Alexander Technique

Alexander Technique is most often taught in private lessons by slowing down motion and responses while using joint non-judgmental observation. Specific and tailored suggestions of how to use anatomical advantages during movement are also offered by Alexander teachers. Alexander Technique also addresses the complexity of establishing for oneself what constitutes constructive experimentation and how to be free of unnecessary over-compensation.

Alexander teachers believe that self-imposed limitations are embedded in hidden habitual mannerisms, being the gradual 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 sense used to judge location and what is the necessary effort required for movement.

Substitution of more appropriate, specific ways to detour habits are suggested by the teacher during lessons, along with first-hand, training examples of the body's mechanical advantage and an unusual, specialized criteria of how effortlessness is useful. As anyone knows who has tried substitution strategies against a habit, there are often 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 this effortless Direction is for a student. They guide motion with an elegant and educated touch, usually contacting 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 every Alexander lesson.

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 head’s 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 rather pleasurably expand to encompass both one's goal and one's own chosen means of movement.

Usually, 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.

After facing many of their own habits, long term learners of AT often discover what motivates their new choices seems to be their new core of identity. 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.

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.

External links