then. She is Director of Continuing Professional Education for the Professional Association of Alexander Teachers (PAAT) https://www.paat.org.uk/
Patrick Johnson Ph.D. NeVLAT, ATI, has been teaching Alexander Technique at Smartbody studio in Amsterdam, NL since 2010 and training AT teachers at the Smartbody AT Teacher Training Program since 2023. He is cofounder of www.alexandertechniquescience.com has taught numerous workshops and webinars internationally about the science behind AT. He has a Ph. D. in Physics with nearly 3000 citations in peer reviewed journals. Patrick also teaches improvisational dance and running workshops. https://smartbody.nl/en/alexander-technique/
Gabriella (Gaby) Minnes Brandes, Ph.D., CANSTAT, MSTAT, AMSAT, PAAT, ATI, has been teaching the Alexander Technique for more than 35 years at the Alexander Technique Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. She taught the Alexander Technique in the Theatre Department at Capilano University and has been training Alexander Technique teachers since 2002. Drawing on her doctoral studies in education, her research explores the intersections of creativity, performance, and the application of the Alexander Technique across diverse contexts. She is also interested in how contemporary theories of pedagogy and curriculum inform the education of Alexander Technique teachers. Gaby collaborates extensively with musicians and voice, movement, and acting instructors, and has led workshops internationally. https://sites.google.com/view/alexandertechniquecentre
Rajal Cohen, Ph.D., M.AmSAT, was certified in Alexander Technique in 1997. She is a professor in the University of Idaho's Department of Psychology & Communication, where she teaches courses in research methods, neuroscience, and biomechanics/ergonomics. As the director of the Mind in Movement Lab, she conducts research into the mind-posture-movement connection along with her amazing team of graduate and undergraduate students. As the scientific consultant for The Poise Project, she conducts research aimed toward bringing AT principles to everybody who needs them.
Erica Donnison is part of the ASO team.
Thank you
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