2025 ATI Annual Conference WorkshopsMonday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |Friday
Schedule Subject To Change Monday, 20 October10:30AM -12:00 PMWorking with Activity- The 4 W's, Bob Lada Bob will begin by outlining a method for working with activities, followed by a series of demonstrations to illustrate teh approach. He will first lead a demonstration then guide participants through the process step by step. The 4 W’s. Working on Different Time Scales, Rachel Prabhakar When you touch your student, it takes roughly on the order of 15 milliseconds for the nerve impulse generated in your fingers to reach your brain. The duration of a breath cycle is significantly longer - a typical adult resting breathing rate is about 5 seconds for a full inhale-exhale cycle. The process of bone remodeling, in which old adult bone is broken down and replaced with new bone, is much longer still. Bone remodeling continues throughout life and, in the course of about 10 years, most of the adult skeleton is replaced. For each of us, in every moment, multiple processes are continuously unfolding. These processes take place on different time scales, and many processes interact with others. When we work with our students, what time scales and processes are we including? In this workshop, we will exchange work with each other, and explore working at different time scales.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMPreparing for Change, Debi Adams While exploring change can seem routine for Alexander Technique teachers, we can forget that the experience for a new student (and sometimes for a seasoned one) can be startling and overwhelming. In this workshop we will explore ways to prepare our students for change by offering tools to help them welcome new experiences. Growing Our Teaching, Growing Our Profession with Continuing Education Committee Join us as we share inspiring continuing education stories and projects presented by the Continuing Education Committee. For those who may be new to ATI teaching membership and Continuing Education requirements, we will explain the reporting process and allow time for Questions and Answers.
4:00 PM - 5:30 PMTeaching from a Unified Self: Withholding Definition as a path towards Confidence, Corinne Cassini and Harry Hobbs When some parts of ourselves are confident and clear, and some parts are not, we are not unified or aligned, therefore, we cannot transmit an experience of wholeness to our students. In this workshop, we will explore how we embody both confident and less assured parts of ourselves and how this translates into our presence, words, and hands-on skills. In this interactive, experiential workshop, participants will engage with limiting ideas or beliefs about their teaching abilities and areas in which they embody confidence. By learning how to soften the hold of those ideas and beliefs and embrace more consciously their positive qualities, participants can forge pathways towards confidence and wholeness in their skills as an Alexander Technique teacher. Participants will practice this through direct hands-on work with one another in a supportive environment. Micro-Lessons, Macro-Impact: Reclaiming Wholeness in Fleeting Moments, Joy Arcolano What can we offer in 90 seconds? In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore the concept of “micro-lessons” in the Alexander Technique—brief, situational interventions that bring awareness, ease, and support to others in moments of intensity. This work is inspired by my experience cheering marathon runners (including my husband!) and offering short, embodied cues as they passed. Rooted in Alexander technique and a life-time of athletics, these 90-second interactions had surprising impact—several runners returned or followed up to say how much the moment helped them. This session invites us to consider: +When is a micro-lesson appropriate? +What are the ethical and energetic implications? +How do we maintain the integrity of our work while meeting people where they are? Participants will engage in movement-based explorations, partnered activities, and reflective discussion to: +Recognize opportunities for micro-lessons in daily life +Explore how presence, direction, and non-doing can be offered authentically and ethically +Reflect on the role of consent, invitation, and relational safety—especially outside formal lessons +Practice short-form engagements that honor the depth of Alexander work Together, we’ll examine the line between invitation and imposition and consider how to cultivate trust and presence even in the briefest encounters. These micro-moments, though fleeting, can be potent: helping others reclaim agency, connection, and embodied presence. This workshop affirms that resilience and wholeness can be reclaimed—sometimes in just 90 seconds.
7:00 PMUnified Self in a Divided World as a Call to Action Keynote with Robyn Avalon Can we hear the call to action for ourselves, the Work, and the World? What is the next step in the evolution of your relationship to the Work? How do we, individually and collectively, ‘carry the torch’ forward?
Tuesday, 21 October7:00 AM - 7:45 AMJump In With Your Whole Self!, Morgan Brunketurner and Eric Kidlow Come, Wake Up and Play with us as we explore how rhythm, music and movement help us to make space to live in our bodies and with ourselves. We'll learn to jump rope, play ball, and we may dance a bit. We may be outdoors. Come prepared to move!
1:30 PM - 2:45 PMThe Art of Group Teaching: The Legacy of Marjorie Barstow, Meade Andrews This participatory workshop will focus on the art of group teaching and the legacy of Marjorie Barstow. I will also teach a couple of "Marj" lessons in front of the whole group. About Marjorie Barstow: Marjorie Barstow (1899-1995) was the first graduate of Alexander's first teacher training course in England. (1931-34). Like Alexander, Marj grew up on a horse farm in Nebraska. Marj pioneered a new way of teaching the AT in a group setting, where she guided a single person in front of a circle of people sitting together. For her, a lesson was a dialogue, and she often asked questions of her students which inspired them to take an active part in their learning, as well as responsibility for their own journey with the AT. She guided students in a wide range of activities, as they applied the AT to acting, singing, playing a musical instrument, and the everyday activities of walking, sitting, and standing.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMTribute to Glenna Batson One summer evening at Sweetbriar College in Virginia, Alexander Technique students and teachers gathered for the Talent show and sharing. At one point, a skilled teacher and dancer got up to do an improvisational dance and began a backbend. And we were all transfixed by her movement. It was such a deep and amazing movement, back and back and back—so beautiful. She reminded me of a bridge. Glenna Batson was the dancer, and such a glorious mover she was. And she was a wonderful bridge—an expert in dance, somatics, research, Alexander Technique, and life in general. Glenna’s generosity as a teacher, whether she was teaching somatics or the Alexander Technique or human origami, is legendary. It is delightful to see many of her former students and colleagues remember her for her laughter, and her reminders not to be too serious! For many years I was very much in awe of her, and couldn’t imagine that I would ever have any bodywork or spiritual work to offer her in return. When she first became ill (over 10 years ago—during which time she managed to serve as a Congress director in Limerick, Ireland!), I was fortunate to get to know her better and do energy work with her. She was as strong in her receptivity as she was in her teaching, and she taught me so much—as all great learners do. I will miss her humor, her strength of character, her willingness to reinvent movement, and her determination to live life on her terms. May we all laugh and move better for having had Glenna in our lives. 4:00 PM - 5:00 PMAlexander Technique: Mono- or Multitasking? Exploring the connections between the Alexander Technique and the Corporate world, Amy Hack & Gaby Minnes Brandes In what ways is the Alexander Technique compatible with a corporate job? Corporations employ many of us and for some, provide the income to finance shelter, food…and Alexander lessons. Are there ways in which Alexander lessons can encourage students to consider the corporate world through an Alexander framework? What are some potential insights gained from this analysis? How can Alexander lessons support students that come from the corporate world? Is the focus needed to problem-solve a work challenge all that different from learning to continuously direct in an Alexander lesson? Working in small groups, we will experiment with split-awareness, pausing, and primary control, and apply those concepts to the day-in-a-life of someone working in the corporate world. Through various real-life scenarios, we will explore the ways in which a person can bridge the distance between an Alexander lesson and being at work. We will ask if these are two different modes of functioning and in what ways each can inform the other. Through these explorations we will address the question whether the Alexander Technique is about mono- or multitasking, why it matters and how it informs our choices and decisions out of the lesson. Participants will be invited to share their experiences of bridging the distance between Alexander lessons and their work environment. Explorations in Expansion and Energy-Infused Alexander Exchanges, Renée Jackson This presentation will be an interactive and exploratory workshop, including opportunities for hands-on exchanges. We will experiment with the ongoing question of what we bring to our students or colleagues while putting hands-on in a group or individual setting. We will examine how to call upon energetic resources for the clarity of our intention and the conservation of our energy reserves. We will try bringing a few different energetic resources to hands-on work, including some basic QiGong as well as Nervous System Energy Work. There are many ways to refresh and revitalize your AT practice and teaching if you know where to look and sense! Wednesday, 22 October7:00 AM - 7:45 AMStrolling with the “Ministry of Silly Walks”, Sara GoldsteinStart your day with a playful exploration of walking. This workshop, inspired by comedic actor John Cleese’s sketch, “The Ministry of Silly Walks” will invite participants to inhabit their bodies in unconventional and non-habitual ways. Alexander Technique sometimes leads us to seek correct or ideal patterns of movement. By unlocking alternate ways of thinking about directions and right and wrong, we will find new ways of being, and start the day with some lighthearted moments.
8:30 AM - 10:30 AMCommittee Fair
11:00 AM - 12:00 PMHybrid Teaching Panel Discussion, Debi Adams Join Debi Adams as she moderates a dynamic panel discussion on the evolving landscape of hybrid teacher training. As this model has gained traction, especially in the wake of COVID-19, many organizations have adopted it as a standard approach. This session will delve into the benefits and challenges of hybrid training, featuring insights from practitioners who are deeply immersed in its implementation. Whether you're considering hybrid training or looking to refine your current model, this conversation will offer valuable perspectives and practical takeaways.
Jump In With Your Whole Self!, Morgan Brunketurner and Eric Kidlow Come, Wake Up and Play with us as we explore how rhythm, music and movement help us to make space to live in our bodies and with ourselves. We'll learn to jump rope, play ball, and we may dance a bit. We may be outdoors. Come prepared to move!
Thursday, 23 October7:00 AM - 7:45 AMMorning Mix with Rachel Prabhakar
Start your morning with gentle movement, stretches and self-massage techniques.
9:00 AM - 10:00 AMAlexander Technique, Trauma, and the Regulation of the Nervous System, Imogen Ragone This workshop will look at the intersection of Alexander Technique principles and practices as they relate to trauma, chronic stress, and the regulation of the nervous system.A little knowledge and understanding can go a long way to preventing unintentional harm and improves the outcomes and experience for both teacher and student. Imogen will share the ways in which working with students dealing with severe trauma and chronic stress has informed her teaching. You’ll get to experience initial explorations she uses in her work, learn which AT concepts can be especially helpful and how they relate to important principles for working with anyone with trauma.
A flutist and an Alexander teacher making music together: Applying Alexander principles in the context of playing an instrument, Gaby Minnes Brandes and Francesca Arnone FM Alexander was looking for ways to overcome his vocal challenges and explored himself as the instrument that makes sounds. Flutists use an external instrument, the flute, to make sound through the ways in which they use themselves. How can Alexander teachers work with instrumental musicians to incorporate considerations of “use and function”, inhibition, direction and the “means-whereby” to reach more unified artistic expression?In this session we will demonstrate how we work together to find efficiency and ease while playing an instrument. We will examine some fundamental flute exercises and commonly held beliefs about playing the flute in light of specific Alexander procedures and overarching concepts. We will explore ideas of how to infuse the practice room inspired by an Alexander Technique framework, and then discuss the challenges of moving from the practice room to a performance hall, offering suggestions that are based on Alexander principles. Playfully challenging the beliefs that musical mastery and freedom require technical powers gained [at any cost] through repetition to secure predictable results, we will demonstrate the sound created when applying Alexander principles. We will also invite participants to share their experiences as Alexander teachers or as musicians working toward similar goals.
10:30 AM - 12:00 PMHow You Use Yourself is Who You Are, Tommy Thompson "Could the way you think be the reason you keep sitting, walking, or reacting the same way—over and over again?" Not just your body—but your habits, your tone, your presence. Most people assume movement patterns are physical problems. Something to correct. Something to stretch out or hold in. But in this workshop, we look closer.Your thoughts, your feelings, your perceptions—they shape the way you sit, walk, speak, and even pause. You may believe you’re just “standing up” or “getting through the day,” but your entire system is repeating something it learned a long time ago. A pattern. A strategy. A story.This question lies at the center of this workshop. Because the way you think and the way you use yourself are not separate—they are a single loop.And if you’re not aware of that loop, it keeps repeating—physically, emotionally, unconsciously.In this workshop, we'll explore how to relearn noticing ourselves in motion. We pay attention to the space between reaction and response. We explore how use reflects identity—and how it can shift. I Am Enough: Teaching Wholeness to Performers, Jana Tift Do you notice that your students see themselves as a collection of parts? Or maybe, they are a collection of judgments -- of themselves, their bodies, their minds, their performance, the space, their fellow performers? As teachers of the Alexander Technique, we can give ourselves and our students a gift: to celebrate every Part within the Whole – even little quirks and surprises. Teaching them (and perhaps, ourselves) to let go of judgment and divisions, we help them discover that they are a unified whole. From our unified wholeness, we create a unified learning experience, from which our student learns to perform from their whole unified Body-Self.This is an experiential class, so we will be on our feet and moving. Everyone is invited to participate at their comfort level.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMStarting Life Whole, Jennifer Kellow At birth babies sometimes have slightly compressed facial bones due to their passage during labor. These subtle distortions may interfere with their smooth feeding, and calm functioning. These compressions especially affect preterm infants who need nasal prongs or tiny masks strapped to their faces for weeks in order to keep breathing. With my primary control active I direct their facial bones to align and end this distortion. In this workshop, participants will learn how to assess when this subtle distortion is present and learn my procedure for releasing it. We will be working with each others faces. Offer and Receive, Robin Gilmore The Medicine Wheel is a movement practice that relates to directions of the compass with a clear sense of self relating to the world and community. Alternating between Offering and Receiving, the form uses simple arm movements that have Alexander applications. These include how our arms relate to our torso at varying heights, spatial awareness and receptivity to change. The Medicine Wheel as presented in this workshop was gifted to somatic practitioners by members of an indigenous tribe in the Pacific Northwest of the US. It has been shared with many Alexander teachers and students for several decades. Anyone can learn the form and its multiple layers of interpretation. The contrast between "offer/receive" and "give/take" has clear connections to the ways in which our intention affects our quality of movement and interaction with others. AT teachers and trainees can apply the Medicine Wheel as a bridge to hands-on practice.
4:00PM - 5:30 PMWhat are the best tools we have to heal from traumatic injuries?, Sarah Barker Sarah will lead the group through unifying exercises that will help you recover your wholeness when you have injuries, especially those that persist. Over the past twn years Sarah has dealt with her own very complex injuries including traumatic brain injury, broken bones and a broken hip. She will share all of the discoveries she has made in working with the Alexander Technique and many other modalities to bring herself back to wholeness.Sometimes we can try to impose AT principles of mechanical advantage, form and function and forget the power of the indirect approach. Sometimes our concept of perfect self-use can get in the way. So Sarah will lead us in group explorations and then work with individuals to examine the new ways of thinking in activity she has developed in her own journey of healing. Alexander in Education: Teaching Young People, Gabrielle Czaja and Corinne Cassini FM Alexander said: “Give a child conscious control and you give him poise, the essential starting point for education.” FMA was deeply committed to teaching children, and his vision for empowering youth is no less essential and relevant in today’s complex world. Are you interested in teaching young people? Join certified Developing Self teachers Gabrielle Czaja and Corinne Cassini and explore playful, simple ways to introduce Alexander Technique principles to children, adolescents, and education professionals. The Developing Self is a teacher training program, pioneered by Sue Merry and Judith Kleinman, that seeks to integrate the Alexander Technique into schools and promote emotional intelligence and embodied awareness as part of every child’s education.While AT is well established in tertiary and graduate performing arts colleges and programs, it is minimally known in primary and secondary schools. AT helps not only developing performing artists; all children can benefit from learning basic skills of embodied self-awareness. Neurodivergent children especially struggle to navigate the enormous sensory-motor challenges of our noisy, distracting world. AT can empower these students to quiet and organize their minds and bodies to best manage themselves in academic and social situations. Additionally, LGBTQIA kids are reminded daily that there is something wrong with them. Alexander offers these kids a means for discovering their own self-worth. Join us to explore how to introduce the Alexander Technique to young people, so as to promote agency, self-compassion, and overall health, thus helping a young person define success on their own terms.
Friday, 24 October10:15 AM - 11:00 AMClosing Circle
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