Our Mission:

The Contemporary Alexander School is a learning community devoted to making the Alexander Technique accessible to all by providing flexible opportunities for study and training, and by teaching individuals and groups through real-life activities and situations, where the principles of the Work can be easily and directly incorporated into your life.

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Everyone is welcome. Everyone is included.

All CAS/AAI faculty, administrators, graduates, trainees, and students are expected to uphold these commitments, guidelines, community agreements, and code of ethics.

 

Our commitment to Justice and Fairness.

Intent

To create and sustain an environment that encourages all members of our community, as well as the Contemporary Alexander School as an organization, to reach their fullest potential in a positive and productive manner.

Guidelines 

1. Respect the uniqueness and intrinsic worth of every individual.

2. Treat people with dignity, respect and compassion to foster a trusting study environment free of harassment, intimidation, and discrimination.

3. Ensure that everyone has the opportunity to develop their skills and new competencies.

4. Assure an environment of inclusiveness and a commitment to diversity in the community we serve.

5. Develop, administer and advocate policies and procedures that foster fair, consistent and equitable treatment for all.

 

OUR COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS

1. Try It On

2.  Practice Self-Focus

(Mind Your Own Business; WAIT - Why Am I Talking?, Return to Point)

3.  Assume everyone is doing their best

4.  Move Up, Move Back - Balance the Boat we are all riding in

5.  Practice Mindful Listening

6. Confidentiality - share with permission

7.  Right & Responsibility to Pass

8.  Differentiate between Impact and Intent

9.  Practice Both/And - ackowledge multiple realities

10. Collectively Create a Space Where Learning Can Happen

 

OUR CODE OF ETHICS

CAS/AAI strives to ensure, through education and practice, that all trainees understand and adhere to this fundamental code of ethical behavior as future Alexander Teachers:

  1. Maintain a professional, ethical, attitude and relationship between yourself, your students, and your colleagues.

  2. Ensure confidentiality.

  3. Do not use your role/authority to in any way coerce a student or colleague, physically, emotionally, sexually, mentally.

  4. Do not offer Alexander Technique as therapeutic or diagnostic - only educational.

  5. Request consent before touching. Fully explain the use of hands-on work. Always teach with students fully clothed, unless the situation the student wishes to study requires specialized clothing.

  6. Respect your colleagues worldwide, regardless of style or lineage. Refrain from judgment and gossip.

  7. Respect intellectual property. If you use material from any other teacher, credit them.

  8. If you have any complaints or concerns about any member of the CAS/AAI faculty, assistants, trainees, or guests, or any interaction occurring during CAS-organized class/workshop time, contact any CAS/AAI lead faculty member to register your concern so it can be recognized and addressed.

 

Our commitment to Equity

CAS/AAI is committed to our own equity journey, the diversity of our school community and the broader Alexander Technique community, and the ongoing creation of inclusive and equitable access to Alexander Technique in the world.

We recognize the history of oppression that has resulted in ongoing disparities for some communities, and although we are a small school, we also recognize that we have the opportunity to create positive systemic change in our own community and in the ways in which Alexander’s Work is made available in the world.

CAS/AAI is committed to confronting our own biases and operationalizing our values. We know that intention alone will not change things, and thus have an Equity Mentor on our faculty and Equity Studies in our curriculum.  We share the successes and mistakes of our own continuing efforts in the direction towards equity with our international colleagues on behalf of our school and our profession. 

CAS/AAI as an organization, as well as the Founding Director, and individual members of the faculty and student bodies, are active in the Alexander Technique Liberation Project, working towards the intersection of AT and DEI worldwide.

The vision we hold for enriching our community moves us to challenge ourselves and to deconstruct frameworks of oppression while building opportunities for learning, change and accountability.

 

OUR COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVITY

All those seeking greater embodied freedom are welcome. This includes all races, colors, religions, sexes, gender identities or expressions, sexual orientations, national origins, genetics, body types, abilities (visible and invisible), ages, immigrant statuses and economic statuses.

Mistakes such as biases, prejudices, stereotypes will inevitably be made, because we are human. However, we are committed to the work: the ongoing process of being called in, uncovering layers, deepening understanding, and enacting positive change. We commit to promoting equity and reducing and repairing harm when it happens.