Alexander Technique
The Alexander Technique teaches us how to restore our natural balance and coordination by applying a specific conscious thought process.
Our body is equipped with a very refined and complex balance system that provides us with effortless poise in our posture and movements, as long as we do not interfere with the subtle working of the reflexes involved. Inappropriate and largely unconscious patterns of muscle tension create interference.
A freely balanced relationship between the head, neck and back is key to the working of these reflexes, and influences how effectively the body functions in general. But we cannot achieve this balanced relationship by simply holding ourselves in what we think of as a "better" posture. This just creates new unnecessary muscle tension and does not help at all. Real change is only possible when we fundamentally reassess the way we relate to ourselves.
Applying the principles of the Alexander Technique sets this change in motion.
The awareness and conscious thinking process you learn to apply will help you understand how you typically create excess tension by the way you carry out activities or react to situations. It will also enable you to change these habits. Your underlying balance and coordination can then get back to working efficiently, with all the associated benefits.
Introductory Lesson
Experiencing the Technique is the best way to understand how it works, so it is worth considering taking an introductory lesson to see whether it is for you. To do this, contact an Alexander Technique teacher in your area.
You can find NeVLAT approved teachers by clicking on the List of Teachers link.
.... the Alexander Technique is based on exceptionally sophisticated observation, not only by means of vision but also to a surprising extent by using the sense of touch........ we already notice, with growing amazement, very striking improvements in such diverse things as high blood pressure, breathing, depth of sleep, overall cheerfulness and mental alertness, resilience against outside pressures, and also in such a refined skill as playing a stringed instrument.
Prof. Nicolaas Tinbergen, Nobel Prize winner for Medicine, in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech.