The
Alexander Technique is an intelligent way to solve body problems.
Many people are mystified by their own back pain, excess tension
or lack of coordination. They often see problems in their joints
or muscles as structural, unchangeable. As an Alexander teacher,
I hear clients say things like, "I've always walked like a
duck," or "My posture is just like my father's."
But, as they learn the Technique, they are surprised that they really
can make lasting changes in the way they walk, their degree of muscular
tension or the shape of their posture. They learn how dynamic and
changeable the body really is. They find that, by learning the Technique,
they can improve their overall movement and achieve optimal health
for both body and mind.
We
all have unconscious movement habits. Without realizing it, we put
undue pressure on ourselves. We use more force than we need to lift
a coffee pot or a weight bar. We slouch as we sit, unaware that
our way of doing things gives our bodies a certain look. We blame
body problems on activities -- carpal tunnel syndrome on computer
work, tennis elbow on tennis. But often it is how we do something
that creates the problem, not the activity itself.
An
Alexander Technique teacher helps you see what in your movement
style contributes to your recurring difficulties -- whether it's
a bad back, neck and shoulder pain, restricted breathing, perpetual
exhaustion or limitations in performing a task or sport. Analyzing
your whole movement pattern -- not just your symptom -- the teacher
alerts you to habits of compression in your characteristic way of
sitting, standing and walking. He or she then guides you -- with
words and a gentle, encouraging touch -- to move in a freer, more
integrated way.
The
Technique's basic idea is that when the neck muscles do not overwork,
the head balances lightly at the top of spine. The relationship
between the head and the spine is of utmost importance. How we manage
that relationship has ramifications throughout the rest of the body.
As the boss -- good or bad -- sets the tone for an organization,
the head / spine relationship -- compressed or free -- determines
the quality of the body's overall coordination. Our neuromuscular
system is designed to work in concert with gravity. Delicate poise
of the head sparks the body's anti-gravity response: a natural oppositional
force in the torso that easily guides us upward and invites the
spine to lengthen, rather than compress, as we move. Instead of
slouching or holding ourselves in a rigid posture, we can learn
to mobilize this support system and use it wherever we go -- in
the car, at the computer, in the gym.
Young
children have this natural poise. If you watch a toddler in action,
you will see an erect spine, free joints and a large head balancing
easily on a little neck. A healthy child walks and plays with regal
posture. Barring birth defects, we all began that way. But over
the years, we often lose that spontaneity and ease.
Using
the Alexander Technique, you can learn to strip away harmful habits,
heighten your self-awareness, and use your thought process to restore
your original poise. In a way, you are learning something that,
deep down, your body already knows. With the Alexander Technique,
you come to understand much more about how your body works, and
how to make it work for you. You can tap more of your internal resources,
and begin on a path to enhancing your comfort and pleasure in all
your activities.
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Joan Arnold, certified
teacher of the Alexander Technique, has a private practice in New
York City. She has performed and taught dance, yoga and exercise
for 25 years and has presented the Alexander Technique at fitness
clubs, spas, colleges, drama schools and on television. Her work
has been featured in Esquire magazine and her writing has appeared
in national magazines. She is a contributing author to The Whole
Mind, The Definitive Guide to Complementary Treatments to Mind,
Mood & Emotion.
