ATI-LA is an amazing place to become an Alexander Technique instructor. They have a faculty who are all so different that if you can't learn something one way, someone else will have a different way to teach it to you.

I can remember in school as a kid trying hard to remember all of the information that was being taught so that I could hold it in my head long enough to do well on all of the exams. I honestly don't think I learned anything at all. In high school, I was hurrying around taking zero hour classes and doing a sport every season, rushing around and almost being encouraged to rush around more. My college and graduate experiences were as an opera singer. Music school was very stressful because it was all focused on looking and sounding a certain way and there was never any time to really see how you wanted to do things. What I am getting at here is that everything in my life before ATI was not really about who I was and what I wanted to do, but more about things on the outside. 

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At ATI-LA, I loved coming to school every day. In three years of training, I never missed a day. The teachers at ATI really allowed me to be myself and learn at my own pace, which was something I had never experienced in my life. This has allowed me to be a better person in every way. I had recurring back pain which is now gone; I got professional singing work, which I completely credit to ATI; but more importantly, I learned how to be myself. I am thankful and forever grateful to these wonderful teachers. If you are thinking about studying here - do it! 

—Julia Caulder, 2000 ATI-LA graduate

 

 

Of course my Alexander Technique training was remarkable and life-changing, but probably not for the reasons one might think.

It was remarkable because of the mischievous glint in Babette Markus' eye during just about every teaching turn I had with her.

It was extraordinary in the clear, quiet inhibition of Lyn Charlsen Klein as she managed the whole shebang and repeatedly said to me: "Leave yourself alone."

It is quietly memorable because of Frances Marsden's wide grin as she approached me with the words: "Let's have a go!" and "Let's stop" – sometimes simultaneously.

It is indelible because of Michael Frederick's seeming personification of paradox: structured playfulness, controlled chaos, rebellious leadership.

It is the people that make this school. Sign on. Enjoy them. They will lift you, inspire you, cajole you and sometimes frustrate you. But they will always hold your heart above the fray as you do this sacred work. 

— Ben Miller, 2000 ATI-LA graduate

 

 

My experience at ATI-LA was a blessing at a time of big change in my life. I was new to the United States and hardly spoke English at all. I had discovered the Alexander Technique 15 years prior in Brazil and was determined to train as a teacher. The instructors and students at ATI-LA helped me not only understand the Alexander Technique in depth, but to demystify and learn the English language in an uplifting environment. 

The faculty of ATI complement each other. They understand what the work is about and put you “at ease” so you can do your best. The lessons were always different and personal—from Lyn’s amazing kinesthetic ability and sensibility, to funny and friendly lessons with Michael; from Frances’ steady and calm teaching style to more detail-oriented lessons with Babette, to open-thinking from Sydney. Everything was there to support my process. 

In three years, I never thought I could learn so much about myself. I started the training believing I would learn something to apply with future students (others). All of the sudden, I was doing what F.M. did with himself, learning about my own habits and how to respond to stimuli in life. Only then would I be ready to teach. So many things came together; it was like a rebirth. 

I would not only recommend ATI as a school to learn the Alexander Technique, but it is a school to develop oneself for life. 

— Celio da Silveira, 2005 ATI-LA graduate

 

 

As I get further into my career as an Alexander Technique teacher, I grow ever more grateful for my training at ATI. Besides gaining an excellent foundation in my hands-on skills as a teacher, I was also able to greatly broaden my understanding of what it means to teach.  

More than merely imparting knowledge, teaching involves curiosity, humility, compassion, desire for growth, self-examination, and many other qualities that make us more highly conscious human beings. In my training I was able to learn this through the leadership of my teachers. The training at ATI incorporates a seamless blend of the technical aspects of the Alexander Technique and the human qualities necessary to teach. Indeed the two are inseparable.  

I was allowed to grow and discover within my own personality and learning style, with just enough guidance to keep me always moving in the right direction. The teachers without fail bring their vast skills, experience and knowledge to each student with genuine devotion and individual concern. There is a culture of unity, support, acceptance and joy, as we all share and observe each other’s growth. I literally looked forward every day to being in class.  

I began my teaching career with two important things: a solid foundation in the skills necessary to teach the Alexander Technique, and an ability to always be engaged in my own learning process as a teacher. With this I am able to experience continued growth and satisfaction in my career and in my life in general. 

I can say without reservation that my three years at ATI were the richest, most memorable, growth-filled years of my life. Choosing my teacher training at this wonderful place was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

— Bill Plake, 2006 ATI-LA graduate