Welcome to Holiday Season!
Can the Alexander Technique and Alexander Technique lessons help with the stress of the holidays? Yes, especially when we remember that the stress isn’t the problem in and of itself; it’s how we handle the manifestations of stress. The Alexander Technique can help us become aware of the symptoms of stress, and awareness can be self-correcting.
We know we’re stressed as our breathing gets shallow, our hearts race, our jaw tightens, our shoulders raise, and our muscles contract. We may make fists, and curl our toes. We tighten our neck, compressing our head down on our spine. We may find ourselves with back pain, neck tension, shoulder pain, and headaches.
Awareness
Awareness is the first Alexander Technique step. We can’t change something of which we’re not aware. So, can we change our breathing pattern? Yes; the moment we become aware of it. We can allow our ribcage to fully contract and expand as we breathe more fully. Since the Alexander Technique is practiced in the present moment, anywhere, it’s helpful to take your mind away from the stress, and on to your breathing. Can we do something about the unconscious tightening of the neck, jaw, fingers, toes and shoulders as we become more aware? Yes, yes, yes, yes. And yes.
The Alexander Technique teaches us how to let go of excess tension in all these areas and it can be done in a few seconds, right now. If you’ve been practicing the Alexander Technique under normal conditions, you can achieve these results quickly. With the Alexander Technique we learn to make the unconscious conscious. So indirectly we’re addressing our stress by dealing with the moment to moment symptoms the stress produces.
Let go of the tension in your neck.
Your head will rotate forward, and move up.
Exhale slowly and then let the air come in.
Happier Holidays!
Mark Josefsberg-Alexander Technique NYC
Image Courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net “Winter Night Lapland Sweden” by Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee”
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