November 21, 2008

The Alexander Technique was developed over 100 years ago by Australian actor F.M. Alexander, who discovered that the way we think about moving greatly affects its quality and ease.

During lessons in the Alexander Technique you become aware of the inappropriate ways in which you hold, move and use your body, particularly your back. By applying greater self awareness and clearer intention to everyday activities you can dramatically improve coordination, balance and posture, and remove many causes of pain. 

Why Try the Alexander Technique?
The Alexander Technique is a learnt skill, not a treatment. It is the difference between being a bad driver and requiring frequent visits to the mechanic to fix your damaged car, and learning to become a good driver, which helps keep your car going smoothly and looking great even though it may have many kilometres on the clock.

We are all responsible for how we use our bodies, although we are not always aware of the build up of damage from harmful habits. Alexander lessons help you become aware of your unconscious movement habits, so you can make constructive choices to use your whole self with more ease, grace and economy, and suffer less wear and tear as a result. 

What are the Principles of the Alexander Technique?
A central idea is that how you use yourself affects how well you function. That is, it’s not just what you do that matters, but how. Alexander discovered that a particular relationship of the head to the neck and back had a critical effect on co-ordination, balance and breathing. When the skull is gently balanced on the top of the spine, with minimal muscular work, every activity becomes much easier and more graceful. 

How it Works
The main obstacle to achieving greater ease is the influence of our subconscious habits on our movement. If, for example, we have developed a habit of always tilting the head towards the left shoulder, then having the head more upright feels like it’s tipping to the right, and is therefore wrong. So you stick with your familiar habit, even though a mirror shows you are lopsided. Through Alexander Technique lessons you learn to let go of wanting to “feel” right, so you can restore a more natural and balanced organisation within your body.

A key element of learning the Alexander Technique is that your teacher helps you become more aware of how you move, and how your thinking influences that movement. With this enhanced awareness you are then able to consciously interrupt bad habits as you notice them during your day, and replace them with more constructive responses. This is called “thinking in activity”, and can be applied to almost everything, from chopping vegetables to walking, from skiing to singing. 

How Does it Differ from other Movement Therapies?
The Alexander Technique is not an exercise programme, it is a very practical way of thinking to apply to your daily life. Many people unknowingly contribute to their back problems, joint stiffness and headaches by constantly tightening muscles. This can restrict movement and impede nerve pathways, causing pain. By learning to notice and then reduce excessive muscular tension, people can manage and often eliminate longstanding health problems. 

How is it Taught?
Because you are individual, in the way you think and move and feel, the Alexander Technique is most effective when taught one-on-one. Just as a piano lesson progresses faster with only one pupil, so it is with Alexander Technique lessons. Lessons meet an individual’s particular needs at the pace they require.

Lessons are usually 30 to 40 minutes long, and typically involve a combination of movement and rest. Using a guiding touch, an Alexander teacher works with simple movements and positions, such as sitting, walking and bending. There is also some time for constructive lying down on a specially made Alexander Technique table. Here you learn to release excessive tension by applying awareness and intention.

In later lessons, a teacher may explore specific applications relevant to your daily life – working at a computer, carrying young children, playing a musical instrument, bending over the washing up. With practice, you develop the skills to apply the technique in more demanding situations in your daily life.

Conditions which often improve with Alexander Technique lessons include:

• Chronic musculoskeletal problems such as low back pain, neck pain, headaches, RSI, TMJ disorders, scoliosis and joint disorders
• Chronic voice problems such as hoarseness and stage fright
• Neurological problems such as poor balance and coordination, as well as the effects of Parkinson’s Disease, stroke and multiple sclerosis and torticollis
• Respiratory problems including asthma and shallow breathing
• Mental health problems including depression, anxiety and panic attacks

Research
Over the years there have been a diverse range of studies into the effects of lessons in the Alexander Technique. A recent British study of over 90 people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) concluded that sufferers of PD are likely to improve their management of everyday activities, and may also delay increases in their PD medication, following a series of
lessons in the Alexander Technique.¹

Another study was made of the use of the technique in a pain clinic. Patients rated it the best of 13 activities used on a course on pain management.² (2002) 16 705-718 Authors: C Stallibrass, School of Integrated Medicine, University of Westminster; P Sissons, Peta Sissons Consultancy; C Chalmers, Department of Statistics, London School of Economics 

1. Randomised controlled trial of the Alexander Technique for idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, Journal: Clinical Rehabilitation 
2. Early Experiences of a Multidisciplinary Pain Management Programme, Keren Fisher, MSc ABPsS. Holistic Medicine, 3 (1): 47-56, 1988.