Alexander Technique-Allow Your Neck To Be Free
In teaching the Alexander Technique here in NYC, I often use the words let and allow, as in allow your neck to be free or let your head lead your spine into length. During Alexander Technique lessons I might say allow your entire ribcage to contract and expand as you breathe and allow your sit bones to release down into the chair. Let your torso gently spiral as you walk, allow your jaw to release, and countless other examples of allowing… letting…
If we need to allow things to happen, it stands to reason that we unconsciously disallow them from happening. The disallowing has become habitual; stress often exacerbating the problem. We unconsciously shorten, narrow, compress, grip, tighten and hold. It’s unconscious because nobody purposefully lives with their necks tensed and shortened, bringing their shoulders up around their ears. Have you ever noticed you feel better in almost every way when you’re on vacation? It might not be because of what you’re doing; it might be because of what you’re not doing.
We may continue harmful patterns until something or someone makes us aware of them. This awareness may occur because we notice our bad posture (in a photo or video), we start to experience pain, or we take an Alexander Technique lesson.
We usually don’t allow our necks to be free. This disallowing, or tightening may occur 24 hours a day (yes, even during sleep) It becomes ‘normal’ to walk around (and sit around ) with lots of excess tension. The good news, and there’s plenty of it, is that we can learn to form new habits. We can relearn how to just be. We can learn to let go of our tightening muscles. If we stop doing the wrong things, the right things will do themselves.
Mark Josefsberg-Alexander Technique NYC
Call Mark@ 269-POSTURE
or 917.709.4648
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