Keys of the Alexander Technique (part 1): Clearing up your THINKING

Two of the top benefits of the Alexander Technique are health and posture. These are, however, not exclusive to the Technique.

The objective of the Alexander Technique could be described as “lightness and freedom of movement with minimum effort.”  But here once again the Alexander Technique does not hold a monopoly.

What distinguishes the Alexander Technique from other mind-body disciplines isn’t so much what comes at the end of the process, but rather the emphasis it puts on how we get there. And the key is in the THINKING PROCESS involved.

During Alexander Technique lessons you get to learn some of the anatomical and physiological aspects of movement, but this is not where the true core of the work lies. When we think about the structures that we’ll be moving, we’re not as interested in the actual movement as we are in the clarity of the thought and intention behind the movement.

The learning process in the Alexander Technique centers on clarifying the thinking process that gets you into movement. Alexander called it “quickening the conscious mind.” It’s about working with the reasoning, discriminating, creative and decision making capabilities of our minds.

If our bodies are not responding to our conscious wishes perhaps it isn’t because they are structurally unable to do so, but rather because we’re having unconscious wishes that conflict with our conscious ones. These “unconscious wishes” are made manifest in our muscle tension patterns.

We fail to realize this because the unconscious wishes have been there for so long they have become part of our “self-definition.” To go in a new conscious direction, we must first become aware of what direction we’re already unconsciously heading in… and let go of the conflicting wish.

This is really what the Alexander Technique is about: If you wish to go left, you’ve got to first pause and remind yourself to stop your habit of always going right. Because if you rush left without thinking, that is, without “inhibiting” your tendency to go right, you’ll end up going nowhere fully or satisfactorily.

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¡Important! Before taking your next lesson or workshop: read this!

You are choosing to read this blog.

Perhaps the topic interests you; or a friend you trust shared it; or you know me and like what I write; or you just want to read something to pass the time and the title caught your attention.

Regardless of why your’re here, the choice to be here and read this is yours.

Are you clear about your purpose? What do you expect to get from this investment of your time and energy? Are you reading by habit or by conscious choice?

Take a few seconds get clear about this. It’s important. You’ll soon see why…

I’ve taken countless lessons and workshops in my life. I didn’t take advantage of some of the good ones all I’d like to have done; nor did I drop the bad ones as soon as I should have done. And all because I wasn’t clear what for and why I was there in the first place.

Why do we go to lessons and workshops (or read blogs for that matter)?

Because some limitation is hindering us from enjoying that which we enjoy doing (dancing, singing, riding horses, taking care of the grand kids), and we want to help the situation.

Why do we choose a particular lesson or workshop?

Because it’s related to our objective (we may be aware of this or not) and it fits our available resources (motivation, time, money, energy, knowledge).

How do we know if we’ve chosen the right lesson or workshop for us?

We can’t know until we’ve tried it. But if we are clear about our objective we can evaluate if the lesson or workshop is helping us go in the direction that we want to go.

Why is it so important to be clear about our objective?

Being clear about your goals makes you an active participant in your learning process. If your ultimate goal isn’t the guide of your actions, you run the risk of losing focus and falling into old habits. So ask yourself, is what I’m doing here getting me closer or pulling me away from my goal?

What if I don’t realize if I’m moving nearer of further away from my goal?

Take a few seconds to analyze if your uncertainty is a product of the content of the lesson, the form and context of the lesson, or both.

1. If the problem is the content of the lesson (it’s not the “take” on the subject that you were looking for, or the workshop is not about what you were expecting, or you’re just not understanding what’s going on) but the form and context is fine, check with yourself to see if you are able to open up to learning something new.

It may even be that you’re actually getting the answer you need, but it’s not coming in the concrete form you were imagining it would come (hence the confusion). If you have an inkling that this might be the case, suspend judgment until later. You’re already there, and as long as you’re comfortable with the proceedings and having a good time, there’s nothing to lose by exploring a new take on your problem. At the end of the process check with yourself once again to find out if you actually gained your original goal, or perhaps some other unexpected goal!

2. If the problema is the form or context in which the lesson is given (you disklike the place, atmosphere or teacher, it’s cold, or whatever) but the content is good, check with yourself to gauge how much you’re able to “stand” the unfortunate circumstances in order to gain your goal. If the situation is not all that bad (or it is easily fixable) ignore the slight discomfort and hold on to what’s good and important for you.

But if you’re uncomfortable to the point that you’re getting angry or scared for your physical, emotional or mental integrity, perhaps it’s high time you get out of there… fast. I’m sure there are other far less traumatic ways of gaining your end than your current choice of lesson.

3. If the problem is the form or context in which the lesson is given and, to top it off, the content is not what you hoped it would be, there’s nothing to think about really, get out of there, go home. Surely there’s far better ways you could be using your time and energy rather than making yourself stick to something you’re neither interested in nor liking how it’s taught.

You’ve reached the end of the blog. This means that the form, context and/or content of it, wasn’t all that bad. J

Now it’s the time to analyze, evaluate and decide if it’s worth your while waiting for our next meeting on the next blog, writing to me with your questions, or sharing this blog with a friend.

See you next time.

Victoria

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Victoria Stanham, Alexander Technique teacher and Pilates instructor.

I study developmental movement, taking great inspiration from the organic and free movement of the animal kingdom.

My goal is to achieve comfort, efficiency, elegance and balance, both in movement and in stillness, according to our physical, mental and emotional design.

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