AT&Me

08/25/2026

It's habit Tuesday!

Productivity. It's important.

But sometimes I find my mind wandering as I struggle to begin the next task.

It's about that time when I decide to walk or rest for a few moments. Both of those pauses bring me into a more functional state and that I can accomplish much more.

The power of the P A U S E.

08/24/2026

What can you find to make it a great day?

Have a wonderful start to the week!

08/22/2026

This is amazing research! The Alexander Technique really does change life.

A new study published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry explores how the Alexander Technique may support informal care partners of people living with Parkinson’s disease.

The study examined “Partnering With Poise,” a 10-week, Alexander Technique–based group course designed to give care partners practical tools for self-regulation, movement, and responding to the physical and emotional demands of caregiving.

The findings are encouraging. Participants showed significant improvements in executive function, balance, mobility, stress and burnout, fear, and self-efficacy for managing emotions—with several improvements remaining at the six-month follow-up. The course also had strong attendance and retention, and participants responded especially positively to the group format.

Importantly, this was a preliminary, single-arm study without a control group, so the authors emphasize that the findings should be interpreted with caution and that randomized controlled trials are needed. Still, the results suggest that Alexander Technique–based group work may offer meaningful tools for care partners navigating the ongoing physical and emotional challenges of caregiving.

Research like this helps expand our understanding of how the Alexander Technique can support people not only in how they move, but in how they respond, adapt, and navigate everyday life.

Read the full study named: “Partnering With Poise: A Preliminary Study of an Alexander Technique-Based Group Course for Informal Care Partners.”

08/20/2026

See what it's all about!
Free Alexander Technique intro session.
RePattern Studio 627 N. West Street Carroll, Iowa
Space is limited—grab a spot here. https://forms.gle/nag4v6DtKskysmfr5

Read more: https://www.repattern2learn.com/post/awareness-mechanics-process-thought

08/18/2026

From Rajal Cohen, scientist specializing in AT research

Does YOUR head-neck posture affect how you think?

In a paper just published, my students and I tested whether inducing a mild Forward Head Posture alters decision-making. We found that maintaining a subtle forward head displacement during a decision-making task led participants to discount future rewards significantly more than a neutral position, biasing them toward immediate gratification. Crucially, reaction times remained identical, indicating that Forward Head Posture specifically targeted the executive processes involved in impulse regulation and future-value calculation, triggering an immediate approach/action state.
This study offers compelling, peer-reviewed support for the hypothesis that the physical relationship of the head and spine is an active dimension of self-regulation.
Please check out the graphical abstract below, download the paper (free before Oct 7) at https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1ndg2brwfUHAE, and let me know your thoughts and questions!

08/18/2026

It's Habit Tuesday!

Robert Poynton wrote a whole book about various ways to pause from taking a moment before entering a room to carving out dedicated time for rest and rejuvenation. One of my favorites is "count to 1". It's a small thing, but allows you to reset before entering a room, responding to a request or moving forward with the next part of a task.

It's the little things . . .

08/17/2026

This requires a constant reminder for me.

08/15/2026

This is a fascinating study! Imagine the idea of connecting thoughtful design of your environment with posture in the first place—and then extending that to how it affects your mood in general. That's powerful stuff!

A new study published in the British Journal of Psychology explored how posture can influence mood and behavior. Researchers Soren Wainio-Theberge and Jorge Armony manipulated participants’ posture indirectly by changing their environment, rather than instructing them to “sit up straight.” They found that these naturally occurring postural differences influenced risk-taking behavior and were also associated with changes in aspects of mood.

Why is this interesting for the Alexander Technique?

Because the Alexander Technique has long invited us to look beyond the idea of “good posture” as something we simply force ourselves into. Instead, it explores how we respond to our environment, how we organize ourselves in movement, and how awareness can create more choice in the way we use ourselves.

Our posture isn’t isolated from the rest of our experience. How we sit, stand, move, and respond may be part of a much bigger conversation between body, mind, environment, and behavior.

An interesting study—and another reason to stay curious about how we use ourselves.

Read the full study: British Journal of Psychology

08/14/2026

Dealing with stress or pain? Come and learn how the Alexander Technique can help. It's all about awareness and thinking about how you move. Sounds simple? It is, but it creates a powerful change!
No charge but please register. Spaces are limited. Carroll, Iowa.
https://forms.gle/b4cUYP45qvbRWdEo6

08/14/2026

Weekend's coming! What will you do for yourself?