Alexander Technique and Stress
As I was riding the subway on my way to teach some Alexander Technique lessons, an announcement was made over the PA system: Gr Grbrwr Kr gaggar. Sometimes that’s what announcements sound like in the NYC subway system, usually when you need to hear them. When you don’t need to hear them they’re crystal clear and loud enough to make your ears bleed. But I digress, already.
When this announcement was repeated though, I heard “because of an earlier incident, all trains into Manhattan will be delayed.” I was a bit late even before this incident (doughnut run?).
After spending some quality time being annoyed, I made a conscious decision. That was my first step in applying a principle of the Alexander Technique, the principle of inhibition. I decided to just stop my habitual thinking and become aware.
I became aware of my breathing and my neck tension. I wanted to discover if I was using more tension than was necessary. For me, the answer is often ‘yes’. I was able to let it go.
As soon as I became aware of my breathing, it changed.
It became fuller and slower. I looked for extra tension in my jaw, the corners of my mouth, my forehead and my legs. Are you able to notice any extra tension now, as you’re reading this?
I slowed down. I changed my reaction to the situation, and now I’m writing this. It took only a few minutes to notice and make some big changes. Awareness, inhibition and direction can be cultivated, and they’re great tools.
Mark Josefsberg-Alexander Technique NYC
917.709.4648
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Hi Mark,
I also like this stopping of habitual thinking. In my opinion this ’stopping’ is already the main part. Becoming aware about it and decide just to stop. You went on thinking about your body in a more constructive way. It usually leads me first to questioning the underlying concepts e.g. “OK, I’m late, so I’m angry or whatever, but does this actually help me in any way? Actually I (now) can’t do anything about being late so accept the fact and enjoy life…” By changing this concept my body tends to follow into o more open way of use. In this way one can also learn a lot about habitual reactions and gradually change them.
All the best,
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
This ’stopping’ business is a crucial element of the Alexander Technique. The gap between a stimulus and a response gives us a chance to do something different. Alexander called what occurs during this gap ‘inhibition’.We learn to inhibit. It’s an integral part of the technique, part of the three pillars: Awareness, Inhibition and Direction.
Mark
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Alexander Technique Posture Directions
Alexander Technique Directions
I wish to free my neck … so that
My head can move forward and up…so that
My torso can lengthen and widen and…
My legs can move away from my torso and…
My shoulders can release out the sides.
Alexander Technique directions act as verbal, or neuro-linguistc cues. They tell us where we want to go, which is often upward, outward, into expansion. Up, down, and out. Head up, feet or sit bones down, shoulders out, legs away…
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The Alexander Technique has been described as a reeducation technique or psycho-physical reeducation. It is also a technique to be overlearned, and not only because you learn it over other things (bad habits of either movement or stillness), but when it comes to the Alexander Technique we need to be overeducated; we need to overlearn it so that we can use it under duress, much like a musician practices over and over to be able to execute music under stress…
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