Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique is in simplest terms an education on how to use the minimum effort and energy to carry out daily activities. It is a way of learning how to get rid of the harmful tensions in our body.

What is Alexander Technique?

Often one hears of people complaining about a sore neck, strained back, carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow. They attribute the cause of these problems to continuous and rigorous strain on the body due to the nature of their lifestyle. However, according to the Alexander Technique practitioners, the body is put under strain not so much because of the activity being carried out – but more so because of the manner in which it is carried out.

Alexander technique is then a method that analyses your entire movement style and isolates the particular habits that contribute to your physical problems – be it a bad back, limitation of physical movement while playing or working, neck and shoulder problems or even restricted breathing. The Alexander teacher analyses your whole movement pattern. She then points out various habits, which are compressing your spine and causing your problems. She also guides you on how to correct the movement and teaches you to move in a more freer, assimilated fashion.

The Basic Premise

The Alexander Technique works on the basic premise that the head is balanced in a beautifully light manner on top of the spine – if the neck muscles are not overworked or strained. The relationship between the head and the spine is of primary importance to the functioning of the rest of the body. If the head and spine are well balanced the body works well too. The relationship between the two can be free or compressed.

The human neuromuscular system is designed to work with gravity. When the head is light poised on the spine, the anti-gravity system is activated and energy flows upward and helps lengthen the spine instead of compressing it. When we slouch or become rigid it is because our spine is compressing instead of lengthening.

In fact we are all born with good posture. If you observe little children you can notice how well co-ordinated their movements are – for their age of course. They have no trouble bending, stretching, jumping or playing freely in general. Their large heads are easily balanced on tiny necks. However, as we grow older we loose this childish spontaneity and poise.

The Alexander technique re-educates the mind and body and helps restore original poise.

History Of The Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique was discovered and named after F. Matthias Alexander (1869-1955) almost a century ago. FM as he is popularly known was a well-established elocutionist who started having speech and voice problems. To save his career he started studying his own speech habits when talking normally and during recital.

FM discovered that he was ‘doing’ something that caused the loss of speech during recital. By making a conscious effort to change the way in which he unconsciously spoke FM found that he could resolve his speech and respiratory problems. He realized that by consciously inhibiting the movement, which caused his problem he freed himself to speak the way he wanted to. Thus conscious inhibition was the cornerstone of the discovery of the Alexander technique.

He developed a voice training technique called ‘respiratory re-education’ and started teaching others the technique as well. Many students found that in addition to getting vocal training, the new technique resolved many breathing problems as well.

FM then generalized the theory to the entire body and applied it to the habitual patterns of co-ordination in the whole body. Just as the ‘vocal’ technique helped students resolve breathing problems, the respiratory re-education also helped cure other physical problems. From here on FM evolved a method of learning how to consciously modify the harmful habits of coordination, which includes movement, posture and breathing.

Along with his brother A.R.Alexander, FM taught his technique throughout the world. He found many supporters like the American philosopher John Dewey, Nobel Prize winner Tinbergen, author George Bernard Shaw and physiologist Charles Sherrington. He continued to teach his technique until he died in 1955.

Misconceptions About The Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique is primarily concerned with the quality of bodily movements. Our culture however, prefers to focus on what we are doing rather than how we are doing it. Thus, people often have misconceptions about what the Alexander technique really is. Here are some common misconceptions about the Alexander technique.

• The Alexander technique is not a method to cure back pain or stiffness in the neck. It actually aims to educate people on how best to understand their body’s messages and respond to them in a constructive manner. The teacher simply makes the student aware of what he or she is doing wrong to cause strain on the body – this includes not just ‘work’ related activities like typing or hitting a ball but also regular, everyday activities like walking, running, sitting, standing and sleeping.
  
  The release of tension from the body’s muscles is an automatic by-product of a gentle balance between the neck and spine. Relief from pain also often comes as a consequence of release in tension. However, when the pain will be relieved, if it will be relieved is not guaranteed.
   

• The Alexander technique is not only for famous people or people who have achieved great success. It is natural that performers opt for Alexander technique more so because the physical strain on their bodies is much higher than that of non-performers.
  
  However, everybody can benefit from Alexander technique because the technique aims to optimize bodily posture even in regular daily activities.
   

• Age is not a restriction for learning the Alexander technique. An old dog does not change his habits is not a proverb that applies to the Alexander technique. In fact a lot of older people learn the Alexander technique because they have only just started experiencing problems due to posture. The energy of youth can often absorb the abuse we dish out to our bodies.
   

• The Alexander technique has a high learning curve and is expensive. The Alexander technique can in fact be cheaper than many physical therapies and other alternative therapies. One reason is that because the Alexander technique does not require any machines or major lifestyle changes. The Alexander technique can be learnt in a few weeks.

Applications Of Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique essentially teaches patients how to release muscular tension and be at ease with their body. It has been found to be successful in relieving painful symptoms or many problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow and spondilitis. It is also effective for relieving neck and shoulder pain and backaches. It is effective in reducing stress also and often used for physical therapy of patients.

Thus, the Alexander technique has gained immense popularity as an alternative medicine – even within the medical community!