Joanie Mercer

Joanie Levine Mercer has been bringing the Alexander Technique to Austin, Texas since 1976, and is committed to learning and teaching everything that has made her life rich and fulfilling. In the late 1960s she was active in community building, working with women and men to teach life-skills to enhance communication and listening between people. As one of the first Hatha Yoga teachers in Texas, she began to examine other healing modalities including alternative medicine, nutrition, and stress-reduction techniques. This passion for learning and exploring expanded states of consciousness inspired her to study in both Paris and India for extended periods of time.

She has studied the Alexander Technique since 1976. As a Senior Teacher certified by the American Society for the Alexander Technique, she is also a Registered Somatic Movement therapist. Joanie received a Bachelor of Science in Education from The University of Texas at Austin and did graduate work at the University of Michigan. She has studied psychophysical therapies including Gestalt, Bio-Energetics and Feldenkrais Method, as well as Hatha Yoga, Kinesiology, Reiki, and other complementary nutritional, relaxation and stress management techniques.

She has studied Yoga and Meditation for over 40 years with many teachers including Swami Virajananda, Swami Muktananda Paramahansa, and Gurumayi Chidvilasanda, John Friend and Tibetan Meditation Teacher Anam Thubten.

In January 2016 Joanie completed the Plant Based Nutrition Certificate with the eCornell and T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.

A little over two years ago, November 14,2014, Joanie was in an auto accident. The kind of accident where everything slows down and you see it coming and it doesn't make sense. A truck was coming straight at her (front passenger seat). There was impact, the air bags exploded and then a horrible acrid smell. Fortunately, because they were in a very large SUV there were no broken bones. Joanie had some soft tissue damage and her husband's face was cut by the airbag. As odd as it sounds, this event was the beginning of a Whole-food/Plant-based No Oil way of eating for Joanie. She writes about that journey and how she has incorporated it with her study/teaching of the Alexander Technique and her coaching of Life-Skills in her blog.

Joanie is also an accomplished painter in acrylics (see examples of her work above) and her acting skills are mentioned in Alan Arkin's book, An Improvised Life.

Learn more about Joanie in these two audio interviews, where she speaks about the Alexander Technique and spiritual development and about her experiences studying with master teacher of the Alexander Technique Marjorie Barstow.