Awareness

I was working with a client this afternoon, a specialist nurse who’s gone from strength to strength. She now has no back pain, and she’s enjoying being able to sleep, uninterrupted, on her back again after so many years of pain and discomfort.

A good night's sleep. Priceless, and just one of the many benefits of increasing your self-awareness.

Whilst I hear this all the time (or at least a lot of the time), it’s always really refreshing to hear my Alexander pupils talk about the benefits they’ve gained. So I asked the question “What’s been the biggest change for you?”

She told me this:

“Awareness! It’s like an attitude change. I’m now aware of my body again, and what I’m doing with it. And even if things go wrong, now I know what to do about it.”

Great! Well done you, I’m really pleased! There was a survey some time ago, by the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique, of Alexander pupils, asking them what the biggest change was. And the most common answer was the same. Awareness.

It’s by becoming more aware of ourselves that we can avoid all those bad habits, the bad sitting, the bad typing, the bad grumpy same-old responses to the same-old problems.

I always put it down to my Rule Number One.

Rule Number One: You’re the boss. Not the computer, not the car, not the chair, nor the tv. Not the relatives, not the tension, nor the pain. You. You are the boss of you.

Which means you get to choose how you react to things. You get to choose how you sit at the computer, or how you hold your phone or tablet. Not the computer. Not the phone. Not the tablet.

By becoming much more aware of your body, you’re much, much more likely to handle it in a better way.

So the question I have to ask of you today, as you’re there staring into this screen, is this…

“Who’s the boss of you?”

Dealing with Pain

If you’re suffering from pain, learning the Alexander Technique is a great way to manage or remove many problems.

It works by teaching you how to go about everything you do with less tension and less effort. My clients are often delighted to find out just how easy it can be. By moving with less effort, you’re putting a lot less strain on your joints and muscles, so everything feels lighter and easier. That’s the trademark of a good Alexander Technique session – you feel a lot lighter and everything takes less effort.

After six sessions I can feel a positive change and look forward to further sessions. Conditions improved: increased awareness, reduced pain, reduced stress, improved happiness and improved energy – Alan (and wife) from Stockport.

A Skill for Life

You can learn a new way of going about your daily life -so this is something that you learn, rather than something that’s ‘done to you’. It really is a skill for life.

If you’ve tried physiotherapy, osteopathy, chiropracty, drugs, massage, surgery or acupuncture, and still end up in the same old fix, and you haven’t experience the Alexander Technique then you’re missing out! In a series of zero-effort sessions, you’ll learn to sense the muscular tightening that naturally accompanies pain. I’ll show you how to release that tension, so you’re not making the issue worse by tightening up and stiffening around the pain.

There’s no quick fix here, although often I’ve helped people to ditch back, neck, hip or knee pain, sciatica, and headaches after just a few sessions. Sometimes it happens quickly, and for other people it takes a lot longer. The only way to find out if you’ll learn it quickly is to try a lesson. It’s important to realise that if there’s a significant injury or physical problem, I may not be able to help at all. But if your pain is just a result of bad habits, as in the case of most back and neck pain, then there’s a good chance I can help. Make sure you’ve seen a GP to ensure you don’t have a serious underlying condition.

97% of people with back pain could benefit by learning the Alexander Technique – it is only a very small minority of back pain sufferers that require medical intervention such as surgery -  Jack Stern MD, Spinal Neurosurgeon.

Your body adapts to habits – sitting, standing, driving, using a phone, using the computer and so on, or even just sitting and watching TV. The Alexander Technique looks for the ways you act and move, and teaches you to avoid the bad habits, or to do them with a lot less tension. So a lot of the causes of the pain and malfunction are removed, which means a lot less pain.

An alternative therapy used to improve posture is more effective at treating back problems than conventional treatments, research has found. Those who received 24 lessons of Alexander technique experienced 18 fewer days (per month) of misery. In addition the Alexander technique group reported improved quality of life. Telegraph, 19th August 2008.

Personally speaking, I learned the Alexander Technique to help me get over RSI (repetitive strain injury). It took me a while, but I got there. So now I get to do all those things the pain had stopped me from doing. And I really enjoy life to the full. With the Alexander Technique, minimum effort = maximum results!

You can’t learn it from a book or CD, you really do need to come and try it out for yourself. You can find me in Manchester, Wilmslow, Stockport and around Cheshire giving home visits and group courses and workshops.

If you’d like to benefit like June or my other clients, book your first session to try it out by calling me on 0161 4316977, email me, or use my handy contact form.

And if you don’t feel the benefit from your first session, you don’t pay, so there’s nothing to lose!

Human-Computer Interaction

I’m currently writing a paper on the crossover between Alexander Technique and it’s elation to human-computer interaction, and even brain-computer interfaces.

As a cognitive scientist (BSc. Hons) I’ve always wanted to bridge that gap. Vision, audition and consciousness are all under the microscope at the moment in Universities around the world, and as our world becomes more and more virtual, it’s massively important to understand how we relate to the technology around us. You’ll probably notice you’re being ‘dragged in’ slightly to this page to read it, probably pulling the head down and towards these words. In a world where external stimuli are becoming faster, more urgent and more demanding, its paramount to manage how you react to these things!

For example, this article in the Daily Mail about text-neck (which is very much an advert for chiropractors) talks about the bad posture and pain caused by too much smart-phone use. While a chiropractor will crick and crack you to release some of the tension such habits cause, most people are powerless to change the behaviour themselves (one reason why chiropractors see so much repeat trade). However, learning the Alexander Technique would give you the skills to not end up with the problem in the first place. Or if you do have this issue, you can unlearn the bad habits causing your pain (like I did to get rid of RSI), so you get an intelligent fix for life rather than a short-term fix that fades. The choice is yours of course. You can add comments here.

Improve your Dancing

I was pleased to see the BBC article “Good dancing may be a sign of male health” this week.
Whilst I can’t profess to be a great dancer myself, I’d love to learn, and reckon it would be easier now I know how to apply Alexander Technique than when I was an awkward teenager.
Dr Neave found that by videoing men dancing,

We found that (women paid more attention to) the core body region: the torso, the neck, the head. It was not just the speed of the movements, it was also the variability of the movement. So someone who is twisting, bending, moving, nodding.

Now we all know how great Alexander Technique is for improving flexibility and range of movement in the neck and spine (just look at the great results for back pain), so it means learning Alexander Technique can help you dance better.
This, of course, is no news to the multitude of professional dancers who learn Alexander Technique as part of the dance courses. Nor is it a surprise to all the actors, presenters, and sportspeople who benefit from it.

So if you’re in the mood to learn to dance, why not first learn a little Alexander Technique so you can get off to a good start and impress the others?

Oprah Magazine recommends Alexander Technique

Just a short post, for those of you who follow Oprah, her mag has a short article that recommends Alexander Technique for back ache, here.

What’s it like?

I liked this video about people’s experiences of the Alexander Technique.

I have to admit, often when I’m asked “what is the Alexander Technique”, the answer I give depends on the situation at hand, and the person asking the question.

This video shows a sequence of people’s experiences, and starts with a quote from Mary Holland that sums up the problem…

It is an illusion if we think that one day the perfect paragraph will be written explaining what the Alexander Technique is… We know that not everything can be expressed in words, otherwise why would we need music, art and dance.

The authors add to this, that…

This film does not define what the Alexander Technique is, nor did it ever intend to. It is rather an attempt to capture an impression, a rough sketch of Alexander’s discovery with a mosaic of voices.
For those who have had lessons, these voices will surely resonate with a sense of familiarity. For those who have never encountered the Alexander Technique, perhaps these voices will spark a curiosity to learn more.

You can’t put it clearer than that. Although some of the video is subtitled, it’s still well worth watching.
I hope you find the video inspiring enough to come and try a lesson….

Experience Speaks for the Alexander Technique from Thomas Glen Cook on Vimeo.

Surgeons benefit

Yesterday it hit the news that American surgeons are benefiting  from learning the Alexander Technique, as reported in Urotoday.

They reported that

All of the subjects reported a subjective improvement in their overall posture following the AT training session.

And that

The subjects also demonstrated improved ergonomics and improved ability to complete the skill sets with the PostAT load time test, suturing and cutting demonstrating statistically significant differences.

So its good news if you’re a surgeon who wants to improve your skill, and reduce your pain.

Of course, this is well know to Alexander Technique afficionados, whether for improving sport, acting, music, presenting, you name it.

And we see a lot of dentists and hairdressers, who like surgeons spend a long time leaning over their clients.

So whatever your job, I’d urge you to find out how you can get better at what you do, and do it with less pain!

In Praise of Fellside

Nestled on the slopes of Kendal, gateway to the Lake District, lies Fellside, home of Cumbria Alexander Technique Training School.

I trained there, and it holds very fond memories for me. Not just for the range of teachers, and the skill with which they teach Alexander Technique.

The views are magnificent. Many a morning I’d find myself looking out of the broad, tall windows across Kendal to the old Castle on the other side.

I trained with some great teachers there….

Michael Hardwicke, who teaches beginners and advanced alike at Grange-over-Sands, and at Lancaster University, as well as being joint director of the Alexander Technique teacher training school here.

Michael has a wealth of patience and the strength to share his skill without judging. Michael is a master at teaching anatomy and regularly runs workshops and weekends in this beautiful town for the public and for trainee teachers – check them out.

Michael shares this mantel with Jamie McDowell, the other joint director. Jamie complements Michael perfectly with his detailed understanding of the working of the hands and wrists.

Jamie was previous chair of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique, and brings a wealth of experience to teaching beginners and to trainee teachers alike.

Supporting Michael and Jamie is Vida Hedley, a movement and dance expert who studied at the Laban Centre and brings her joy of movement to the regular movement classes at the school. Vida’s classes were always a hit when I was there.

Also there’s Zohar Peleg-Hartley, brilliant at helping you feel more expanded and helping you be aware of yourself in true relationship to your surroundings.

And Joan Diamond, a massively experienced teacher who offer refresher courses to Alexander Teachers from all over the globe. I make recorded CD’s for Joan that are always very popular with the Alexander community.

And that’s all not to mention guest teachers who float in and out now and again from all over the world… Misha Magidov, Avi Granit, Patrick Gundry-White, Malcolm Williamson, Penny Ingham, Robert Taylor, Jean Clark, Rivka Cohen, Bernadette Riley, Joanne Thompson, Glenn Swift and other too many to remember. I’m grateful to each and every one of the brilliant Alexander Technique Teachers I’ve mentioned above. Next time you’re north of Manchester make sure to look them up. Each teaches from a slightly different angle, and each has something to add. So if you’re ever thinking of training to be an Alexander Technique teacher yourself, in this fascinating and infinitely rewarding field, then you can’t do better than checking out Fellside.

Come back soon, I’ll be talking about how different learning styles affect the way people teach and learn Alexander Technique, and how I implement these styles to make sure you learn the technique quickly and get to apply all the benefits it has to offer.

Bye for now,

James.

Just for fun

I made this movie relating to F.M. Alexander, just for fun. If you ignore the fact it’s the basis for an advert for swedish TV licensing (I don’t have a TV myself so couldn’t comment) and ignore the nationality issue, you’ll find some of the wording very appropriate. You’ll need a proper internet connection and sound. It’s safe for work.

An Irreverent Video

The 5 P’s of Alexander Technique

I spent some time thinking about this and came up with 5 P’s. Over the weekend I received a comment from Ever-Eloquent-Hawaii-Based-Franis (from the Big Island), who had looked at my website and noted the benefits of Alexander Technique. It was a real pleasure to read through but somehow didn’t show up as a comment on this site itself, so I’ve added her ideas here and take no credit for the fine touch she added.

But first, what are the 5P’s of Alexander Technique?

1. Posture

2. Pain-Reduction

3. Performance

4. Presence

5. Poise

So here’s what Franis had to say…

Yeah, Alexander Technique sort of sounds like snake oil, doesn’t it?
Good for whatever ails ya!

What all these definitions have in common is they address what people have trained themselves to do by accident. Unintentional habits can be learned or retained while someone was intending to deal with another priority.

This is why we Alexander Technique teachers feel it’s so important to think of A.T. as educational.

In posture A.T. would address the unnecessary tension and postural attitude unintentionally retained.

In pain-reduction A.T. would address the cumulative effects of multiple habits pulling at odds against each other.

In presence A.T. would unify intention, calming internal distractions of thought and response, as an awareness discipline.

In performance, A.T. notes progress & reveals specific refinements with a template for constructive objective self-observation & teaching ability.

Poise describes the impulse control, elegance and non-reactive qualities of A.T. Poise also implies a stillness, economy of movement and a sense of self-possession and alertness. Poise describes the “grace under pressure” stress reduction, the psychological effects that the practice that A.T. offers.

All these benefits come along with being able to indirectly influence and update one’s own movements that have been taken-for-granted, allowing you to rebel against the ordinary!

If I’d pick one word to describe Alexander Technique, it would be “poise.”

Thanks for this elegant list of “Five Peace.”

———————————–

Well, thank you too, Franis

Video of head / neck relationship

I’m always on the lookout for good videos showing the relationship of the head to the neck (you could say, the head to the spine).

The video below was sent to me by my good friend Martin at dancewith.co.uk, who lists dance events in Manchester and the North of England. Many dancers use Alexander Technique to improve their posture and form.

Note how the head can rotate nicely, perched on the atlas and axis right at the top of the neck. Getting to know these bones can only help you learn Alexander Technique more easily – so do take a moment to watch the film through, and as you do, pay attention to the relationship of your own head to your own spine. Neck and back ache are often caused by unnecessary tightening of the neck muscles, which cause the head to be pulled down on the neck. Releasing muscles around this area allows the head to be free to poise lightly on top of your spine… If you find this difficult then get an Alexander Technique teacher to show you how.

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Alexander Technique around Manchester and Cheshire

Brill! My new blog. I’ve spent the last couple of weeks filling my (very little) spare time building my new 6 Step Plan for discovering the Alexander Technique basics.

My method involves really getting you into the learning process. So I’ve broken down some of the technical terms into easy-to-understand chunks.

In other words – Plain English!

Alexander used words like “Inhibition”, “Direction” and “Primary Control”.

When I start to teach using these words, most people glaze over. And that’s the last thing I want! So I use terms like these…