In line with the theme of the congress, Embodied Mind in Action, this workshop invites participants to experience the synergistic ways in which mindfulness meditation and Alexander Technique approach stress.

We will share insights from our recent research project that explored how dual-discipline experts self-regulate when under stress. Seventeen practitioners who were trained and deeply invested in both mindfulness meditation and Alexander technique, participated in semi-structured interviews, detailing their experiences as they recalled stressful moments. Our thematic analysis identified three shared themes: decentering, skilled observation, and maintaining an intention. These themes provided a framework for comparing how the disciplines function in practice. [See poster for details of this research project]

Based on our findings, we will invite participants to practise and reflect on the practice within the workshop. We will highlight skills from the application of the Alexander technique that may support the practice of meditation and explore what mindfulness meditation may offer to teachers of Alexander technique. We will also invite participants in the workshop to share their experiences of practising AT and/or mindfulness and to discuss how they experience the relationships between these two disciplines.