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The Alexander technique
The Alexander Technique was developed by an Australian actor, F. Matthias lexander, to improve the way the body is used by treating mind and body as a whole. Long popular with actors and dancers because of the stamina, flexibility and relaxation it offers, physiotherapists and doctors are now recommending it to help stress-related movement and posture disorders. It provides a complete programme of procedures to follow for daily activities and sports, enabling the reader to follow the technique without having to attend classes.
- GenresHealth
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 28, 2023
Somewhat dated in its presentation of the material with too many 'stories' of people that got better. There are some exercises but its stressed this is really a one-one therapist-patient technique. Did not get much out this although I have taken one Alexander class and found it extremely interesting and helpful.
April 23, 2018
"The body functions with maximum efficiency when all its parts are in dynamic balance with one another. When excess tension is released, it is as if a heavy weight is lifted off the body; there is often a sense of relief & of wonder at how much easier movement can be. This letting go of excess tension helps the body release to its full height without straining, thus taking weight off of the joints so that they can move more freely. The Alexander Technique helps you achieve this freedom, not through programmed exercises, but through mind/body awareness of how you are functioning in daily life."
"For me, the Alexander Technique is a process that is constantly expanding in scope, forcing me to reach deeper & deeper into all aspects of myself. Although the physical benefits are incalculable, the psychological benefits in growth, clarity of thinking, & the way I deal with my life are equally important. Having an awareness of myself & a means to change puts me in control. I know that I have a choice of behavior, & that is a freeing experience. I know that with the help of the Alexander Technique, I will continue to grow."
'"We can throw away the habit of a lifetime in a few minutes if we use our brains.'" ~F.M. Alexander
"'I haven't changed, I have metamorphosed. What looked like change was potential that was always there & available to me. My fears, my anxieties, & my feelings of low self-worth stopped me from tapping into my natural functioning. It changed everything.... My personal life is completely different. What I give & what I ask for in relationships is on a much higher level-much more reasonable, intelligent, & congruent with who I am & who the person is. I don't ask things of people when those people can't really give it. I don't persist in being in relationships when they really don't work. The Alexander Technique is the single most important thing I have ever done in my life. If I had to go back & choose one tool for my whole life, I would choose the Alexander Technique.'" ~Helene
"The words are 'Let my neck be free, to let my head go forward & up, to let my torso lengthen & widen, to let my legs release away from my torso, & let my shoulders widen.' These words are the mental directions that are the instructions to the body, telling it what it should do."
"When her body was worked on & released, it seemed to trigger memories from her past, emotional traumas that she had experienced but not expressed her response at the time: 'I got a lot of flashbacks as my body released & changed, insights into past responses. I understood why I behaved in certain ways in the past. It wasn't a process of reflecting carefully, but memories coming to the surface.' the psychologist Wilheim Reich, who named the phenomenon 'body armoring,' believed that if people, especially children, experienced an emotional trauma & did not express their feelings at the time (sometimes because they were not able to under the circumstances), the trauma would somehow be trapped in the muscles. Later on, when the muscles were freed in a nurturing environment, this signaled the brain that the trauma was ready to be processed."
"Alexander had his students come for a 'course of lessons'-five times a week for six weeks, for a total of thirty lessons. Major changes could be made in this relatively short period of time. Since the lessons were so close together, there was little time for the body to fall back into old habits, & it was possible for each lesson to build on the next in a very concrete way."
"Student who have the time should ideally take three lessons a week for two weeks, then two lessons a week for three weeks, followed by lessons once a week."
"Continuing to think the directions, bring your hand to the object, allowing your body intelligence to determine what the necessary support should be. Tension has weight. If you introduce undue tension, you are adding the weight of your tensions to the weight of the object."
'No matter what direction your body moves in space, the energy flow in your torso should be toward your head.... An "energy flow up" also means a willingness to let your body take up its full space- to move up out of yourself rather than pull down into yourself- so you have more direct contact with the world around you. In other words, an energy flow is also an attitude."
"For me, the Alexander Technique is a process that is constantly expanding in scope, forcing me to reach deeper & deeper into all aspects of myself. Although the physical benefits are incalculable, the psychological benefits in growth, clarity of thinking, & the way I deal with my life are equally important. Having an awareness of myself & a means to change puts me in control. I know that I have a choice of behavior, & that is a freeing experience. I know that with the help of the Alexander Technique, I will continue to grow."
'"We can throw away the habit of a lifetime in a few minutes if we use our brains.'" ~F.M. Alexander
"'I haven't changed, I have metamorphosed. What looked like change was potential that was always there & available to me. My fears, my anxieties, & my feelings of low self-worth stopped me from tapping into my natural functioning. It changed everything.... My personal life is completely different. What I give & what I ask for in relationships is on a much higher level-much more reasonable, intelligent, & congruent with who I am & who the person is. I don't ask things of people when those people can't really give it. I don't persist in being in relationships when they really don't work. The Alexander Technique is the single most important thing I have ever done in my life. If I had to go back & choose one tool for my whole life, I would choose the Alexander Technique.'" ~Helene
"The words are 'Let my neck be free, to let my head go forward & up, to let my torso lengthen & widen, to let my legs release away from my torso, & let my shoulders widen.' These words are the mental directions that are the instructions to the body, telling it what it should do."
"When her body was worked on & released, it seemed to trigger memories from her past, emotional traumas that she had experienced but not expressed her response at the time: 'I got a lot of flashbacks as my body released & changed, insights into past responses. I understood why I behaved in certain ways in the past. It wasn't a process of reflecting carefully, but memories coming to the surface.' the psychologist Wilheim Reich, who named the phenomenon 'body armoring,' believed that if people, especially children, experienced an emotional trauma & did not express their feelings at the time (sometimes because they were not able to under the circumstances), the trauma would somehow be trapped in the muscles. Later on, when the muscles were freed in a nurturing environment, this signaled the brain that the trauma was ready to be processed."
"Alexander had his students come for a 'course of lessons'-five times a week for six weeks, for a total of thirty lessons. Major changes could be made in this relatively short period of time. Since the lessons were so close together, there was little time for the body to fall back into old habits, & it was possible for each lesson to build on the next in a very concrete way."
"Student who have the time should ideally take three lessons a week for two weeks, then two lessons a week for three weeks, followed by lessons once a week."
"Continuing to think the directions, bring your hand to the object, allowing your body intelligence to determine what the necessary support should be. Tension has weight. If you introduce undue tension, you are adding the weight of your tensions to the weight of the object."
'No matter what direction your body moves in space, the energy flow in your torso should be toward your head.... An "energy flow up" also means a willingness to let your body take up its full space- to move up out of yourself rather than pull down into yourself- so you have more direct contact with the world around you. In other words, an energy flow is also an attitude."
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews