In some ways the Alexander Technique helps us get better at doing less. Doing less? This goes against the general vibe of New York City; the City that never sleeps, or even takes a nap. The Alexander Technique challenges the general vibe of NYC and other large cities in many ways.

Many of us have been taught to ‘do more’, ‘push yourself’, ‘no pain no gain’, and ‘always try harder’. ‘Keep your nose to the grindstone’, though that sounds to me like you’ll hurt your neck, or at least your nose. Of course working hard is useful at certain times, in certain places.  There are times and places, however,  when it would be more beneficial to do less. One of those places? Your neck.

While sitting at the computer, for instance, we tense our necks and poke our faces towards the screen. (Like right now?) We may be tensing our necks 40 hours a week or more. Eventually we may keep our necks tensed all the time, habitually. So, instead of unconsciously tensing our neck we want  to consciously free our neck.  Free your neck? Here’s what Alexander Technique teacher Walter Carrington said:

“So when we say think about your neck being free, it isn’t a matter of trying to feel whether it’s free and then trying from there to free it. You don’t have to try to free it. Trying to free it implies making some sort of effort to free it, and freedom is not going to be brought about by effort; stiffening is brought about by effort. If your neck is stiff, you’re stiffening it. If you stop stiffening it, then it will be free. So it isn’t a matter of trying.”

This is so unlike what we’re used to. ‘Try harder’ is so much part of our culture, and here’s a teacher saying ‘it isn’t a matter of trying.’ In fact trying is just what we don’t want to do. We actually want to ‘let go.’ We can learn how to stop; to undo. Perhaps one of the first habits to break is the practice of trying so hard. 

Along with the neck we may also tense our jaw, our facial muscles, our shoulders, legs, fingers and toes. Why all this unnecessary, pointless tension? Perhaps different reasons for different people but at this point we all have one thing in common: habit, and habits can be broken.

Mark Josefsberg-Alexander Technique NYC

Mark@MarkJosefsberg.com

Call Mark 269-POSTURE

or (917) 709-4648

TWITTER

Related posts:

1. Alexander Technique Back Pain, Neck Pain.
2. The Alexander Technique-Free Your Neck
3. Alexander Technique and Stress
4. How To Reduce Neck Pain
5. How To Relieve Stress In A New York Minute With The Alexander Technique