Alexander Technique
How will it help you?
The Alexander Technique helps you to replace ineffectual and damaging habits with a conscious and organised use of your whole system.
Read on to learn how the Alexander Technique can help with these common complaints.
Read on to learn how the Alexander Technique can help with these common complaints.
Stress
Modern life is, without doubt, demanding and full of competing stimuli that can overwhelm. Stress levels build, often without us noticing, and start to encroach on our sense of wellbeing. We find ourselves living in perpetual cycle of tension. Over time we develop responses that become counter-productive to living a fulfilled and contented life. The startling fact is that we are unaware that we are affected because it begins to feel normal.
In an Alexander Technique lesson, I will teach you how to recognise the psychophysical reactions you have to stress, for example, jaw clenching, holding the breath, tightening your neck, shoulders, legs etc. As you start to notice and experience the connection between the mind and body, you can make choices about how you respond to stimuli. This awareness and conscious choice-making will lead to long lasting, positive change.
In an Alexander Technique lesson, I will teach you how to recognise the psychophysical reactions you have to stress, for example, jaw clenching, holding the breath, tightening your neck, shoulders, legs etc. As you start to notice and experience the connection between the mind and body, you can make choices about how you respond to stimuli. This awareness and conscious choice-making will lead to long lasting, positive change.
Breathing
Breathing is an automatic response. It happens, day in day out, about 25,000 times a day. It is not something we forget to do. As you are reading this, breath is entering and leaving your body something like 17 breaths per minute.
If you observe a baby’s or an animal’s breath, you will see optimal breathing at work - breathing that is uncomplicated and coordinated. For breath to occur in a coordinated manner, the diaphragm is the driving force, while other muscles of the torso work in conjunction with it. The diaphragm is a large dome-shaped muscle attached to the ribs and the front of the spine, separating the respiratory system from the digestive system. It is an involuntary muscle and cannot be moved directly. What you feel moving when you notice your breath are the supportive muscles of the torso responding to the action of the diaphragm.
Complications with breath occurs when we organise our bodies in an inefficient manner, and get in the way of this process, preventing the diaphragm and ribs from working effectively. We either create too much tension or we lack the appropriate amount of physical and mental bounce required for this action to work effectively and efficiently.
The Alexander Technique is an indirect way to re-educate the breathing muscles. We notice our habits or patterns of use which interfere with optimal breathing, so through the awareness of the head-spine relationship, we can learn to let go of these patterns. This allows the breath to take care of itself.
If you observe a baby’s or an animal’s breath, you will see optimal breathing at work - breathing that is uncomplicated and coordinated. For breath to occur in a coordinated manner, the diaphragm is the driving force, while other muscles of the torso work in conjunction with it. The diaphragm is a large dome-shaped muscle attached to the ribs and the front of the spine, separating the respiratory system from the digestive system. It is an involuntary muscle and cannot be moved directly. What you feel moving when you notice your breath are the supportive muscles of the torso responding to the action of the diaphragm.
Complications with breath occurs when we organise our bodies in an inefficient manner, and get in the way of this process, preventing the diaphragm and ribs from working effectively. We either create too much tension or we lack the appropriate amount of physical and mental bounce required for this action to work effectively and efficiently.
The Alexander Technique is an indirect way to re-educate the breathing muscles. We notice our habits or patterns of use which interfere with optimal breathing, so through the awareness of the head-spine relationship, we can learn to let go of these patterns. This allows the breath to take care of itself.
Pain Management
Pain is a signal that all is not well. It is the body’s way of sending warning messages to the brain when there is an injury, a sensation that can cause discomfort, distress or agony. Pain can affect people physically and emotionally.
Receptor nerve cells sense pain and send messages through the central nervous system to your brain which in turn trigger a series of automatic responses in the body, including muscle contraction, shortness in breath, perspiration and increased heart rate.
Muscle contraction is a way of anesthetising pain because there is less sensation in tense muscles, but there is also less blood flow and movement. This response sets up patterns of contraction around the injured area, affecting balanced coordination. Often, we hold on to these patterns of use long after the pain is gone, suggesting that the body remains on high alert when it is not necessary.
In Alexander Technique lessons, you will learn how to recognise your patterns of thinking and moving in response to pain, how to let go of unhelpful contraction, reduce excess muscular tension and restore calm within the system.
A recent controlled trial, published in a British medical journal, compared the Alexander Technique with exercise and massage for managing chronic and recurrent back pain. The research found that lessons in the Alexander Technique have long-term benefits for people with chronic back pain.
Receptor nerve cells sense pain and send messages through the central nervous system to your brain which in turn trigger a series of automatic responses in the body, including muscle contraction, shortness in breath, perspiration and increased heart rate.
Muscle contraction is a way of anesthetising pain because there is less sensation in tense muscles, but there is also less blood flow and movement. This response sets up patterns of contraction around the injured area, affecting balanced coordination. Often, we hold on to these patterns of use long after the pain is gone, suggesting that the body remains on high alert when it is not necessary.
In Alexander Technique lessons, you will learn how to recognise your patterns of thinking and moving in response to pain, how to let go of unhelpful contraction, reduce excess muscular tension and restore calm within the system.
A recent controlled trial, published in a British medical journal, compared the Alexander Technique with exercise and massage for managing chronic and recurrent back pain. The research found that lessons in the Alexander Technique have long-term benefits for people with chronic back pain.
Ageing
As we age, we begin to feel the effects of gravity. Our joints and spine compress and we become less flexible, making simple daily tasks like getting in and out of a chair or walking up and down stairs harder than they once were. Imbalance also becomes an issue - perhaps we begin to brace ourselves, fearful of falling. Our mobility diminishes as we begin to lock up in response to movement.
Lessons in the Alexander Technique helps to restore flexibility, balance and range of movement. This in turn restores confidence and enables you to age with grace and poise.
Lessons in the Alexander Technique helps to restore flexibility, balance and range of movement. This in turn restores confidence and enables you to age with grace and poise.
Ease of Work
Many people experience discomfort and pain every day at work, and accept this as part of their daily existence, particularly if it involves sitting in front of a computer. However, eventually such discomfort can lead to injury and illness – such things as RSI or back pain.
An Alexander Technique teacher can help you to become aware of the postural habits that you adopt at work, and teach you how to set yourself up to avoid discomfort and injury. You will learn how to become more mindful, and how to engage the body’s postural muscles to support you.
Practising these techniques quickly changes your relationship with your work. You will find that you have more energy and vitality, and that your daily experience is one of ease rather than of discomfort.
An Alexander Technique teacher can help you to become aware of the postural habits that you adopt at work, and teach you how to set yourself up to avoid discomfort and injury. You will learn how to become more mindful, and how to engage the body’s postural muscles to support you.
Practising these techniques quickly changes your relationship with your work. You will find that you have more energy and vitality, and that your daily experience is one of ease rather than of discomfort.
Performing Arts
Whether you play an instrument, dance, act or sing, performing is much more enjoyable if you are at ease and present with your audience. This place of ease is often hard to find, only fleetingly experienced, and difficult to sustain.
Some of the things that can get in the way of performance freedom are repetitive strain injuries, pain, fatigue and self-conscious habits of thinking such as “I have to get it right”, “I’m not good enough” combined with an underlying fear of being judged. The physical aspects are inseparable from the psychological.
In a series of Alexander Technique lessons, we identify areas of tension and work towards a more naturally flowing experience of performing.
Some of the things that can get in the way of performance freedom are repetitive strain injuries, pain, fatigue and self-conscious habits of thinking such as “I have to get it right”, “I’m not good enough” combined with an underlying fear of being judged. The physical aspects are inseparable from the psychological.
In a series of Alexander Technique lessons, we identify areas of tension and work towards a more naturally flowing experience of performing.
Sporting Injury and Performance
Have you ever wondered why some people glide effortlessly through the water in a swimming pool and others seem to exert much greater effort but to lesser effect?
Generally speaking, people use too much muscular effort when doing such things as swimming, running, cycling, weight lifting etc. There is often a personal belief that more effort is required, when in fact, less or better effort will lead to improvement.
If you have a sports injury (particularly a chronic one), an Alexander Technique teacher can help you analyse what you are doing that is sets up the conditions to create the injury. They can also help you to undo that pattern. You will find that your sport becomes far more enjoyable when you are able approach it mindfully, and as your movement becomes more coordinated and less effort.
Generally speaking, people use too much muscular effort when doing such things as swimming, running, cycling, weight lifting etc. There is often a personal belief that more effort is required, when in fact, less or better effort will lead to improvement.
If you have a sports injury (particularly a chronic one), an Alexander Technique teacher can help you analyse what you are doing that is sets up the conditions to create the injury. They can also help you to undo that pattern. You will find that your sport becomes far more enjoyable when you are able approach it mindfully, and as your movement becomes more coordinated and less effort.