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The Alexander Technique
Book by Barker, Sarah
- GenresNonfiction
Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 21, 2018
"'If you teach an individual to be aware of his physical organism and then to use it as it was meant to be used, you can often change his entire attitude to life and cure his neurotic tendencies.'" ~Aldous Huxley
"'an almost immediate increase in mental and emotional control.' (~Frank Pierce Jones) This is because the Alexander Technique (A.T.) gives a workable approach in attacking emotional problems directly, & we are no longer simply at the mercy of confusion, worry, anger, panic."
"We have something to blame. Instead, we could be finding out what we are doing to ourselves that keeps us from solving our problems."
"what has been discovered is that when all the body parts are balanced & integrated, the human species is constructed in a way to resist the pull of gravity effortlessly in keeping itself erect. When arranged naturally in a sort of flexible column, with its energy & movement directed up through the top of that column- the whole torso following the head- the body will work efficiently & flexibly. In this condition, the reflex system of the body is allowed to work."
"The correct messages from one body part to another (coordination) are relayed & interpreted properly.... The movement of the head leads & influences the movement of the body so that all parts (muscles) are coordinated & work in a harmonious system of contraction & relaxation."
"When we do not trust our body's ability & interfere with this natural reflex of ease, things go wrong. If the head does not initiate, the body column will be out of kilter, the reflex of our movements will be interfered with & muscle will be pitted against muscle. We actually feel heavier because of pressure put on the joints by excess muscular tension."
NINE RULES TO FOLLOW:
1. Your "head" means the whole three-dimensional globe- not just your face or chin or some other part of it.
2. Your "body" means the whole torso.
3. "Upward" indicates a direction, not a fixed place.
4. Refer to the Basic Movement each time you proceed to a new action.
BASIC MOVEMENT: allow your whole head to move forward & upward & let your whole body follow.
5. Perform each Action at your own pace, not in the fastest way possible. How is what matters.
6. Stay alive: Keep breathing & seeing the world around you. There is no reason to hold your breath or go glossy-eyed.
7. DO not worry about executing the Actions "correctly." It is not a question of doing them the "right way," but rather of discovering greater flexibility & freedom in your movements.
8. Breath easily & naturally through your nose.
9. Perform each Action as though for the first time.
"Any harmful, wasteful or debilitating emotion will express itself in tensions that you can perceive even before you go haywire, inundated by it.... When you detect these signals, simply give some attention to easing your head upward & allowing your body to follow it.... Rather, the new direction of your energy, by releasing tension throughout your body, gives you a means of coping with the emotion so that it remains a potential for action but does not interfere with rational decision & any action you may take."
"The Alexander principle is a principle of movement, not posture & position. It just so happens that when you stop interfering with your body's natural functioning, you stand up straighter. Go back to letting your head move upward & away from your body as your body follows, in any movement you do;.... Then you're on the right track."
"'an almost immediate increase in mental and emotional control.' (~Frank Pierce Jones) This is because the Alexander Technique (A.T.) gives a workable approach in attacking emotional problems directly, & we are no longer simply at the mercy of confusion, worry, anger, panic."
"We have something to blame. Instead, we could be finding out what we are doing to ourselves that keeps us from solving our problems."
"what has been discovered is that when all the body parts are balanced & integrated, the human species is constructed in a way to resist the pull of gravity effortlessly in keeping itself erect. When arranged naturally in a sort of flexible column, with its energy & movement directed up through the top of that column- the whole torso following the head- the body will work efficiently & flexibly. In this condition, the reflex system of the body is allowed to work."
"The correct messages from one body part to another (coordination) are relayed & interpreted properly.... The movement of the head leads & influences the movement of the body so that all parts (muscles) are coordinated & work in a harmonious system of contraction & relaxation."
"When we do not trust our body's ability & interfere with this natural reflex of ease, things go wrong. If the head does not initiate, the body column will be out of kilter, the reflex of our movements will be interfered with & muscle will be pitted against muscle. We actually feel heavier because of pressure put on the joints by excess muscular tension."
NINE RULES TO FOLLOW:
1. Your "head" means the whole three-dimensional globe- not just your face or chin or some other part of it.
2. Your "body" means the whole torso.
3. "Upward" indicates a direction, not a fixed place.
4. Refer to the Basic Movement each time you proceed to a new action.
BASIC MOVEMENT: allow your whole head to move forward & upward & let your whole body follow.
5. Perform each Action at your own pace, not in the fastest way possible. How is what matters.
6. Stay alive: Keep breathing & seeing the world around you. There is no reason to hold your breath or go glossy-eyed.
7. DO not worry about executing the Actions "correctly." It is not a question of doing them the "right way," but rather of discovering greater flexibility & freedom in your movements.
8. Breath easily & naturally through your nose.
9. Perform each Action as though for the first time.
"Any harmful, wasteful or debilitating emotion will express itself in tensions that you can perceive even before you go haywire, inundated by it.... When you detect these signals, simply give some attention to easing your head upward & allowing your body to follow it.... Rather, the new direction of your energy, by releasing tension throughout your body, gives you a means of coping with the emotion so that it remains a potential for action but does not interfere with rational decision & any action you may take."
"The Alexander principle is a principle of movement, not posture & position. It just so happens that when you stop interfering with your body's natural functioning, you stand up straighter. Go back to letting your head move upward & away from your body as your body follows, in any movement you do;.... Then you're on the right track."
September 22, 2014
L'idea è bella e il metodo Alexander è sensato, intuitivo e interessante. Però il libretto si presenta più come un opuscolo informativo che come un testo completo. Si parla più delle applicazioni del metodo piuttosto che di come metterlo in pratica: credo sia necessario approfondire per trarre veramente beneficio del metodo. Non merita la sufficienza, a mio parere...
November 30, 2010
The book to help you with your posture. Very straightforward, simple, and easy. Helps make me aware of how I'm standing as a whole and not just my shoulders. I hope that I will remember to implement the lessons i learned and improve my overall body's total energy.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews