The Alexander Technique and you
How long have you been sitting in front of your laptop or computer? Are you so drawn to what you are reading on the screen that your body has scrunched down and your neck is poking forwards, without you realising it? We do this when we are using our smartphones too, whether we are sitting, standing or walking.
This way of looking at the screen creates a lot of tension in your body which you aren't aware of until maybe you start to ache and feel stiff.
So what do we all do about it? We need to continue at that screen so... Painkillers? Cup of tea? Maybe a strong coffee so we can keep going - sitting like this is tiring! These all work but only for a while. That stiffness and pain returns. Why? Well - its because we are causing it by the way we are sitting.
The wonderful thing about the Alexander Technique is that it teaches you that you can free yourself of a lot of that tension, stiffness and pain simply by changing the way you are sitting. As you learn the skills to practice the Technique in your daily life, you will experience an ease and lightness in all your movements, not just sitting, which is delightful. You will lighten up mentally as well.
I will always remember the first time I experienced this. I was working in New Zealand at the time - there are Alexander Technique teachers all over the world! In a lesson with my Alexander Technique teacher I was learning about moving from sitting to standing. My strong habit was to haul myself up from the chair using a lot of effort. In this lesson I experienced for the first time the freedom that practising the Technique can give. One moment I was sitting in the chair and then, applying the skills I was learning with the help of my teacher, it was like I floated up onto my my feet. It truly was effortless and I was astounded. I had long forgotten that movement - all movement - could be more like this.
Once you have learned these skills they are yours for life. You can give yourself more and more ease and freedom each time you choose to practise the Technique in your daily life.
