The Dimon Institute

JOIN DR THEODORE DIMON ONLINE ON ZOOM FOR A FREE SERIES OF TALKS ON F.M. ALEXANDER'S ICONIC STORY

There is no single written work that has had a greater influence on the subject of mindfulness in action than F.M. Alexander's own personal story, The Evolution of a Technique. This seminal text, the outcome of an intense and fruitful period of self study, is a portrait of a tenacious problem-solver and original thinker, containing groundbreaking contributions to psychology, muscle physiology, performance, health, and the unity of mind and body that are as important as any made in human history. 

And yet it is a dense, demanding piece of writing, difficult to make sense of and difficult to follow. Many earnest and passionate students of Alexander's work have found it confusing to the point of impenetrability. 

Ted Dimon has been re-reading and pondering this text for over 40 years. In this series of talks, Ted will discuss his own views on Alexander's unique path of insight, describing at least 17 distinct stages in the story:

"I always found this account fascinating. Years ago I identified 17 stages of discovery, and tried to follow them but found that I couldn't. I couldn't understand how he arrived at some of his conclusions, or how he transitioned to the next one. Several of his intellectual leaps were simply opaque! 

Slowly, over the years and with much more practice and teaching, his path became completely transparent."

We will explore all of these questions, and more:

• Why does Alexander open with a discussion of mind/body unity? This is one of the most important insights made in any field, ever.
• Why does he wax philosophical about evolution, immediately after he identifies tension in his legs?
• How did he identify an unconscious process of neural messaging being sent to muscles? What does this have to do with his famous "projection of orders"?
• When in the text does he identify that his harmful manner of use was called into play by the mere thought of performing an action?
• What Is Alexander doing  as he sits quietly in front of his mirror for "successive days, weeks, and sometimes even months"?
• What is the true meaning and purpose of his final 5-step process? What was he trying to express as a writer?

COURSE OVERVIEW:  6 live 1-hour talks will be held online via Zoom on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 12pm New York City time, September 8, 10, 11, and 15, 17, 18 2025. Each live session will be recorded, and the recordings will be posted here to allow students to view them later, at no charge.