Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique is a study of freeing posture that works by learning how one's body and mind work together. Effectively, this means studying one's mannerisms of movement and thought. It takes its name from F. Matthias Alexander, a former Shakespearean recitalist, who devised it in the late 19th centuryand began training teachers of his Technique in the 1930s. It is often considered the "grandfather" of other somatic processes such as the Feldenkrais, Rolfing, Hellerwork, etc.
What it is
Alexander Technique is an educational attempt to prevent the decline caused by habituated mannerisms, often a variation on a startle response. pattern. The objective is for a person's innate mind/body coordination to re-emerge and this ever-freer way of moving to become reliable. It is most often taught by slowing down motion and responses while using non-judgmental observation. Specific prescriptions to employ anatomical advantages during movement are also offered. Alexander Technique also addresses the complexity of making novel improvements reliable.
Alexander teachers believe that self-imposed limitations are embedded in hidden habitual mannerisms, being the result of how people use themselves over time. They believe that repetitive problems in movement are evidence of perceptual mis-assumptions; such as erroneous judgments of physical spacial location, an ignorance of structural anatomy and a declining sensory debauchery(defined below.) The kinesthetic sense is studied, the one used to judge necessary effort required for movement.
Substitution of more appropriate, specific ways to detour habits are suggested during lessons, also a specialized criteria of effortlessness and examples of the body's mechanical advantage. As anyone knows who has tried substitution strategies against a habit, there are usually more complex issues involved. The Technique addresses in detail these complex paradoxes in a sophisticated and effective way.
The possibility of moving in an easier way most often emerges from underneath a student's current sensory ability to command it, since it comes only after subtracting customary habitual overcompensation. Meaning, most learners need help in how to sustain and use this effortlessness for themselves. Alexander teachers model with their hands, showing firsthand what Direction is for a student. They guide motion with an elegant and educated touch, usually touching the student's head, neck and back. The Technique's' signature sustained ease, increased freedom of movement and unexpected poise should be an immediate shared fact for both teacher and student in an Alexander lesson.
After substantial practice where a teacher prevents a student from becoming too frustrated while usually trying to frustrate the student's habits, the habits will finally give up. At that point a student is able to stop ingrained movements and actions, and experience easier ones. Typically this happens in a Road-To-Damascus-type moment of realisation when the Alexander teacher's tutoring suddenly begins to make sense.
For those conceptual students who ask, it's a rare treasure when an Alexander teacher articulates the reasoning behind their teaching style. Their style of teaching is usually not just an imitation of how they were taught, but has integrated many personal discoveries as each teacher carries on the work. Many of the traditionalists will dodge the discussion of principles until the student can have the conversation without their old habits of talking! These teachers often prefer to spend lesson time giving the student their full measure of the experience of actually moving easier without habits interferring.
Some of the principles
Many of the principles of the technique are unique concepts. For instance, during repetition, our senses tend to habitually adapt to the continuous muscle messages sent by the brain. This Sensory Adaptation makes perceptual sensations disappear. This also means that a willingness to welcome what is unfamiliar is required to allow something new to occur.
Another unique concept is a specialized use of the word Inhibition. Many Alexander teachers believe this concept to be the foundation of Alexander Technique. Without denial or catharsis, it is possible to learn to recognize and prevent a habitual patterned reaction and choose differently. With practice, a habit can be inhibited. Exactly how to subvert unwanted habits vary with each Alexander teacher's experience. Sidestepping, stalling, tricking, boring the old habitual reaction - anything is fair game so the old habit can disengage, leaving the freedom to try something new.
The most original principle discovered is called Direction or Primary Control. Its long term importance in physical functionality is just recently being scientifically studied in movement gait research. F.M. Alexander discovered that a very slight head motion leads all physical movement, acting as a steering wheel or a key to unlock the rest of the body that must follow the heads initiation of motion. Pay attention to the quality, sequence, timing and direction of balancing the head at the top of the neck and the ability to respond with every other part of the body improves.
Toddlers possess this delicacy of balance. Perhaps 5% of adults still retain their unspoiled sense of balance in Western culture. Learning during activity what Alexander teachers term Forward & Up or Head Leads, Body Follows is most often only experienced by moving with the help of a teacher. The temporary effect of Alexander lessons can feel very unusual. Lightness, fluidity, and many unusual metaphors illustrating effortlessness are common descriptions. With training, attention can expand to encompass both one's goal and one's own chosen means of movement.
How long it takes to learn
The objective of individual or group lessons is for the student to do the Alexander Technique for themselves. Progress is unlimited, but commonly slow; often taking a significant commitment of months, even years of discipline. The reason learning this new ability takes so much time is because the kinesthetic sense is often the most "taken for granted" and habitually ingrained. Speed of learning seems to depend on motivation to shed outdated habits. Those learners becoming free of pain or being enabled to again devote themselves to a beloved art or skill have been witnessed learning rapid functionality in a matter of weeks during daily lessons in a workshop environment. Long term learners have found their motivations of choice seem to be the core of identity beyond habit. In practice, insistent habits seem to have their own sense of self-preservation which fears their lack of necessity. Of course, some teachers help the surrendering process go easier. Sampling a number of teachers is advisable.
Who uses it
Since the Alexander Technique improves perception & ease, it has broad applications. It is taught in performance schools of dance, acting, circus, music, voice and some Olympic sports. It's also useful remedially; to obtain full recovery, to stop stuttering, to unlearn and avoid Repetitive Stress Injury, and improve ergonomics and to focus attention. Its principles are also useful in psychological change, creative thinking, learning theory and the philosophy of coaching.
How It Works
The Alexander technique is essentially a de-education process learned by subtracting previously assumed necessary effort. It can be practiced during any activity, involving any sort of motion. The original intent was to apply the scientific method to carrying out intention fully and enhancing the means of doing so. The object was to make the advantages of experimentation deliberately repeatable, and to continue improvement indefinitely. Remembering to use Alexander Technique to get its benefits is required, but not in an extra practice hour. Unlike many other similar self-improvement regimens, the Alexander Technique is not a set of exercises, and it can be momentarily employed at any time while awake.
Some of the steps
The Alexander Technique proscribes that it is possible to learn to insert a new choice before a habitual reaction takes over, but how is this actually done? This is taught in Alexander Technique by observing one's own mannerisms while moving. Sitting down is an often-used action - how do you sit down? What happens to your back and neck? You learn how the head, neck and back influence your capacity for freedom of movement.
Principles are put together in many different sequences. For instance, a person might start with curiousity about how their own body might respond to their mind's directives during a specific instant of movement - usually during movement preparation. Carrying out intentions fully into physical action would be the challenge. The goal of the chosen action or motion is temporarily suspended. In keeping with the sensory adaptation principle, customary kinesthetic orientation and preparation that "feels right" is repeatedly discovered to be unnecessary. A basic activity is to identify and stop habitual interference so a more instinctive capacity to respond will reassert itself. Experiments concerning how intention is translated into the minute beginnings of motion are performed. Observations about what happens are collected. New ways are tried, some prescribed by F.M. Alexander's work. Ease or a sense of what is termed Do-less-ness - is used as the measure of success. If any, specific discoveries about the skill are noted and integrated in repeated experiments. Use the same process of questioning yourself and observing results over again (or the principles recombined in another order, to the extent you know them,) whenever more improvement is desired. This would be whenever habits take over or whenever time and willingness to be attentive is available. With repeated success from experimentation, the idea is that a learner's motivation increases to tolerate and make discoveries from what never stops feeling unfamiliar and unpredictable.
Expected results
Depending on the causes of limitation, structural posture may or may not improve, but freedom of movement and most often economy of motion should always improve during the lesson with a teacher. An Alexander teacher provides these experiences by demonstrating with themselves and modeling. A pupils motion would be guided hands-on by the teacher, usually with a very light touch, while making subtle indications of Direction, timing and coaching that the student then follows. To take improvements away from the lesson, the dedication of remembering to experiment attentively is required on the part of the learner.
Why learn with a teacher
F.M. Alexander and his brother A.R. Alexander often stressed that The Technique could not be learned without the active cognitive participation of a student or even the active cognitive help of a suitably qualified instructor, deceptive self-awareness being a significant principle of Sensory Adaptation. Most Alexander teachers today agree, but F.M. and A.R. did it first alone, so it is theoretically possible to learn without a teacher, but very rare. In the United Kingdom, Alexander Technique teachers are in the process of being included in the Alternative medicine of the National health system. This, in spite of the fact Alexander teachers regard their livelihood as being educational rather than curative in nature.
Where It Came From
Discoverer F.M. Alexander, was a Shakespearean orator who developed problems losing his voice. The problem occurred as soon as he tried to speak onstage, but he later observed the same response pattern in his common speaking style, to a lesser effect. Careful observation with multiple mirrors revealed that he needlessly stiffened his body in order to recite or speak. His technique was based on successfully finding his way past his loss of voice, and putting his discoveries into practice on himself. Many Alexander teachers are of the opinion that using a vocal medium, emulating the founder, most rapidly accelerates the benefits of this discipline.
Teaching today
Now, Alexander Technique has the lifetime dedication from only a few thousand teachers world-wide, taking over three years of full-time training to join professional organizations which require many refresher workshops. Only a few who were trained by the founder are still living. Most teachers in the field are of the professional opinion that no informative substitution exists for a block of twenty to forty lessons; words do not suffice to describe the Alexander Technique, it must be experienced.
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Referenced By
Alternative Medicine | Alternative healing | Alternative medicines | Back Pain | Calisthenics | Complementary and Alternative Methods | Complementary and alternative medicine | Complementary medicine | F. Matthias Alexander | Health Science | Physical Therapy | Physical Therapy/Qualifications | Physiotherapy | Therapy/Physical
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