I just took out the garbage. What a thrill. There aren’t too many great things about taking out the garbage, except that I’m able to do it. But this time I did it amping up the principles of the Alexander Technique; a posture fix.
I don’t know if it made the process more fun, but the Alexander Technique (or, as some people say, the Alexandra Technique), changed this mundane task. The first thing I noticed was that I was noticing. I became aware, staying in the moment. Usually I’ll do a chore like this mindlessly. Not completely mindlessly because I am thinking, but I’m thinking about something other than my physical and mental movements in the moment. But, I think that’s fine. In fact, while we take out the garbage, walk, do the dishes, or take a shower, we sometimes come up with great, creative ideas. We don’t have to come up with good thinking only when we’re sitting at a desk. Ideally, we could come up with those great ideas without scrunching up our necks, hunching up our shoulders to our ears, and compressing our spine.
I made the choice to be present. I decided to use the principles of the Alexander Technique by letting go of the extra, un-needed tension in my neck, allowing my head to rotate forward, and up. My head led my spine into length and I thought upwards as I went down to the kitchen bags, but just by bending my knees and letting my hip joints move backwards and allowed my gaze to lower.
I reached for the bags using the minimum amount of tension in my arms and shoulders. I kept going back and re-freeing my neck. I was aware of my breathing as I picked up the garbage. I freed my neck as I let my head rotate forward and up as I bent one knee and started walking. It felt good, and felt as if I accomplished something besides just the chore.
Mark Josefsberg-Alexander Technique NYC
(917) 709-4648
Leave A Comment