Fifth Annual International
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE Online Summit

Brought to you by Alexander Technique Teachers of Greater Philadelphia (ATTGP)

Coming to Our Senses: Living Fully with the Alexander Technique

Free Classes for the Public

January 20-25, 2025

Learn more:

Do any of the following sound familiar?

- - - “I feel stuck.”
    - “I’m tense all the time.”
    - “I want to feel calmer.”
    - “I’m worried about my posture.”
    - “I get so stiff.”
    - “Working at the computer exhausts me.”

Discover what fuels your stiffness, feeds your anxiety, creates that hurry mode, and wears you out.

The versatility of the Alexander Technique (AT) addresses all this and more.

With the Alexander Technique you can reclaim your natural coordination, and learn how to coach yourself to be more present, connected and comfortable in your own skin.

Alexander Technique offers you resilience in mind and body, deep connection with yourself, others and the world, and a community of like-minded people.

Join us for our fifth annual international Alexander Technique Online Summit. This year’s theme is Coming to Our Senses: Living Fully with the Alexander Technique.

During this week-long event our teachers will share their expertise in both introductory classes, and in workshops and events on a variety of topics and applications.

All for FREE.

Attend one session, attend them all. It’s totally up to you!

Meet our presenters and see our full schedule of events below.

The Week-Long Summit includes:

Daily Guided Constructive Rest Sessions

Each day one of our ATTGP teachers will lead a guided Constructive Rest session. Constructive Rest is a way of lying down in a semi-supine position (typically on the back with the knees elevated) that promotes good spinal alignment and release of excess tension. It is also known as “Active Rest,” “Semi-Supine” or simply an “Alexander Lie Down.” These sessions provide a simple yet powerful way to find balance, ease, and alertness, offering participants a time of rest, thoughtful awareness, and insights into your body’s amazing design.

Two to Three Additional Events Each Day

Our unique line up of live online classes, workshops and presentations are being lead by our Alexander Technique teachers at ATTGP on a variety of topics, from stress relief and embodiment, to speaking, walking, mindfulness, pausing and much more. It’s a chance to learn from different teachers with different styles and areas of expertise. Whatever your interest, whether you are brand new to AT, are coming back to it after a while, or have studied for years, there’s something for everyone!

SUMMIT SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Note: All times are US Eastern Time. All sessions are conducted live in real time!
Use this Time Zone Converter to find your time.

Monday, January 20, 2025

Present Moment Empowerment:
Accessing Inner Resources When Dealing with the External World

with Anne Johnson
Monday, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM US Eastern Time

Consciously choosing to live each day utilizing all our senses evenly, brings us into a state of expansive awareness. This shift of our attention helps our worry-mind rest, and we can land into our physicality. Being grounded and connected to our body allows us to listen to the messages our body is giving us. We come home to our autonomy, making choices that support a sense of comfort, coordination and wholeness. Join Anne as she leads you through explorations of mind, body and breath that activate your body’s innate intelligence and expansion, allowing a return to a balanced, dynamic and peaceful way of being.

Anne Johnson has been teaching the Alexander Technique for 29 years to individuals and groups across the globe, in her private Philadelphia studio, the Mt Airy Learning Tree, as well as businesses in Philadelphia and surrounding areas. She taught at the Boyer College of Music at Temple University for 15 years. Her teaching practice includes both in-person and remote lessons and workshops. Anne finds pleasure in sharing the benefits of this rich body of work with people of all ages, skill levels, diverse professions and backgrounds.
More information at: www.alexandertechphiladelphia.com

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In Service to Ourselves

with Judith Saxton
Monday, 1:00-2:00 PM US Eastern Time

MLK meets AT: First be in service to ourselves to better serve others.

“Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. administered to people’s spiritual lives, naturally…he also gave people practical aid in times of need and distress.” Through the practical aid of the Alexander Technique on this MLK day, please join in our collective journey to explore fresh approaches to first nurture and serve ourselves so we may better nurture and serve our communities – near and far.

Judith Saxton, a 35-year musician and educator, has studied Alexander Technique since 1991. She is a 2015 graduate of the NC Teacher Training program of Chesapeake Bay Alexander Studies and a Certified teacher with Alexander Technique International (ATI). She has ‘Boosted the Brain-Body Bond’ for both individuals and groups of all ages around the world. Judith offers transformational guidance via undoing and unlearning, whether online or in-person. She offers guest artist residencies that incorporate her somatic and musical worlds to amplify her students’ ‘voice’ and creativity. Judith is a Registered Somatic Movement Educator (R.S.M.E). of the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA).
More information at: www.judithsaxton.com

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Guided Constructive Rest

with Imogen Ragone
Monday, 2:30 – 3:00 PM US Eastern Time

Imogen Ragone has been a nationally certified teacher of the Alexander Technique since 2006. She has developed her own unique approach called BodyIntelligence, which integrates mindfulness, posture and self-care, to give her clients practical strategies to relieve and prevent stress and tension. Her approach has been particularly beneficial to clients suffering from emotional stress and even trauma. Constructive Rest is Imogen’s all-time favorite self-care practice. She has given hundreds of guided Constructive Rest talks over the years. Her students love it and she hopes you will, too!
More information at imogenragone.com

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Alexander Technique 101: An Introduction Plus Tips for Making the Most Out of the Summit

with Ariel Weiss
Monday, 8:00 – 9:00 PM US Eastern Time

So, what IS the Alexander Technique, anyway? Alexander Technique has been around for over 120 years yet hardly anyone has heard of it and we often hear either what it isn’t (it isn’t physical therapy or exercise for instance) or a lot of jargony, mysterious language like “the use of the self”. This workshop is an introduction to Alexander’s discoveries for Summit attendees that are new or newer to the Technique. Our goal is to provide a brief history and simple framework to help understand the Technique, experience the foundational principles of the work, plus define commonly used AT terms to help newcomers to get the most out of the week’s offerings.

Ariel Weiss has been teaching AT in Philadelphia since 1988. Trained as a dancer, she delights in helping her students move freely in cooperation with their best functioning. Ariel teaches online and in her Center City and Delaware County studios, at Curtis Institute of Music, University of Delaware and Crosslands retirement community. She also coordinates a Wellness Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and presented her TEDX talk: Posture myth-busting in 2021. Ariel is an Alexander Technique International Sponsor and is excited to be a Continuous Learning presenter at the upcoming 13^th International AT Congress in Dublin, August 2025.
More information at: www.atphila.com.

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Embodied Presence: AT and Neurobiology as Tools for Healing and Connection

with Imogen Ragone
Tuesday, 11:00 AM – 12 PM US Eastern Time

For this presentation Imogen will be joined by her long-time client, trauma awareness educator Shay Seaborne. As Shay studied neurobiology and neuroscience to help them understand and resolve PTSD, they increasingly understood that the Alexander Technique (AT) provides a highly neuropositive approach and practice. In recent years Shay and Imogen have collaborated to offer workshops and courses for people dealing with trauma or chronic stress, combining Shay’s experience as a trauma survivor and their understanding of the neuroscience relating to trauma with the practical, mindful tools and concepts from Imogen’s BodyIntelligence work, which is founded in AT principles. In this session we will explore how AT and neurobiology can be a powerful combination for healing and connection, and will share a simple practice that invites embodied presence and supports the regulation of your nervous system.

Imogen Ragone has been a nationally certified Alexander Technique teacher for 19 years, and a student of the Technique for many more. She initially came to Alexander Technique to help her with chronic neck and shoulder pain and tension. It did – and gave her much more than she ever imagined. Imogen has now developed her own unique approach, BodyIntelligence, that offers a path to embodied mindfulness that is gentle and non-coercive. This means it is more accessible and effective when you are feeling stressed and makes it especially valuable to traumatized people. Imogen has been successfully working with clients online, both individually and in groups, since 2014.
More information at imogenragone.com

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Exploring the Means-Whereby, F.M. Alexander’s 4th Principle

with Diane Young Sussman
Tuesday, 1:00 – 2:00 PM US Eastern Time

F.M. Alexander made his discovery about the head leading the spine into movement, but he went further to teach how to enable that function by staying in the moment and not reaching for a habitual end. This ability to use oneself in constant attentiveness harnesses all of the other principles and is what positions the Alexander Technique as a unique method for self-development.

Diane Young Sussman graduated from ACAT in NYC in 1987 and continued training teachers there for 23 years, until she moved to Philadelphia. Having started the work as a remedy for her own lower back pain while dancing and choreographing, Diane knows personally how this work is truly life changing. Working with musicians and older people with posture and pain issues has been her main focus, as well as applying the Alexander Principles to exercise and movement practices (Yoga and Pilates) for people of all ages and abilities. This is the wonder of a method that can help people of such different interests, a true holistic approach to self-development and self-care.
More information at: bodymindbalance.net

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Guided Constructive Rest

with Amy Ward Brimmer
Tuesday, 3:00 – 3:30 PM US Eastern Time

Amy Ward Brimmer has been investigating mindfulness and self-expression since childhood. She is the owner of Way Opens Wellness in Yardley, PA, where she offers the Alexander Technique, Somatic Release bodywork, Qigong, Compassionate Listening, and Insight meditation instruction. Amy has been giving Alexander lessons since 1994, and has taught at Yale, Villanova, Brooklyn College, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), and along the banks of the Delaware Canal, among many other places.
More information at: wayopenswellness.com

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Our Emotional and Spiritual Selves: Hand in Hand with our Voice and our Feet

with Judith Saxton
Wednesday, 10:00-11:15 AM US Eastern Time

We will align our mind with our heart through our emotional and spiritual facets. We will embrace that our stories are informed by our vulnerabilities, experiences, and beliefs while recognizing that our Bodies always offer Wisdom, our Brains, the Power of Choice.

Emotions=feelings and Spirit=Breath. We will first listen and attune to both for further discernment and understanding of their often hidden and maligned message. Then we will learn how to embody both with our hands, voice, and feet. In so doing, we will ‘ unlock to unblock”: unlock our energy to unblock our path for freer flow in our chosen direction.

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Guided Constructive Rest

with Andrea Bruno
Wednesday, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM US Eastern Time

Andrea Bruno first learned about the Alexander Technique in 1975. She began her studies to teach in 2007 with The Philadelphia School for the Alexander Technique. In 2015, she founded a program within the Veterans Administration and is now part of an expanding program in alternative practices for veterans with chronic pain. She is a graduate of the PA Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training and she continues to explore ideas about the body and mind that are compatible with AT. Her personal practices include meditation, yoga and weightlifting. She is an amateur flutist, a visual artist, whitewater kayaker, and a downhill skier. You can study with Andrea at her home office in Swarthmore, PA.
More information at: empoweringdirections.com

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The Magic Pause

with Joseph Arnold
Wednesday, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

The 3-second technique that is the single most powerful, easy-to-implement, and sure-fire method for instant relief from the tightness and tension that causes back pain and other chronic injuries.

The “Magic Pause” will allow you to reliably and quickly relieve muscle tension and strain so you can get back to doing the things you love. It’s easy to learn and you can use it to be able to sit more comfortably at the computer, play music more freely, or feel better when you exercise. In this class, you will learn the Magic Pause and how to apply it to many different activities.

Joseph Arnold is a certified Alexander Technique teacher, professional violinist, author of the award-winning Soulforce, and Director of the Soulforce Arts Institute. He is dedicated to helping artists reconnect with their creative Soulforce so they can experience greater well-being, make transcendent art, and be of greater service to a world in need.
More information at: SoulforceArts.com

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Guided Constructive Rest

with Meade Andrews and Ariel Weiss
Thursday, 10:00 – 10:30 AM US Eastern Time

Meade Andrews has been introducing individuals and groups to the exciting discoveries of F.M. Alexander, a pioneer in the art of CHOICE and CHANGE, for 40 years. Meade is an internationally recognized senior teacher of the Alexander Technique. For 12 years she taught theatre, dance and the Alexander Technique at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and she continues to offer classes and workshops at Westminster Choir College. She is the former director of the Dance Program at American University, Washington, DC, and has also served as an acting teacher, and acting coach for over 30 theatrical productions. She currently maintains a private Alexander Technique practice in the Princeton, NJ area teaching people in all walks of life, including including performing artists, computer workers, teachers, and business professionals.
More information at: meadeandrews.net

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Creating Your Directions: How to Practice Between Lessons

with Amy Ward Brimmer
Tuesday, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM US Eastern Time

Taking regular lessons with an Alexander teacher is essential if you want to change how you do what you do. Yet the most vital learning happens outside of formal lessons, as you practice applying what you’re discovering with your teacher. The AT isn’t a set of exercises, but it’s crucial to practice every day. So, what exactly are you supposed to be practicing?

F.M. Alexander gave us some very powerful instructions to follow, and we often say, “think your directions,” as a way of practicing. Yet his words might not be as effective as your own, and in fact, it’s important to truly make the directions yours.

In this workshop we will explore some basic touchpoints for awareness and play with both F.M.’s classic “orders” as well as create language that literally moves us in a better direction. We’ll also share some ways to remember to practice, which is often a challenge in the beginning.

Come prepared to sit, stand, walk, and drink. Yes, please bring a beverage of choice to this class.

***

The Marvelous Mandible: A Jaw-Dropping Study

for singers, wind/brass players, upper strings, TMJ, jaw, dental issues, and all who speak professionally

with Kathryn Armour
Thursday, 1:00 -2:00 PM US Eastern Time

Alexander was born prematurely and had issues in what is known today as the suck-swallow-breathe synchrony. FM was very concerned about his jaw, since he had an extreme overbite. This faulty coordination is at the opposite end of the habits that appear in the general population. Many musicians require special use of the mandible. For these artistic ends, general freedom of the neck and jaw may not be enough. In this workshop we will explore a more sophisticated coordination of the mandible, in order to solve particular issues, such as: embouchure, range, diction, TMJ issues, etc.

Kathryn Armour (M.A. University of Chicago), studied voice in Florence, Italy for 5 years, and then voice and acting in New York City. She was a finalist in both the Metropolitan Opera and Pavarotti Competitions and has professional credits in all genres from opera to cabaret. She taught vocal technique at New York University for 17 years, and was certified as an Alexander teacher by ATI 20 years ago. Kathryn teaches Voice + Alexander for classical and Broadway singers and actors in her in mid-town Manhattan studio.
More information at: www.KathrynArmourStudio.com

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Let’s Take a Walk: How the Alexander Technique Helps Balance, Freedom and Safety in Movement as We Age

with Diane Young Sussman
Thursday, 6:00-7:00 PM US Eastern Time

When conscious awareness, inhibition and direction (and the means-whereby) are implemented, walking and moving with freedom and grace become much more available to us. Older people tend to tighten and contract when faced with the fear of falling. Let’s explore how to instead bring balance and flow back to our movement.

Friday, January 24, 2025

The Breakfast Drink: Sensory Awareness and The Alexander Technique

with Mary McCann
Friday, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM US Eastern Time

This workshop is designed for anyone seeking more balance, comfort, and ease. You can learn to heighten creativity, body awareness, spontaneity, and joy. Everyone is welcome!

What to bring:

A cup or mug with your favorite breakfast drink (such as coffee, tea, juice, smoothie, or hot chocolate.) This exercise works best if you are sitting at your desk or at a table, but any set-up will be fine.
A mat or large towel and 1-2 small paperback books for a short constructive rest session.

Mary McCann is a Certified Teacher of the Alexander Technique and has been teaching performers in the Philadelphia area for over 30 years. Mary has taught at Harvard University, Bryn Mawr College, DeSales University, The Wilma Theater, and many other institutions. Individual lessons are available in Philadelphia and Montgomery County, PA and online.
More information at: www.explorealexander.com

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Guided Constructive Rest

with Anne Johnson
Friday, 12:30 – 1:00 PM US Eastern Time

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From The Bottom Up

with Andrea Bruno
Friday, 1:30 – 3:00 PM US Eastern Time

“The feet are the interface between your inside and outside world.”

This workshop is an exploration of our feet, their contact with the ground, and how they affect the whole body system. This workshop is inspired by the work of Gary Ward, the founder of Anatomy In Motion.

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Release and Restore: Alexander Technique for Stress Relief

with Dianne Gaary
Friday, 5:30 – 6:30 PM

Join us to de-stress from the work week, shed some physical tension, and reconnect with your calm self in this workshop that explores how your thoughts, body awareness, and a little pause can help you unwind whenever you need to. If you have a lot on your plate and your week has been a bit much, nurturing self-care workshop might be just what you need.

Diane Gaary teaches Expression, Confidence, Comfort, and Mobility On Stage and In Daily Life. She holds teacher certification in the Alexander Technique, The Lessac System of Voice and Body Training, and The Feldenkrais Method® and is an Estill Voice Master Teacher®. Diane’s training also includes classical singing, numerous theatrical voice and speech techniques, an MFA in Acting, and 2 years of graduate level speech pathology. Diane teaches at Temple University, Arcadia University, and Westminster Choir College. Her students have performed extensively on Broadway and in Regional Theatre, in film and television, and in major opera houses such as The Metropolitan Opera, The New York City Opera, and La Scala. Diane maintains a studio for private students online and in person in Ardmore, PA.
More information at: https://www.dianegaary.com

Saturday, January 25, 2025

Unlock Your Creative Magic

with Joseph Arnold
Saturday, 10:00 – 11:00 AM US Eastern Time

Want to better channel your creative magic – your “Soulforce”? Are effort, tension, creative blocks, performance anxiety, self-doubt, and “shoulds” getting in your way? Here’s the secret: by releasing tension from your body in your moments of creative challenge, you can effectively and quickly unblock your creative magic. In this fun, hands-on workshop, you will discover the source of your creative magic and learn practical tools for unblocking it so you can experience the creative flow and inspiration your creative soul longs for.

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Guided Constructive Rest

with Mary McCann
Saturday, 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM US Eastern Time

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Closing Celebration!

Saturday, 3:00 – 4:00 PM US Eastern Time

Please join us for this final event of our Online Summit to celebrate the week’s offerings.

ATTGP members will share important moments from their own Alexander Technique journey, and you will have the chance to share some of yours.

This session will also be our last opportunity to experience moments of Alexander Technique goodness together.

All are welcome – please help us close the week’s events with this celebratory sendoff!

You must register for the Summit to get access to the classes.
You may attend as many as you wish!

Learn more about ATTGP at: alextechgreaterphila.com

ATTGP Summit Administrator: Imogen Ragone, info@alextechgreaterphila.com.

Fifth Annual InternationalALEXANDER TECHNIQUE Online Summit

Coming to Our Senses: Living Fully with the Alexander Technique

Free Classes for the Public

January 20-25, 2025

Learn more:

Meet our presenters and see our full schedule of events below.

Daily Guided Constructive Rest Sessions

Two to Three Additional Events Each Day

SUMMIT SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Monday, January 20, 2025

Present Moment Empowerment: Accessing Inner Resources When Dealing with the External World

In Service to Ourselves

Guided Constructive Rest

Alexander Technique 101: An Introduction Plus Tips for Making the Most Out of the Summit

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Embodied Presence: AT and Neurobiology as Tools for Healing and Connection

Exploring the Means-Whereby, F.M. Alexander’s 4th Principle

Guided Constructive Rest

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Our Emotional and Spiritual Selves: Hand in Hand with our Voice and our Feet

Guided Constructive Rest

The Magic Pause

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Guided Constructive Rest

Creating Your Directions: How to Practice Between Lessons

The Marvelous Mandible: A Jaw-Dropping Study

Let’s Take a Walk: How the Alexander Technique Helps Balance, Freedom and Safety in Movement as We Age

Friday, January 24, 2025

The Breakfast Drink: Sensory Awareness and The Alexander Technique

Guided Constructive Rest

From The Bottom Up

Release and Restore: Alexander Technique for Stress Relief

Saturday, January 25, 2025

Unlock Your Creative Magic

Guided Constructive Rest

Closing Celebration!

Fifth Annual International
ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE Online Summit

Present Moment Empowerment:
Accessing Inner Resources When Dealing with the External World