Alexander Technique
The Alexander technique is a specific method of adjusting and correcting habitual
misaligned body posture in order to relieve muscle tension and allow the body to move with
greater ease and efficiency.
Description of the Alexander Technique
The Alexander technique is a way of becoming more aware of
your balance and how you move. It's based on the premise that most people have bad
postural habits that, over time, stop us using our bodies as easily and comfortably as we
should. Wrongly used muscles contract and pull down, giving to the classic sign of bad
use: head tipped back at the start of any movement, especially sitting or standing.
As well as the long-term damage to joints and cramped internal organs, poor posture is
linked with respiratory ailments; people develop round shoulders from hunching
protectively around their painful chests as they cough and wheeze.
Frederick Alexander believed modern living leads to bad postural habits; shoulders raised
and stiffened by stress, neck poked forward over desk work, tired bodies slumped into
saggy armchairs. Soon we've lost all sense of how we really are, so that what feels
natural (because it's habitual) is widely out of line. That's why it's hard to correct our
own posture without expert help.
The Alexander Technique aims to re-educate the body into moving more easily - relearning
the natural grace all children have until they all go to school and start slouching over
desks.
It's based on what Alexander teachers call 'good use of the body' - allowing the spine to
regain its natural curves, holding the head effortlessly in the easiest position and
distributing weight evenly over your feet. The bonus is that you look taller and feel
lighter.
It's a hand-on teaching method, though you don't usually undress; after three years'
full-time training Alexander teachers can use their fingertips to 'read' peoples muscles
through layers of clothing. To start with you, and the teacher observe your stance and
movements for some time, and the first shock is seeing how asymmetrical you are when you
think you're standing straight. Then you're gently moved into a healthier position when
you're sitting, standing and lying down.
As part of the learning process you stop to think before plunging into a habitual move,
then make the move mindfully. It feels odd to practice getting up and walking with
someone's hand lightly holding the back of your neck, and even odder for the first few
days when you keep making conscious efforts to do it the way you've learned.
And the homework couldn't be easier: for 20 minutes a day you lie on your back on the
floor, with just enough books under your head to keep your neck parallel to the floor (so
you can swallow comfortably), knees raised, feet on the floor hip-width apart and hands on
abdomen.
Purposeof the Alexander Technique
This technique teaches simple, efficient physical movements that can improve posture,
balance, and coordination. Students learn to regain their natural alignment and balance,
thus restoring harmony and enhancing health. It is not used primarily to relieve specific
ailments like a backache or a stiff neck, but rather is intended to correct the source of
those muscle-related problems.
Precautions before starting Alexander Technique
As one of the least intrusive techniques, the Alexander technique involves virtually no
physical manipulation whatsoever and consists primarily of guidance and verbal
instructions. It is safe for everyone, including pregnant women. |
