The Alexander Technique
See also: Alexander Technique Books | Resources
What is the Alexander Technique?
by Joan Arnold
JoanArn@aol.com
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.
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.
E-mail: JoanArn@aol.com
Office: 212-691-3941
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Books on the Alexander Technique
Available in association with Amazon.com
How to Learn the Alexander Technique: A Manual for Students
by Barbara Conable
Alexander Techinque:
Original Writings of F.M. Alexander: Constructive Conscious Control
by F. M. Alexander (Editor), Daniel McGowan (Editor)
Paperback Abridged edition
The Use of the Self
by F. M. Alexander
The Alexander Technique
- How to Use Your Body Without Stress
by Dr. Wilfred Barlow M.D.
Alexander Technique:
A Practical Introduction
by Richard Brennan
The Alexander Technique
Workbook
by Richard Brennan
Indirect Procedures:
A Musician's Guide to the Alexander Technique
by Pedro De Alcantara
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Resources:
The North American Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique
http://www.alexandertech.org
The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique
http://www.alexandertechnique.com
More links related to the Alexander Technique
