What is Alexander Technique?
As babies and young children we naturally move beautifully and effortlessly. At early development we could stand and walk with ease, sit comfortably for as long as we please without strain; our bodies a model of poise and perfect muscle tone.
We are all born with reflexes that control the relationships between the different parts (head, spine and limbs) of our bodies. These postural reflexes are necessary for good movement, respiration and general health.
As we get older, we experience the emotional and physical stresses of modern life which is mirrored by our minds and bodies. We accumulate habitual reactive patterns and chronic muscle tension that cause interference with these primary reflexes resulting in imbalance throughout, that can create pain, injury and poor overall functioning.
The Alexander Technique is a skill for a better life.
It is a technique of re-education and personal development to recognise our harmful habits of movement and posture and how to consciously unlearn them. In doing so, we are able to restore natural balance and free movement, co-ordination, and comfort in everday tasks, as well as in more specialised activities such as sport, dance and music.
When we understand how our own bodies integrate as a total system and how we are distorting it, we have the opportunity to take charge of our reactions to create positive change.
With renewed natural poise, lightness and co- ordination, pain and problems often melt away.
With mind and body in harmony, comes other benefits
- Cope with life’s challenges
- Ability to stop, breathe and evaluate
- Ability to make choices and gain control
- Greater self awareness and self reliance
- Improved confidence and reduced anxiety conditions
Why do we need Alexander Technique?
“People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.”
― F. M. AlexanderModern life can be challenging. Fear, stress, thoughts, emotions, chaos, excess demands on strength and co-ordination are all enemies of how we use our bodies. Even the furniture we sit on.
As a result, we fix, contract, compress and generally shorten in stature. Unknowingly, we over use some muscles and under use others, distorting our natural balance and movement patterns. We need to counter balance imbalances causing further muscle tension, effort and discomfort.
We are bi-pedal beings evolved to be upright without succumbing to the pull of gravity, designed to work in a naturally lengthened state with elasticity and stability. Functioning at optimal level, we can move freely, uplifted with natural poise and graceful movement.
Alexander Technique helps you understand that most problems stem from our own behaviour both mentally and physically. Very often it’s our own responses that cause muscular tension and movement patterns that affect our well being.
Throughout our daily lives, our behaviours are mostly repetitive and carried out on ‘autopilot’. The more our reactive patterns become habitual, the more they are executed subconsciously.
Habit feels ‘normal’ or ‘right’, so how do we consciously know what to change?
Alexander Technique teaches us to become aware of our own unwanted habitual patterns and how they interfere with the natural balance and dynamic relationship of the head, neck and back.