The Alexander Technique and balance are related on multiple levels.
On February 17th, 2008 I was hiking in the woods in upstate New York. There was snow on the ground, the trees were dark and bare, and the late afternoon sky was silver.
As I was getting back to where I had parked my car, I crossed a road covered with a solid sheet of ice.
The combination of the ice, improper shoes, and a twenty-pound backpack proved to be a painful combination.
In an instant, my feet were five feet off the ground. I landed hard on my back. Ironically, I landed on a bottle of Tylenol which was in my pack. The Tylenol broke my ribs.
It’s about a year later and today the streets on New York City are a little icy. As I was walking across a small icy patch, I noticed that not only was I extremely cautious, but I tensed up a bit probably because of my accident. I was unconsciously making myself a little shorter, getting closer to the ground.
The caution was beneficial, and extra care is needed when walking upon such a slippery surface. The tensing, however, is not beneficial at all. In fact, it’s probably more likely you’ll fall instead of just ‘trip’ if you have excess tension. We constantly make small adjustments to keep our balance. Extra tension diminishes this poise.
So here I am, one year later, noticing a little extra tension, and almost instantly I was able to release it.
I was freer, easier, calmer and safer.
The Alexander Technique
Mark Josefsberg-Alexander Technique NYC
(917) 709-4648
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