Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Alexander Technique Tips
It is workstation assessment time at work. Apparently I have bad posture and mouse habits - which I guess is true. Although, in my defence I don't sit in the one bad position all day...I have 10-12 bad sitting positions that I switch between. I also don't do any exercise, which is apparently also bad.
All this assessment made me feel very guilty. So instead of going for a run, I decided to google the Alexander Technique. Amongst other things I came across some very cool tips here. They are not all exercisey/posture things. Here are a few of my favourites:
All this assessment made me feel very guilty. So instead of going for a run, I decided to google the Alexander Technique. Amongst other things I came across some very cool tips here. They are not all exercisey/posture things. Here are a few of my favourites:
1. Stop living in front of yourself. Almost everything we do is in front of us. Become aware of the large mass behind yourself which is your back.
18. Think a smile. Don’t do it, just think it and notice what happens.
19. See if you can think your body smiling too.
43. Envisage your life-style as being in a groove, not a rut.
45. Experiment with the idea of doing things differently. If you generally sit with your right leg crossed over your left, cross your left over your right. If you generally cross your arms one way do it the other and notice how different it feels.
46. Practice overriding automatic responses. When the phone rings, say ‘no’ to rushing to answer it.
48. Think of breathing in and out through the top of your head. See if that changes the way you usually hold your head.
50. Start treating yourself as a human being not a human ‘doing’.
// posted by suze @ 6:14 PM 
Comments:
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I suspect the points offered above are not so much about the Technique itself, but about preparing your mind to understand the Technique.
I am not an Alexander Technique expert (but I know one), and from my few lessons I took away the thought that posture is more about the body moving in a direction (or "directing") than holding what your mind believes to be a good posture.
Your mind has been fooled by long term postural habits. What it believes is centred and upright is measured against a pattern that may itself be incorrect.
Body affects mind, and mind affects body. Learning about the Alexander Technique is a valuable life lesson (IMHO).
I am not an Alexander Technique expert (but I know one), and from my few lessons I took away the thought that posture is more about the body moving in a direction (or "directing") than holding what your mind believes to be a good posture.
Your mind has been fooled by long term postural habits. What it believes is centred and upright is measured against a pattern that may itself be incorrect.
Body affects mind, and mind affects body. Learning about the Alexander Technique is a valuable life lesson (IMHO).
I wish I like Rush music as much as Rush lyrics...although I guess Caress of Steel is not hte best Rush album to start with.
I guess it is not just postural haboits that minds are fooled by. I suppose thinking habits are similar.
I just want to add something to point no 1: You have to be careful to not think of your back as 2 dimensional. For me it's far more helpful to think of my entire trunk, which stops me from pushing into my back. Not everyone will do what I do though.
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