“Sit straight.” “Don’t slouch.” “Relax your shoulders.” “Chin up.” We receive such a barrage of posture-related instructions in our childhood that it’s easy to believe the wisdom is absolute. Correct posture is associated with upright morality and upstanding character. Slumping, leaning, fidgeting is the preserve of the feckless, while overly tense shoulders and back signal an inability to tolerate stress.

If that were true, then controlling your physical deportment would equate to self-control. That’s perhaps why the Alexander Technique has remained popular for more than 100 years. It’s a therapy that aims to change the way you hold and use your body in order to tackle long-standing physical and mental problems, including pain and stress, as well as making you m...