1. Become aware, and then let go of the muscles in the back of your neck.

2. Think of your head moving up. (The crown of your head)

3. Slightly, slowly lower your nose.

4. Continue 1,2,3, and let your sit bones release down in your chair, but your torso moves up.

5. If you’re standing, let your feet release down while the rest of you moves up.

6. Let your jaw dangle open, even when you’re lips are closed. (Give it a try)…

The Alexander Technique For Dummies is a slight put-down. ‘Calculus For Dummies’, ‘Biology For Dummies’, ‘Basket Weaving For Dummies’ , ”The Alexander Technique For Dummies’ are all slight put-downs. I realize these titles actually mean for beginners, but ‘For Dummies’ is a derogatory term. The only ‘For Dummies’ book I can think of that would not a put down and would, in fact, be uplifting and inspirational would be ‘Ventriloquism For Dummies’…

How can the Alexander Technique correct sitting posture?
Let’s start with some Alexander Technique directions. We’ll start with ‘free your neck’. See if you can let go of some excess, unnecessary tension in your neck. Correct sitting posture starts with releasing these shortened muscles so that they can lengthen, letting your head move up so that you get taller. Let your head rotate slightly forward (lower your nose) and let the crown of your head move up…

In an Alexander Technique lesson I taught today, my student began by telling me her neck pain felt a little worse this week. When I inquired about it she told me that the physical therapist she’d been seeing added a new exercise for her neck, and it hurt her. Unfortunately, as an Alexander Technique teacher, I hear this story quite a lot. I told her that in my opinion she needs to subtract some things she’s doing rather than adding to it…

…Good posture while you meditate, or your meditation posture, can be a challenge for those new to meditation, as well as those more experienced with meditation. Improving one’s Meditation posture is important for people who meditate for ten minutes, and those who meditate for hours. The Alexander Technique can help with meditation posture, as it helps with posture in general.
In researching various instructions for proper meditation posture, a suggestion that keeps arising is ‘keep your spine straight.

“How can I use the Alexander Technique in my life?” I hear this question, and versions of it, frequently at Alexander Technique lessons. It’s really a great question and gets to the heart of the matter of the benefits of the Alexander Technique.
The Alexander Technique is done as you think about it. If you’re thinking about the principles of the Alexander Technique, you’re using the Alexander Technique, or you’re doing the technique, or you’re practicing the technique, or you’re performing the technique, or you’re applying the technique, or you’re incorporating the Alexander Technique into your life.
As an Alexander Technique teacher I emphasize awareness of initiating movement; how you start actions like moving your hands, initiating walking, so…

In Alexander Technique lessons, 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. Alexander Technique teachers often 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, perhaps we unconsciously disallow them from happening. The disallowing has become habitual…

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…

The Alexander Technique calms you down as it wakes you up. The Alexander Technique lets you know what you already knew but forgot so that you can remember it when you forget it again. It gives some un-namable things names, reinforced by a guiding touch. The Alexander Technique gives you words, strategies and directions to get the feelings you want. It opens you up. All you have to do is think of it. The Alexander Technique has plenty of side effects, only they’re all good ones…

One area people ask me about most concerns computer posture. We tend to collapse down in front, poking our necks, faces and upper chest towards the screen. Sound familiar? Feel familiar? How about right now?… What we want is for our necks to be free of excess tension, so that our head can move up. Tension shortens our neck, bringing the head back and down. We want the head to move forward (rotationally) and up. A simple way to achieve this forward rotation is to slightly, slowly lower your nose, while the crown of your head moves up. At the same time…