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.”