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About the Alexander Technique
What is the Alexander Technique?
The Alexander Technique is a way of bringing more awareness and practical intelligence to what we are doing and how we are doing it. It is a simple and effective method for improving coordination of movement, breathing, and posture. The Alexander Technique is about learning to learn, learning to change habits, and learning to do things with more ease and efficiency.
Who was F.M. Alexander?
The Alexander Technique was developed over 100 years ago by Frederick Matthias Alexander, an Australian actor. Chronic laryngitis nearly ruined his career, and after many unproductive doctors' visits, he took it upon himself to find the source of his vocal problem. Using mirrors, Alexander carefully studied the way he used himself while in the midst of speaking and found that he was creating excessive tension throughout his body that indirectly depressed his larynx, consequently causing him to lose his voice. He used his personal discoveries to cure his laryngitis. Alexander became known as the `breathing man', teaching those with breathing or vocal disorders, and later used his technique to teach many other people with musculoskeletal and stress-related problems. He developed and refined a practical method for eliminating harmful tension patterns and establishing in their place poise, efficiency, and ease in any activity.
Why do we need it?
In western cultures particularly, the grace and coordination we had as children is often lost. As we grow older, we develop unhealthy strategies for dealing with stressful situations, forming habits which can manifest as illness or disease. Physical or psychological trauma can cause a stress response in the body, as can accidents and injuries. Conscious or unconscious imitation may also contribute to the formation of faulty movement patterns and poor posture.
In time, our habits become so familiar, we can't tell that they are unhealthy; our kinesthetic feedback becomes untrustworthy. Chronic pain, postural problems, and breathing disorders are just a few examples of poor use. When these conditions arise, we must re-think how we go about our daily lives. The consciousness cultivated by the Alexander Technique allows positive, long-lasting changes in the way we think, move, and respond to the world.
How does it work?
Alexander discovered that when the head is balanced freely on top of the spine, the spine is then allowed to lengthen naturally. This optimal relationship of the head, neck, and back has a positive influence on the whole body, organizing and coordinating our body systems and our movements. Excess tension, especially in the area of the head and neck, blocks important information from being received by our kinesthetic (movement) receptors, so we may overuse some muscles and underuse others. When we let go of unnecessary tension, our postural reflexes are free to operate and the "primary control" is enhanced.
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Cathy Pollock
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"We do not see things
as they are; rather we
see things as we are."
- The Talmud
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