subject: Understanding the Principles of the Alexander Technique [print this page] Understanding the Principles of the Alexander Technique
The main idea behind the Alexander Technique is simple: if we use our bodies as nature intended, moving with minimum effort and without putting unnecessary tension on any part, we could prevent or alleviate many of the aches, pains and injuries associated with modern life.
Persistent back pain, headaches, repetitive strain injury, breathing problems, high blood pressure and a host of other ailments can be caused or made worse by poor postural habits. Correct those habits and the symptoms they produce will ease.
What is the Alexander Technique?
The technique was developed over 100 years ago by an Australian actor and orator, Frederick Matthias Alexander, to cure a physical problem that affected his voice. It is not a therapy, a set of exercises, or a list of instructions on how to achieve correct' posture. It works by encouraging people to become more consciously aware of their own movements. This enables them to identify undue stresses and strains in their joints and muscles, and they can then explore ways of correcting those tensions.
How is it taught?
Although the Alexander Technique is essentially a self-help system, most people need the guidance of a qualified teacher to understand it properly.
Before students of the Alexander Technique can begin to change the way they use their bodies they must become fully aware of their existing habits of posture and movement. These are difficult for an individual to detect because they have usually developed over many years and feel perfectly normal. Even if someone else points out a postural fault, trying to force the body into what you think is the correct position can be painful or even impossible.
In one-to-one lessons with an experienced Alexander Technique teacher, a student is helped to re-discover his or her own natural posture and to become consciously aware of how each movement is being performed. This new awareness will tell the student where and when potentially harmful stresses are being created and they can then choose to release those stresses. In this way, students learn at their own pace and deal with their own particular problems.
What are the benefits of learning the Alexander Technique?
Almost everyone, from eight years upwards, will benefit in some way from learning the Alexander Technique. Many people discover the Technique when they are looking for treatment for joint pain, and a scientific study in 2008 concluded that it has long term benefits when used to treat chronic back pain.
Sports professionals, actors, singers and musicians find that the Alexander Technique enables them to improve their performance and reduces injuries. It is also useful for anyone with impaired balance or coordination, and it can help recovery after surgery or an accident. As well as improving physical fitness, many people report enhanced self-confidence and a feeling of having more control over all aspects of their lives.
Unfortunately, understanding the principles of the Alexander Technique is often easier than putting them into practice. The best way to learn is by consulting a fully qualified teacher who is a member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique.
