How long will I have to come for lessons before I learn the Alexander Technique?
or
How long will I have to take lessons before my back stops hurting?

The Alexander Technique is something you study, not something you accomplish. It is more like learning to play the piano than it is like making a piano. It isn't a matter of ten lessons, or even a hundred lessons. How well you play the piano depends upon how many lessons you take, how often you take them, and how much you practice.

Students of the Alexander Technique have much the same experience. Those who approach the technique with a specific pain—such as back pain—often desire immediate results, and for good reason, they're in pain after all. But if the back pain is caused by repetitive stress, such as the way the student has been standing or sitting over his or her entire lifetime, then any immediate relief will merely be temporary.

The Alexander Technique is an effective treatment for lifelong habits which cause pain, but it is not an aspirin. Though a lesson may provide temporary relief, the goal of the technique is to enhance a student's understanding and physical awareness, so that the causes of stress and discomfort are alleviated. The effect is long-term but so is the process of learning the technique.

To become a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique a candidate must first be a proficient student of the technique. Then, after many hours of lessons, a candidate can apply to an institute to study. The program lasts three years. That's three years of daily study of the technique. Even after three years of daily study, the overwhelming number of teachers continue to take lessons from other teachers as often as they are able. The reason for continued study is that (A) There is always more to learn, especially about ourselves, and (B) Alexander Techique lessons are in and of themselves rewarding experiences.

Ultimately, how many lessons someone should take depends on how much they would like to learn. At the start of lessons, it is most beneficial for a student to come twice per week for the first month or two. Most people taper to one lesson per week after they have a basic understanding of the technique's principles.