Physical problems

The Alexander technique theory is that if we are in pain or discomfort, it is caused by something we are doing with our bodies. If we could only stop doing it, the pain will diminish or go. This is even true to a certain extent with injuries, as our response to injury is to tighten, wince, limp etc, which can worsen the discomfort.

Physical problems usually are caused by compression around a joint, causing stiffness; & pain if a nerve is trapped or compressed. During lessons, tensions are released & space is created within the joints again, so that the whole torso lengthens & widens. This releases stiffness, allowing fuller flexibility again, & takes the pressure off nerves so that pain eases or ceases. The sensation is then often of lightness & freedom.

The technique never seeks to treat or cure problems. In practice, in the course of lessons, problems will often melt away. Where problems are long term, this may not be possible. But often the person can learn to control the problem, so that it is much reduced, or even effectively gone.

Physical problems that are commonly helped are:

*back pain & stiffness
*neck & shoulder tension
*those with (or recovering from) injuries
*breathing disorders
*migraine & headache
*repetitive strain injury; tendonitis, sciatica
*loss of freedom of movement
*poor co-ordination, accident proneness
*general bodily discomfort & pain management
*poor posture
*more serious structural problems (see below)

The technique can help in more serious structural problems by re-awakening the muscular system to co-ordinate & strengthen around the problem. This can help to cope better with conditions such as scoliosis, spinal curvature or collapse, (including where rods have been inserted), slipped, fused or worn discs, leg length imbalances & hip replacements.

Emotional problems

The technique can be helpful for:

*stress, anxiety
*depression
*general fatigue
*building self-confidence & assertiveness
*sudden mood swings
*living in the present, instead of in past memories or daydreams
*taking charge of your life.

Every emotional state is mirrored in physical postures. When we are feeling down, we collapse or slump. If we are “uptight”, the body draws inwards & becomes ungrounded. We feel “the world on our shoulders”, that we are drowning, or being crushed by great loads; that we can’t “get our heads above water”. When we are stressed we feel we are running to catch up, or that we can’t get a grip. All these phrases are accurate, if poetic, descriptions of what is really happening.
With the technique, we learn firstly to become aware of what our bodies are doing: whether pulling down, up or in; or whether we are pushing forwards to go faster, (eg jutting chin), or to take hold of things or situations. Then we can begin to “stop” the physical doing; when this happens the mental states are likewise released, & so for a moment, we may have a true choice about how to proceed. So we begin to take charge of ourselves again. With time, we can learn to recognise the “doing” that is involved in being, for instance depressed, or shy, & can release this state directly.

Breathing & voice problems

Breathing is a complex mechanism, easily disturbed by stress or poor physical use. I work particularly on breathing, as when breathing becomes relaxed & natural again, the whole body & mind complex is relaxed & balanced.

Voice problems can have their roots in poor breathing, but often also involve significant amounts of tension in the throat, mouth & facial mannerisms generally. We can become aware of these, & learn not to do them. This, with lengthening & widening the whole torso & finding the natural breath, helps most voice problems improve.

This is also of great benefit for singers: when the whole body is relaxed & working well, with no unnecessary tensions getting in the way, the voice production will be easier & fuller.

Workplace: stress & posture problems

Sitting for long periods of time, working with IT, long distance driving, can all produce strains & stresses on backs, necks, shoulders, wrists etc. Other jobs may have more specific stresses such as lifting, or awkward positions. Repeated actions put repeated demands on specific muscles; if the whole body is used poorly, then these muscles will not be being used efficiently, and long term strain of these muscles can result. Alexander technique teaches one firstly to be aware of what is happening, & then to learn to maintain better use at work.

Work can also be extremely stressful, with difficult relationships with colleagues, excessive workload or demands; bullying or insensitive management. Again, all these produce a physical reaction in us. If we can learn to be aware of these reactions & discover how not do them, then we can respond to difficult situations in different ways & so find resolutions for them. Often pupils who thought they would need to leave their jobs find they can cope again & even enjoy it; others become clear that it is time to move on, & are clearer about what they want in the future.

Personal development

Alexander technique teaches us a whole new way of relating to ourselves. To learn to be aware of how we act, & to be able to change that, gives us real choice of what we do & how we do it. With self-awareness also comes self-reliance, increased sense of who we are & inner strength. For those who are drawn to self-discovery, this can be an immense path of life-long learning & creativity.

Musicians, performing arts & sports

Alexander technique is used extensively by musicians, & it is now taught on many music courses. Musicians often have physical problems because of awkward playing positions, held over long hours. If the body has poor use, this can easily result in strain, & even serious injury, which can then render playing difficult, or even impossible. Shoulder problems are particularly common.

By learning the technique, the person’s overall use is improved, & gradually this can be applied to the playing situation. At this point the instrument is often brought to lessons. Many careers have been saved by the technique, & others are able to enjoy their instrument again. They also often find that co-ordination improves, also tone often improves significantly.

The emotional side of playing is also helped: performance anxiety is relieved; awareness & alertness increase. There can be an increased ability to be both with the self & the instrument, & “in the music” in performance, so that a performance can be truly creative, rather than a repeat of the previous performance.

Actors, dancers & sports people also all can benefit from increased awareness of their actions, whether or not they have problems. Most drama schools teach some knowledge of Alexander for this reason. For sports people it can also give increased consistency, as one can recognise what makes a bad day, & often bring greater stillness, presence & poise to it to improve the situation. It can aid recovery from injuries; & overall balance, alignment & freedom of movement can be improved. Also it can help with performance anxiety.

For dancers, the technique can bring about a relaxed and balanced use of the body that is more poised, fluid and coordinated. Complicated movements can then be easier both to learn and execute.

Equestrians

The Alexander technique can greatly aid natural horsemanship. Because mostly we are so unaware of our bodies, we need to be told how we are, say, sitting incorrectly, & then we use muscular doing to attempt to correct this. With the technique, we can become much more aware of our body use, & can begin to sense how we are sitting on the horse & how the horse then responds. We then use non-doing ways of changing this for the better, which reduce rather than increase muscular tension. This greatly increases sensitivity between horse & rider. We can then also work on the horse’s problems through our own bodies.

Emotionally the technique enables riders to become more confident around their horse, & to stay calm & relaxed in emergency situations, such as a panicking horse.

Pregnancy & childbirth

Pregnancy involves fast & unfamiliar change in the body. When we do not adapt well to this, we can lean back, waddle, etc. resulting in painful backs, exhaustion & other conditions. By learning to use the body well, we can have a much more comfortable & healthier pregnancy, & be better prepared for the birth.
In the birth, the technique can aid us to use the body well, stay relaxed & calm & allow the processes of birth to happen, even in the face of extreme pain & unfamiliar situations. We can then feel more in charge of the process, even if medical intervention becomes necessary, & so have a greater chance of a good start with the baby.

Natural Vision Improvement

We tend to think of the eyes as separate from the rest of the body. With Alexander technique, we see that all the muscles work together as a unified system, and the eyes and their muscles are linked in with this. So poor use of the eyes affects the rest of the body, and vice versa.

As humans, what we do is usually led by our vision. By using simple techniques to allow the natural functioning of the eyes, we can more easily improve functioning in the rest of the body. For this reason I involve use of the eyes in all Alexander technique lessons.

Natural vision improvement was explored first by Dr William Bates, an ophthalmologist who developed the Bates Method of Natural Vision Improvement in the early 1900s. He realised that any malfunction of the eyes: short sight, long sight, squint or astigmatism, resulted from using the eyes with strain and tension. By learning to use the eyes in a relaxed and free way, normal vision can be wholly or partially restored.

For pupils with a particular interest in improving a vision problem, there are additionally a wide variety of methods and games developed by Dr Bates for working with particular eye problems, that can be used alongside Alexander technique.

Although I am not a trained instructor of the Bates method, I worked with Bates method instructors in England over many years. I now continue the exploration of vision here, with myself and with pupils.

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