We are often asked, “what is Alexander Technique?” Here is our attempt at answering that question. (And if you prefer to see for yourself and want to book a private or group session, you can do that here.)
_________________________________________________________________
The Basics: Imagining Integrated Movement
Have you ever watched a cat move? Have you closely observed the way they crouch before jumping four feet up to a ledge to swat at a fly?
Considering such daily athletic feats, are you surprised that our pets never seem to throw out their backs or need aspirin for strains?
In the natural world, animals move with effortless grace. If we pay attention, we see creatures around us moving with a seamless integration of posture, movement, and breath. These animals have an inherent harmony in their movement.
And yet, we as humans don’t generally move with this innate elegance. Daily stresses, habits, sedentary jobs, and societal demands cause us to crunch up, accumulating tension that manifests in our bodies. Though commonplace, hunched shoulders and contracted muscles are signs of a body in distress.
How do we find a way back to the natural ease that we once embodied after decades of doing the best we could to move in spaces that weren’t designed for our bodies?
The Alexander Technique is a gentle guide, helping us to unravel these layers of tension and rediscover spaciousness.
Noticing Your Body: the Alexander Technique as a Transformative Tool
Unless we had a very unusual background, few of us had training in noticing and releasing tension in our body. Just as many of us have trained for careers, sports, an artistic pursuit, or anything else, we often need help retraining our bodies towards well-being. Through hands-on guidance and self-awareness, we can release unnecessary tension, uncoil our backs, and move with newfound ease.
If we work towards it, we can find the space to move freely, a freedom that will infuse other aspects of our lives.
The recipe is a new mindfulness, likely facilitated by a skilled practitioner. Learning these principles can either occur in solo sessions or in groups. In group sessions, everyone moves together with a focus on their own body, trying to get a sense of what alignment feels like for them. (To learn more about what happens during a session, the Alexander Technique website gives a detailed breakdown of what to expect and what not to expect.)
During all sessions, a practitioner guides you towards self-discovery. A practitioner’s gentle touch helps bring awareness to where you hold tension. As you recognize habitual patterns of movement, you take the space to explore alternate ways to move that feel more spacious. This sense memory and training becomes a compass, helping you navigate the landscape of your body with newfound understanding.
In these sessions, you’ll find a kind of liberation in your body.
And with this liberation, who knows what other good habits will come along?
Personalized Treatment at Lemon Tree Wellness
How does a housecat learn how to move, to jump onto a windowsill? We can only presume through self-awareness and learning from doing.
However, I’m sure you might be able to remember lessons in school or at home about how good posture meant static positions maintained for long periods.
Shoulders back.
Chest up.
Slightly tilted chin.
For many of us, trying to achieve this perfect posture leads to discomfort and shame for not being able to maintain it. But there’s another way. The Alexander Technique (AT) argues that our focus should not be on maintaining a rigid posture but rather understanding the subtleties of alignment in our routines. AT challenges conventional notions of posture that focus on “standing up straight.”
AT suggests that alignment is about the dynamic relationship between various parts of the body, allowing for a more fluid approach to movement.
Without AT, the typical scenario for any desk worker is becoming engrossed in your tasks and spending prolonged hours in a fixed posture. Over time, you notice discomfort in your shoulders, neck, or lower back. And that’s not a surprise, since holding a posture for long periods creates tension, even if you do have a “straight spine.” Your usual response might be attempting to correct your posture by sitting up straighter, but this approach probably won’t address underlying issues. It might even intensify them.
With the Alexander Technique, the scenario changes. As you start cultivating awareness through AT principles, you become attuned to subtle signals your body sends while working at your desk. You begin to notice tension building up in your shoulders as you hunch. Instead of rigidly forcing yourself into a corrected posture, the AT mindset encourages you to pause and assess your alignment. Are your shoulders relaxed? Is your spine supporting your back?
With this new awareness, you might choose to integrate short breaks into your routine. Every half hour or so, you take time to stretch your arms overhead, releasing tension and allowing for a brief reset. These micro-movements soon become a natural part of your desk routine, preventing stress from building up. Also, this new mindfulness might help you realize your chair isn’t working for you. Instead of remaining in a chair that promotes slouching, you buy a new one that supports a more natural alignment of your spine. This choice significantly impacts your overall comfort and focus during long workdays.
When AT principles become part of your life, you find a sense of ease and flexibility. You foster an ongoing awareness of your body’s alignment, and know which adjustments to make that will enhance your well-being.
Alexander Technique at Lemon Tree Wellness
While it is always possible to find space for mindfulness in your daily life, working with an experienced practitioner who offers hands-on guidance and feedback can greatly speed the process of discovering your own alignment and ease. At Lemon Tree Wellness, we offer group and private instruction in Alexander Technique.
If you’re considering Alexander Technique for yourself or a loved one, you can book with our Alexander Technique practitioner, Beate here to begin your journey toward more easeful movement and life.
Recent Comments