The Alexander Technique
Align Spiritual Principles with Postural Integrity

Posted by admin on March 31, 2009 · Leave a Comment

By Tom Russell

When we walk the spiritual path, harmony yearns to unfold between all centers. The Alexander Technique facilitates this. The illusion of separation between mind and body disappears as you develop super sensitivity to tension the moment it appears. As an educational study the Alexander Technique reinforces and illuminates everything you learn in all the good spiritual books. It helps make a powerful shift from theory to application and can save you a great deal of time.

In his rich and practical book The Power of Your Supermind, Vernon Howard writes, “Freedom is internal harmony, where thoughts, emotions, and physical movements all cheerfully do the same thing. They are in agreement, having no argument with each other. It is like the harmony produced by the separate strings on a guitar when plucked by a skilled musician.”

A Brief History of the Alexander Technique

Over a century ago F.M. Alexander was a successful Shakespearian actor. But his voice failed him during vital performances and he was forced to give up his promising career. The experts of the day could not help him so he decided to take matters into is own hands. He observed himself for years in front of mirrors to discover what he was unconsciously doing to strain his voice. These intense and highly practical observations led to an amazing insight.

Mr. Alexander observed that we all have one habit in common, although manifested in many different ways. In particular he noticed that at the start of a movement (no matter how small), we tend to tighten our necks in subtle and unseen ways. This pulls our heads back and down. This habit of subtle tightening is so small and so habitual almost no one notices it.

You can learn to notice this habitual tightening and prevent it. When you learn how to observe and refuse a habitual muscular pattern, and instead pause and release vertically, the rest of the body naturally follows.

How to Learn the Alexander Technique

Certified instructors (training links below) provide private sessions. Books and articles on the A.T. provide benefit, but the core of the technique, the release itself, is a subtle kinesthetic experience. A skilled instructor can help you discover it in no time, then its a lifetime of releasing as you go deeper into this simple and amazing technique. These lessons give you THE EXPERIENCE of being taller and wider without “trying” to be. You’ll learn how to maintain maximum length and width as you do all the simple acts of daily living. It is a powerful tool and it is 100% practical, educational and down-to-earth. F.M. Alexander had a laser focus on a few simple principles. The Technique’s most appropriate domain is the school system but in our degenerating society it is far too practical to be of interest to most of today’s “educators.”

In addition to health and awareness, another benefit of the A.T. is the positive impact it has on your sense of ease and presence before an audience. You’ll learn how to attend to yourself first and speak and move with the least amount of muscular effort, whether your audience is one or a thousand. This is why the A.T. is practiced by many professional musicians, actors and performers. It is a part of the core curriculum at the Juilliard School of Performing Arts because inefficient and habitual use of the self can be a huge stumbling block at the higher levels of artistic expression. If you’re a business executive or sales professional lessons in the A.T. might prove to be a hundred times more valuable than the next new “way to sell” book or seminar.
The A.T. helps to open communication between all your centers. When everything is in agreement on releasing vertically it is amazing how much energy you have and how good you feel. Spiritual principles must permeate all of life and not remain an isolated domain that you go to once or twice a day. The advanced practice occurs when you bring the spiritual to everything, and the A.T. is a powerful tool that will help you do just that.

An instructor who has completed the rigorous AmSat training is usually the most qualified. As often happens, so many people now call themselves “Alexander Teachers” and they are not. Here are a few links so you can check your area, or if no instructor is in your area, you might remember to check the next time you travel.

Lessons in the United States
web address: http://www.alexandertech.org/teachers/FindTeachers.php

Lessons in England
web address: http://www.alexandertechnique.org.uk

SuperWisdom Audio Podcast
“Active Rest” SuperWisdom Podcast on the A.T.

General educational website on the Alexander Technique
web address: http://alexandertechnique.com