The Alexander Technique

So...I'll tell you what the Technique is NOT. It is not at all, at all, at all like Rolfing, or any other massage therapy, or yoga practices, or surfing or skateboarding or hoola hoops...or anything else found in the Land of OZ. Boy, we sure get busy, huh? I repeat. The Alexander Technique is neither an activity (yoga, pilates, etc), nor is it a therapeutic treatment (Rolfing, massage, acupuncture). So what is it exactly?

The Technique is just that, a literal technique to learn how to be less stressed out. It is a game of stress reduction that will change how you approach pretty much every activity...Every activity. It will inform your yoga practice, your golf game, your writing, your dancing, etc. It will teach you something new about yourself. So, rather than think of it as an exercise class or a therapeutic manipulation, consider AT as a sensory re-education. Because that's what it is. It is a way to learn how to let go of unncessary tension that is messing with our ability to live well. When we are less stressed, we move better, we breathe deeper and our health improves. Lessons teach people how to quite literally shed unwanted and debilitating habits that are interfering with coordination, breathing ...and brain waves. YUP... Sad, but true. Our habits mess with our ability to think for ourselves. Weird. So...Alexander Lessons offer a solution to various problems that stem from 'faulty thinking' or bad habits. And, it will prevent these 'bad' habits from causing harm by drawing attention to them early. Your neck, your back, your shoulders...are yours. Take care of 'em and you'll be a lot happier with them. In the same way we can practice the piano, or practice any other skill...we can practice our own coordination/motor skills. Guiding a student in a simple activity such as moving in and out of a chair, or assisting them while lying quietly on a table, the teacher uses verbal cues and touch to help a student let go of those unconscious patterns of harmful muscular tension that interfere with coordination, balance and breathing. And thought processes. Hmmmm. Giving yourself a strong sense of balance and peace of mind is not gratuitous...it's a birthright. Hope to see you at the studio.


You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go. ~
- Dr. Seuss

AN ACTOR'S SUCCESS STORY

I want to share a story about an actor's success. Weirdly enough (not), such good news in showbiz often unleashes tremendous anxiety, stress and insecurity. Go figure. Actors are running about the planet hungry for work, auditioning with heart and soul, and being rejected most of the time. Ouch. No mystery to hear rejection then becomes the norm. We are so programmed for disappointment that good news might not even make sense to our central nervous system; when that gig comes we are beyond overwhelmed. Frightened even. YIKES. That fear then takes its toll and robs us of a good time. Muscles bunch up, the performer freezes, stops breathing, stops listening and just stops playing altogether. Uh-oh. No fun here. O mighty Fortune, what now?

Meet Jenny, an exceptionally talented, charming and eager young actor, who has just been cast in a wonderful play that will be running for several months. Eureka. The gig that one dreams about has landed in her lap. Plucked from showcase drivel, she is now working in the Big League. And breathless with excitement (and just slightly freaked out), she shows up at my door for some Alexander lessons. Smart lady, Jenny. In her lessons we work to release that fear, that anxiety and insecurity which all have the potential to unconsciously disrupt her rich sense of fun and play.

How do Alexander lessons keep an actor ready to play? Well, lessons offer an opportunity to come out of old startle patterns that may be entrenched in our view of the world. Hard to have fun when freaked out. Much better to be open and available. Freeing our neck muscles is a surefire way to find that fabulous mojo running up and down the spine, that primal roadway going from our head through our neck and back. In Jenny’s case, her habit of staring up at the world locks her into a rigid “startle” pattern that grossly interferes with that primary control. Being all of 5’2” and ninety pounds wet, Jenny’s world is habitually defined by having to look UP rather than OUT. This habitual and unconscious movement of dropping the head back onto the neck puts unnecessary strain on the whole system; breathing, movement and alignment can all be greatly disturbed by such unconscious movement. So the game, if you will, is to take a habit out of the unconscious and make it conscious. And maybe, just maybe we might stop it. Voila. Life becomes a very different deal. In her lesson I help Jenny to allow for the release of her neck which then allows for her head to move a bit forward and up to the top of her spine. She happily noted the change. “Wow…this is a totally different way of being in the world.” BINGO. And for just a minute or two, this lifelong habit of diminishing herself is put to the side and she enters the room ready to play. Nice way to be in rehearsals for your first Broadway gig, wouldn’t you say?

Alexander Technique and Parkinson's - tangible relief and support from a debilitating illness

Ruth Rootberg's article powerfully describes the benefits of consciously changing neuro-muscular patterns, even with a debilitating illness like Parkinson's. I have done some editing here, just for space factor. The whole study can be found at www.amsatonline.org in the latest edition of AmSAT News.
*****
The Alexander Technique and Parkinson's Disease: A Case Study in Generating Hope for a Degenerative Condition
The entire Summer 2010 issue of AmSAT News is now available in our bookstore.
The Alexander Technique and Parkinson's Disease:
A Case Study in Generating Hope for a Degenerative Condition

by Ruth Rootberg

In the summer of 2008 a student of mine who is a physician urged me to see her patient, "Sabrina" (fictitious name), a senior citizen with Parkinson’s disease. The physician was concerned because Sabrina’s breathing was becoming compromised as her chest increasingly collapsed downward. I agreed to see Sabrina to discuss what the Alexander Technique might offer her and under what circumstances we could arrange lessons. I was both curious and terrified about teaching her to re-coordinate neuro-muscular patterning while her nervous system was progressively deteriorating. How could I help her, and for how long? Before meeting Sabrina, I did some research.

Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative movement disorder with symptoms that may include trembling in the hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face (tremor), rigidity and stiffness, slowness of movement, difficulty in initiating movement, and postural instability (impaired balance).1 Parkinson’s patients typically develop a stooped, head-down, shoulders-drooped stance with a tendency to lean unnaturally forward or backward, and they tend to walk with a distinctive unsteady shuffling gait.2 Parkinson's is generally considered a disease of late middle age with the average age of onset at around 60 years of age.3 Idiopathic Parkinson's disease is the most common form; it is called idiopathic because the cause for the condition is unknown.4

There is no known cure for Parkinson’s disease. Medical treatment involves powerful medications that act to reduce the symptoms and hopefully slow the pace at which the disease progresses. These powerful medications may produce unwanted side-effects, however, so care is taken in regulating and changing dosages as conditions warrant.

Some Parkinson’s patients undergo “deep brain stimulation.”5 In patients with Parkinson's disease, nerve cells in this region degenerate, causing tremors, stiffness, slowed movement, and loss of coordination. During this surgical procedure, electrodes are implanted that deliver electrical impulses to the region in the center of the brain that controls and coordinates movement. Physical therapy treatment stresses increasing patients’ comfort level and ability to manage daily life activities independently. This is where the Alexander Technique comes in.

.... Participants described improvements in walking, speech, improved posture or balance, greater energy, reduced tremor, and reduced rigidity or muscle tension. Some reported reduced stress or greater composure. Fewer changed their medications during the intervention or the six months following.


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Until next time...hope you're all having a sweet sort of day. It's your day after all. So why not take just a sec and notice where you are in space? Are you pulling up? Falling down? Squeezing, holding and making yourself tense all around?


You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go. ~
- Dr. Seuss


Happy days,
wendy

OPRAH Endorses Alexander Technique

Hey Folks. A little ditty from Oprah Magazine on alternative back pain treatments.

http://www.oprah.com/health/Alternative-Medicine-Pain-Treatments

In honor of Alexander Awareness Week, I'm offering a $13 trial free lesson.... Pay for the space, take a load off, spread yourself out LONG AND WIDE. Your back will thank you for a long time to come....

Until next time...hope you're all having a sweet sort of day. It's your day after all. So why not take just a sec and notice where you are in space? Are you pulling up? Falling down? Squeezing, holding and making yourself tense all around?


You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go. ~
- Dr. Seuss


Happy days,
wendy

The Alexander Technique Enhances Surgical Proficiency

Eureka...This is hot off the press! The Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, a leading children's hospital in the country, presented this research about surgical proficiency and the Alexander Technique at the annual meeting of The American Academy of Pediatrics in San Francisco. YUMMY! We're hitting mainstream folks, read all about it. Okay...so we may not all become surgeons in this lifetime (blood, ew), but just remember, whether you're making a surgical incision at some poor dude's throat (God is in the details) or making your bed nice and neat (who doesn't want good orderly direction?), the Alexander Technique enhances your daily life big time.

Artistic Discipline Meets Modern Technology to Enhance Surgical Proficiency


Until next time...hope you're all having a sweet sort of day. It's your day after all. So why not take just a sec and notice where you are in space? Are you pulling up? Falling down? Squeezing, holding and making yourself tense all around?


You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go. ~
- Dr. Seuss


Happy days,
wendy

British Medical Journal Endorses Alexander Lessons

Hi Friends. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. OH...how IS that your neck of yours? Is it smooshed into your back? Is your lower back caving in? are your shoulders aching? lest you forget....Take a minute to notice where you are in space. Are you pulling up? Falling down? Squeezing, holding and making yourself tense all around?

Okay. I realize that nursery poems are the last thing you want to hear when your back is screaming at you and your Chiropractor is missing in action. But let me share this good news! The word is officially out. The British Medical Journal released a major study last year which revealed "One to one lessons in the Alexander technique from registered teachers have long term benefits for patients with chronic back pain."

If that weren't enough... take a look at this very cool video on the benefits of the work. Simple folk talking about a simple idea...feeling GOOD.

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

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go. ~
- Dr. Seuss



Hugs, Wendy at
www.freeingup@blogger.com

A simple, ridiculously effective way to feel better.

Hi Everyone. Welcome! A moment to share, here's an anti-anxiety tip Du Jour!

Want a simple, ridiculously effective way to unwind and feel better? Go horizontal. I kid you not - hit the floor for a few minutes a day and you'll feel a lot better. Lie down in semi-supine position (see diagram) for about 7-10 minutes a day, once in the morning and then again at night, and you'll be doing a wonderful thing for your fabulous ol' neuro-psycho-physical Self. Promise. Literally known as Constructive Rest Position, the practice is a powerful way to destress, to quiet down our Whole (neuro-psycho-physical) Self and thus gain new insight into how inappropriate muscular tension might be causing harm. It's a great step to freeing yourself UP.

Question: If the world is making you tense, aren't you tense making your world? While lying down, start to SENSE in yourself where you hold tension, how you clutch yourself, even when lying still.

To all you lovely yogis out there, be advised that this practice differs from the fabulous death pose of your yoga practice, for we are not drifting off into Never Never Land but focusing instead on how outside stimulus produces habits of unnecessary muscular tension. A slightly different game, but quite a fun one.

Instructions for Constructive Rest in Semi Supine Position (follow the diagram)

A guided lie down. This is a distinctive way to lie still; it's not a full lie down. Stay TRUE to the pose for the most useful benefit.

1. Grab a few books to support your head when you lie down. You don't need too many, just enough so that your head is supported and resting slightly above your body. This is important because we want to set up a position that allows for freeing ourselves from tension. The head if allowed to fall naturally is quite heavy (10-12 pounds) and will cause your neck to crunch up unnecessarily. The books prevent the head falling back and down on your neck.

2. Lie on a hard surface, i.e. the floor. Very Important since you want to be comfortably supported and a hard firm surface is a great invitation to undo. Register the floor supporting your back, the books supporting your head. Tell your muscles it's okay to soften...give over to gravity. This might seem obvious point, but getting reorganized is a radical shift for most people so don't miss those beautiful moments of observing where you are in time and space. Undoing that hard wiring of unconscious habit is a tremendous moment of power. The power of now, people. The power of now.

Gently ask yourself to stop holding yourself up, consciously register that you are lying down and let gravity have you. Don't press or squeeze anywhere. Instead send a message throughout your system to undo, release, stop gripping or trying or doing. Nowhere to go...just recognize your patterns of working. Are you able to unwind? Has your back opened? Are your shoulders less tense? Are you a little quieter mentally?

3. Notice your spine running up the center of your entire torso from the base of your pelvis into your skull. As you lie for a few minutes and your back muscles undo, your spine literally lengthens to its full stature.


4. Keep your legs pointed towards the ceiling. Notice...as your back fully spreads onto the floor, your spine lengths through the center of your trunk, your neck is then free to release some of that extra tension stored from holding yourself up. As you free yourself up around your neck column, the head moves further away, leaving you with with a sensation of floating on top of your spine.

Direct yourself.
Keep envisioning yourself opening and expanding; allowing your back to open, your spine to lengthen, your neck muscles to free up and your head to float away/out...your limbs extending away from your center.

The vision I like is one of a Five Pointed Star. Head, Shoulders, and Knees all shining out in opposite directions....

After about 7-10 minutes, come up to standing and see what registers. Does your back feel wider? Are you less tight in your head/neck/shoulder area? Are you breathing a bit deeper? Do you feel a bit taller? What do you SENSE about yourself?


Keep me posted!!

Namaste....Wendy

Directed movement isn't a requirement for us two-footed folk; we don't need to think to move througout our daily lives...but life sure is sweeter when we are.


You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go. ~
- Dr. Seuss