Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique is a method that works to change habits or movements in everyday activities. F. Matthias Alexander was an Australian who is accredited with inventing this therapy. He originally developed the Alexander Technique as a method of vocal training for singers and actors in the 1890s.

It is a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement, balance, support and coordination. The technique teaches the use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity, giving more energy for all activities. The Alexander Technique is a method, which helps a person to discover a new balance in the body by releasing unnecessary tension. Alexander Technique is the art and science of ‘using’ oneself better.

The Alexander Technique provides a concrete means for overcoming impeding habits, and for helping people learn better and do things more freely—from learning to play a musical instrument better to moving with more comfort and ease through daily life. From back pain to learning blocks, whether for a musician or an office worker, Alexander lessons remain fundamentally the same.

The Alexander Technique, however, is not a therapy that treats a passive patient. It is for the person interested in working towards his or her goals with increased awareness and practical intelligence. Although the Alexander Technique does not treat specific symptoms, you can encourage a marked improvement in overall health, alertness, and performance by consciously eliminating harmful habits that cause physical and emotional stress, and by becoming more aware of how you engage in activities.

The technique has many applications in the office. Some of these are simple and straightforward: how to sit at your desk for long periods without backache, how to use a computer without suffering from stiff shoulders or wrist pain, and of course general stress relief and improved self-confidence. Even simple advice on posture will help with some of these things.

Alexander Technique in its advanced stages has some interesting applications in areas like communication, negotiation and leadership. Even dancing provides many interesting opportunities for applying the Alexander Technique. Here, again, it has an important function in injury prevention, but there are also other benefits: in the more creative forms of dance it can prevent mannerisms and open the way out of habitual movement patterns and aid in the exploration of new ways of moving. In the dance forms where predetermined patterns are repeated the technique may help to enhance the quality of movement and coordination.

The Alexander Technique is a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement, balance, support and coordination. The technique teaches the use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity, giving more energy for all activities. The Alexander Technique is a method, which helps a person to discover a new balance in the body by releasing unnecessary tension. Alexander Technique is the art and science of ‘using’ oneself better.

The Alexander Technique provides a concrete means for overcoming impeding habits, and for helping people learn better and do things more freely — from learning to play a musical instrument better to moving with more comfort and ease through daily life. From back pain to learning blocks, whether for a musician or an office worker, Alexander lessons remain fundamentally the same.

The Alexander Technique, however, is not a therapy that treats a passive patient. It is for the person interested in working towards his or her goals with increased awareness and practical intelligence. Although the Alexander Technique does not treat specific symptoms, you can encourage a marked improvement in overall health, alertness, and performance by consciously eliminating harmful habits that cause physical and emotional stress, and by becoming more aware of how you engage in activities.

The technique has many applications in the office. Some of these are simple and straightforward: how to sit at your desk for long periods without backache, how to use a computer without suffering from stiff shoulders or wrist pain, and of course general stress relief and improved self-confidence. Even simple advice on posture will help with some of these things.

Alexander Technique in its advanced stages has some interesting applications in areas like communication, negotiation and leadership. Even dancing provides many interesting opportunities for applying the Alexander Technique. Here, again, it has an important function in injury prevention, but there are also other benefits: in the more creative forms of dance it can prevent mannerisms and open the way out of habitual movement patterns and aid in the exploration of new ways of moving. In the dance forms where predetermined patterns are repeated the technique may help to enhance the quality of movement and coordination.

The Alexander Technique is a programme of re-education that allows us to release the unwanted muscular tension that can cause ill-health, bad posture and back, neck and joint pain by identifying and preventing the harmful physical and mental habits picked up throughout our lives.

Millions of people all over the world have naturally overcome a range of health problems and have also achieved a more balanced life by taking Alexander Technique lessons, including well-known people like John Cleese; George Bernard Shaw; Roald Dahl; Greg Chappell and Joan Bakewell to name just a few.

The Alexander Technique is often misconstrued as being a therapy, a treatment or a cure for back pain. However, whilst it can help enormously with back pain, there is so much more to it than this. It is a form of re-education, teaching you how to think consciously so that your mind and body work in harmony.

Alexander Technique lessons can be incredibly beneficial for many things including:
Helping overcome neck, back and joint pain and RSI
Easing muscle tension, joint stiffness and recurring headaches
Correcting bad posture
Improving breathing
Dealing with stress and anxiety
Improving sports and artistic performance
Preventing sporting injuries
Enhancing presentation skills
Increasing flexibility, balance and co-ordination

STAT qualified Alexander Technique teachers undergo strict, regulated training to help you find a tailor made way to help you get back in control of your mental and physical well being. Lessons usually last around an hour and are generally available locally either privately or as a course.

• Monster Transmission With Trucks Gone Wild and Spare Parts Doug
  Monster Transmission's Relationship with the Most Popular Tractor Tire Mud Truck "Spare Parts Doug" and the Leader in Off-Road Entertainment "Trucks Gone Wild"(PRWeb May 16, 2 …
• Champion Posts New Technical Service Bulletin on Break-In Oil
  The Champion Oil Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) on Break-In Oil can be found at http://www.championbrands.com/enginebreak-in.ai.pdf…(PRWeb May 16, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/ …
• Top Lubricants and Absorbents Distributor Expands Fleet & Staff…
  As a result of a recent business merger with a local motor oil distributor, Keller Heartt Oil Solutions builds up its bulk lubricant capacity tanks and adds new trucks to meet the increased delivery.. …
• Gates Corporation Introduces POWERCLEAN™ Flush Tool and Launches…
  Gates POWERCLEAN Flush Tool performs a thorough cooling system flush, an important part of proper automotive cooling system maintenance.(PRWeb May 16, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/ …
• TitleMasters Brings Title Pawn Service to Marietta, Georgia
  TitleMasters to expand their Title Loan/Pawn services into Marietta, GA(PRWeb May 16, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9516029.htm
• The Holden Commodore's return to the US as the Chevrolet SS…
  Chevrolet SS Performance Sedan Forum Ready For Official GM/Holden Announcement(PRWeb May 16, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/5/prweb9516826.htm
• Horton Continues Rapid Expansion of its QuickShip Warehouse Program
  Horton has added warehouse locations in Salt Lake City, Utah and Grand Prairie, Tex., to its QuickShip warehouse program. Including the two new locations, the program now integrates eight…(PRWeb May …
• Mobile Phones and Motorists: Business Owner Asks how Aware Drivers are…
  Research published this week confirms that UK drivers are not fully aware of the legislation involving mobile phone use in vehicles. Roy Ganley of Bolton-based First Step Leasing encourages employers. …
• Convertible Tops Retailer Accelerated Supply Automotive Accessories…
  Trusted Online Convertible Tops Retailer Adds Mustang Convertible Top to its Wide Selection of Parts and Accessories. The 12 Year Old Company is Renowned for its Competitive Prices, Integrity and…(P …
• IBC Tote Enclosure with Built-In Scale and Spill Containment Basin –…
  Scaletron Industries, Ltd., a manufacturer of corrosion resistant digital and mechanical scales, has introduced the Model 4042-63 IBC-WE IBC Spill Containment Scale with Weatherproof Enclosure for use …
• Pacific Performance Engineering to Distribute Champion Blue…
  Champion Oil has recently added Pacific Performance Engineering (PPE) as a Master Warehouse Distributor and Retailer with its product line of Blue Flame® Performance Diesel Motor Oils.(PRWeb May …
• Alameda Auto Lab Car Repair and Service Announces Spring Special and…
  Alameda Auto Lab Car Repair and Service, the premier auto repair shop in Oakland, is announcing spring special and other promotions.(PRWeb May 15, 2012)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/rele …

Most people think they know how to walk without considering the possibility that they can improve this vital skill. Maybe you would like to walk more as part of a health program but you find walking uncomfortable. Improving your ability to walk can improve the way you look and make every step easier, more enjoyable, and even safer. The tips and exercise in this article, based on the Alexander Technique, can get you started on improving the way you walk beginning today.

The Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique is often described as a method for recognizing and breaking habits of excess tension in everyday activities. People take lessons in the Alexander Technique from a certified Alexander teacher to, among other things, improve posture, movement, and breathing. Walking might seem like a simple activity, but people often develop unconscious habits in their walking that make walking more difficult. You can’t learn the whole Alexander Technique just from one article, but trying out the tips and exercise can help you gain a new perspective on this seemingly familiar activity.

Six Tips for Improving Walking

Walk around the room to experiment with these tips. Try them one at a time and try to add them all together.

Try walking with a lighter step. This doesn’t mean walking in a funny way, just put each foot down a little lighter as you walk. It may help to take a shorter stride. Most missteps happen when too much weight is placed on the new step too quickly. Walking with a lighter step gives you slightly more time to evaluate what you are stepping on, reducing the risk of falling. It is also less jarring and easier on your joints.

Let your waist stay mostly over your standing leg. Avoid pushing your hips forward along with the moving leg. When you walk, the knee goes forward, the hips should stay a bit behind.

Let the movement of your knee peel your foot off the floor.

Minimize side to side shifting as you walk.

Imagine that you are floating above your moving legs from the base of your pelvis up.

Avoid tightening the back of your neck as you walk. When walking quickly, have you ever noticed a tightening in the back of your neck? This tightening in the neck probably happens every time you walk, but it is usually more prominent when you walk quickly. As you walk now, see if you can allow the back of your neck to be softer. Most people think this is more comfortable.

Exercise – March in Place

This is mostly a thinking exercise. It is similar to the six tips above, but it asks you to apply the instructions while marching in place. Try it after you try the tips. The exercise isn’t meant to be a way to walk, just a way to examine walking. Like the tips, it is a cumulative exercise — you begin with the first part and you end with all ten parts together. Take your time with it, probably at least 15 minutes, and march in place at least ten times with each part. If you are concerned about balance, hold on to a wall or poll.

March in place.

As you march in place, place each foot down softly.

In addition to the previous two instructions, be more concerned with the standing leg than the moving leg. It is easier to stand on one leg when you think about the leg you are standing on, rather than the moving leg.

In addition to the previous three instructions, try pointing toward the ceiling with one finger and see if that helps your balance.

In addition to the previous four instructions, place your feet down lightly with each step.

In addition to the previous five instructions, instead of lifting your knee, think of putting it forward in space. Your knee will go up automatically when you put it forward.

In addition to the previous six instructions, try to limit your movement only to your legs as much as you can. There will always be some movement but try imagine that if people could only see your body from the waist up, they wouldn’t know you were marching in place.

In addition to the previous seven instructions, let your rising foot hang under your rising knee. Avoid bringing your foot toward you thigh.

In addition to the previous eight instructions, avoid pushing your pelvis forward as your knee goes forward. Let your knee go forward and you pelvis stay directly over your standing leg.

In addition to the previous nine instructions, let the back of your neck be very soft. Avoid pulling your head backwards as each knee goes forward.

Finish the exercise by just walking around the room. If you discovered anything from the exercise, try to apply it while still walking in a normal way.

1. Leave your heels on the floor as you bend.

This is the most important rule when bending. No matter how far toward the floor you bend, you still need to support your full weight. Picking your heels up makes it harder to support your weight so it is important to leave your feet fully on the floor as you bend. Before you bend, notice how your feet feel on the floor and try to let them feel the same way during the entire bending movement.

2. Bend at the knees and hip joints, not the waist.

Bending at the knees and hips offers a much greater range of motion than bending at the waist and will also give you more power. Bending at the waist will leave you in a weaker position. To find your hip joints, march in place and notice where your legs attach to your torso. Those are your hip joints. When you bend, you will use your knees and your hip joints.

3. Look at the floor.

When you bend, look at the floor. The reason for this is difficult to explain but you will find that looking at the floor as you bend makes bending easier. You can discover this yourself by bending while you look at a wall. You will find that looking at the floor makes bending easier.

4. Don’t reach too far with your arms.

Bend far enough so that you can easily reach what you are trying to retrieve. Reaching too far can cause you to pull your heels off the floor and distorts your back, making you feel weaker.

To recap, when bending:

1. Leave your heels on the floor as you bend.
2. Bend at the knees and hip joints, not the waist.
3. Look at the floor.
4. Don’t reach too far with your arms.

Take a few minutes to experiment and practice these tips so that you can understand and use them effectively. Depending on your fitness level, they can have a dramatic effect. Bending is an important quality of life skill. Properly bending far enough to touch the floor every day as part of normal activity will help you be able to bend for the rest of your life.

Breathing Basics – The Diaphragm

Most people breathe about 17 times per minute, or almost 25,000 times per day. In optimal breathing, the diaphragm performs as the main muscle of respiration. Other muscles of the torso are also involved in breathing, but only in a supportive role.

The diaphragm is a dome shaped muscle that makes a floor for the entire ribcage, separating it from the digestive organs below. While breathing can be either voluntary or involuntary, the diaphragm itself is an involuntary muscle and it cannot be controlled directly.

Inhale

During inhalation, the diaphragm actively flattens (contracts), lifting the ribs and compressing the abdomen below, causing the abdomen to bulge outward. The resulting increased volume of the torso creates a partial vacuum, causing air to rush into the lungs.

Exhale

During exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes upward, re-forming the dome and allowing the ribs to drop down and the abdomen to draw inward again. The resulting reduced volume of the torso pushes air out of the lungs.

Feel the Movement in Your Ribs and Abdomen

You might be able to feel the movement of your breathing by putting one hand on the side of your torso and your other hand on your abdomen. During inhalation, you will feel your hands move out. During exhalation you will feel your hands move in.

Breathing Faults

Inefficiencies can develop in breathing when muscles other than the diaphragm take on a larger role. If the muscles of the ribcage or abdomen are actively engaged, they can begin to supplant the diaphragm, causing the diaphragm to weaken over time. These muscles are not as well suited to a larger role in breathing, making each breath less coordinated and less efficient. Inefficiencies can also develop if the muscles of the ribs or abdomen are fixed or held rigidly, which can impede the diaphragm’s movement. Audible breathing, the sound of air moving in and out of the body, can be a sign of excess tension in the throat or excess effort in your breathing. Optimal breathing is silent.

Improve Your Breathing

One of the most common breathing faults is pushing the breath with muscles of the abdomen during exhalation. You can easily feel for this by putting your hand on your belly, allowing a few breaths to pass, and then speaking. It is very common for muscles of the abdomen to unnecessarily contract during vocalization and you will probably feel a tightening of the muscles while speaking that is different from a non-vocalized exhale. This is a sign that you are doing some extra work with your abdominal muscles in order to speak, instead of simply allowing the diaphragm to rise. The less you actively use the muscles of the torso for breathing, the more you will rely on the diaphragm and, over time, the stronger it will become. Depending on your condition, the following exercise might help you to improve your breathing.

Self-Exploration Exercise

You can complete this self-exploration exercise within a few minutes.

1. While you are reading this, sit all the way back in your chair and let your feet rest on the floor.
2. Allow your neck to be soft and your breathing to be easy.
3. Think of your breathing as ocean waves so that breathing is something that is happening to you as opposed to something that you are doing. Like ocean waves, each breath may range from large to small, and they may come at regular or irregular intervals. Don’t be afraid to take a breath if you feel that you need one.
4. Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. For each exhale, allow your belly to soften and your chest to fall.
5. With this same normal breath, use your mouth to silently count to five during each exhale. Allow your jaw to move easily and let the numbers run together, almost as if you are singing them. 1-2-3-4-5.
6. Enjoy your exhale each time you count to five, take your time and smile.
7. Do not count during your inhale. Just let the new breath pour into your lungs.
8. Stop the exercise after six or seven exhalations and notice if you are breathing easier.

Benefits of Improving Your Breathing

Anyone can benefit from improving their breathing. For those with breathing diseases to athletes and performing artists, improved breathing coordination can help you:

Reduce the symptoms of asthma COPD, emphysema and cystic fibrosis.
Improve vocal quality for performance.
Improve athletic ability.
Reduce insomnia.
Improve systolic blood pressure.
Improve general pain management, including back pain.
Flatten your stomach. (Improved breathing raises your diaphragm. This allows for more room for your internal organs, making your stomach flatter.)

This article presents five reasons why the Alexander Technique can make you a better golfer. There are also five accompanying tips. For over 100 years, the Alexander Technique has helped athletes to be more athletic by giving you the tools to take the greatest advantage of your strength and power. By improving stability and movement mechanics, it can also help you avoid injury, especially back injury. Most importantly, the Alexander Technique offers a feeling of lightness and ease that is its hallmark. Of course you can’t learn the Alexander Technique just from reading an article, but I hope this article will give you the information you need to decide to take a course of lessons.

1. Enhance Your Athleticism
Athleticism can be described as a spring-like quality within the body and the Alexander Technique helps you enhance that quality within yourself. Golf instruction often includes angles, movements and positions. These instructions are important, but there must be an underlying athleticism in order for you to reach your potential. The Alexander Technique helps you experience your body as one integrated and coordinated system, rather than a collection of parts. If you feel like some kind of erector set on the golf course, the Alexander Technique can help you feel more like your whole body is a spring.

*Tip
Stand up and imagine your body as an archer’s bow, oriented as if you are facing the bowstring. Stand straight up, not in a curved position. The bow is a spring and it always wants to expand against the string. Now imagine that someone is pulling the string, causing you to bend. The result may be bending, but in your imagination you are resisting the string and trying to go up. In reality, the string is gravity and we always go up against it, no matter how much we bend. Athletes often seem springy because we are springs.

2. Feel More Grounded, and Generate Greater Leg Power
A clear and stable connection to the ground is essential for a powerful swing. The Alexander Technique helps you establish that connection, not only for golf, but for every step you take. From the approach to the back swing, there should never be a question that your power comes from your connection to the ground. The Alexander Technique shows you how.

*Tip
Improving balance on one leg can help you feel more grounded on two legs. The following exercise may help you realize that your balance is better than you think. Stand up and point one finger high in the air as if you are reaching. Continuing to point your finger, lift your opposite knee until your thigh is parallel to the ground (or as close to that as you can), while also allowing your foot to hang directly under your raised knee. Try to make the tip of your finger and the bottom of your standing foot be as far away from each other as you can. Does the dynamic relationship between your finger pointing up and your foot going down help you to maintain your balance?

3. Develop a Tension Free Neck
Excess neck tension is ubiquitous. If you have ever had a stiff neck, you know how much it inhibits movement in your whole body. A free and supple neck is key to easy movement in the rest of the body. The Alexander Technique teaches you how to avoid tension in your neck during all activities, especially athletic activities.

*Tip
Lie face up on a carpet with your head on a soft cover book. The book should be thick enough so that your face is parallel to the floor. Place your feet flat on the ground so that your knees point toward the ceiling. With your mind’s eye, picture the very top of your spine, a point about the level of your ears and higher than the roof of your mouth. This is the joint where your head and spine meet. To experience more freedom in your neck, think of allowing this joint to soften so that the top of your spine almost seems to fall away from your head.

4. Increase Arm Speed and Reach
Many golfers pull their arms toward their body as they swing. The Alexander Technique helps you discover clarity and freedom in all of your joints. Alexander lessons give you a clear understanding of the difference between your torso and your arms, allowing fuller extension as you swing with ease and power.

*Tip
Going back to the previous tip, lying down with your head on the book and your feet flat on the floor, gently alternate lifting your arms, each time imagining that it float up effortlessly. As you do this, with your mind’s eye, look for the difference between your arms and your torso. Notice that your torso stays on the floor as your arms go forward and look for where your arms connect to your shoulders.

5. Pick Up Your Ball with Ease
It is said that more golfers injure themselves picking up their golf balls than in the swing. By giving you a clearer view of your body’s natural organization, a course of Alexander lessons will allow you to bend with ease for the rest of your life.

Tip
During the entire bending movement, keep your feet fully on the floor as if you are standing straight, look at the ground, send your knees directly over your feet, and bend only at the hips and never at the waist.

Learning enough about the Alexander Technique to help your golf game generally requires at least 10 private lessons, but you can begin by taking just one introductory lesson. I encourage you to look for a teacher in your area.

What do Sheila Hancock, Michael Caine, Joanna Lumley, John Cleese, Madonna, Sir Colin Davis, Juliet Stevenson and Paul McCartney have in common? They have all discovered the benefits of the Alexander Technique.

And they are not alone. The Alexander Technique is taught at RADA, the Royal College of Music, and similar institutions worldwide. It has helped performance artists of all disciplines deal with a wide range of problems including:
physical pain including headaches, back pain and repetitive strain injury
injuries
breathing problems
impaired co-ordination and balance
fatigue and poor concentration
lack of confidence, anxiety and stage fright

The technique was developed in the 1890s by Frederick Matthias Alexander, an Australian actor who was looking for a solution to his own problem. He specialised in giving public readings but kept losing his voice when performing. Doctors were unable to find a cause or suggest a cure. Using mirrors, he studied himself closely and noticed there was unbalanced tension throughout his body when he was speaking. He worked out ways of correcting this tension, and his voice returned to normal. What had begun as a self-help project soon attracted wider attention and Alexander’s technique was endorsed by several leading doctors and scientists. He spent the rest of his life teaching it to others.

The idea behind the Alexander Technique is simple enough: most people use their bodies automatically and don’t notice bad postural habits creeping in. For example, a brass player concentrating on giving a flawless performance will be unaware that he is putting unnecessary pressure on his neck by tilting his head, or that his weight is not evenly balanced on both feet. He will know that his frequent backache is affecting his playing, but might not realise that it’s the way he holds his instrument that is causing the pain.

If bad habits are corrected, the symptoms they cause will disappear. Unfortunately, telling someone to ‘sit up straight’ or ‘walk like this’ rarely helps. The body is very adaptable and poor posture can feel comfortable while correct posture seems awkward and difficult to achieve.

The Alexander Technique is not a therapy or exercise system. Its aim is to teach individuals to become aware of exactly how they use their body, to recognise potentially harmful tension and consciously release it. A qualified Alexander Technique teacher guides students to gradually re-discover their own natural posture and explore ways of moving that enhances their performance while using minimum effort and reducing the risk of causing damage.

A welcome side effect of gaining more control of their physical movements is that many performers find they develop a new sense of calm and self-confidence.

All singers, actors, dancers, musicians and other performance artists can benefit in some way by learning the Alexander Technique at any stage of their career. If you want to know more, look for someone who is a member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique and will be happy to discuss your particular needs.

Back pain is one of the biggest problems in the western world and causes a large loss in working days every year. Conventional treatments can sometimes fall short and often recommend rest and medication. This may mean you want to look at alternative therapies to help you and Alexander Technique is one that could significantly help you. In this article we will consider the benefits of Alexander Technique and how it can help you with your back pain.

What is Alexander Technique?

Alexander Technique is something that is learnt with the help of a practitioner. It teaches a people how to sit, stand and go about their everyday activities with a reduction in unnecessary tension. The practitioner will use both verbal commands and guidance with their hands to help a patient to become aware of and release habits in their posture and movement that could be causing them problems. There are not specific exercises that are carried out but instead each person is taken separately and their specific movements and natural habits are examined. By doing this each person gets a unique treatment which enables them to get the maximum benefit out of the Alexander Technique.

Alexander Technique and Back Pain

When treating back pain it is important to look at the cause rather than the symptoms. This will allow a person to eliminate the cause and get better as well as preventing future reoccurrences. Some of the causes of back pain include injury, inactivity, poor posture or movement and emotional stress. There are a number of treatments that can be very valuable in treating the symptoms and they include massage, chiropractic and pain relievers. It is however now that the Alexander Technique comes into play.

The Alexander Technique can help you to analyse your posture and movements that could be causing your back pain. It can not only be valuable in reducing pain but also help you to refine your movements so that your back pain does not reoccur which can be a significant risk with other treatments.

The Alexander Technique is particularly beneficial as it is very safe and non-invasive. It is also something that you can easily practise at home once you have learnt the basics from your teacher. It will teach you to control your movements, like for instance not slumping when you sit. The things that you learn will teach you how to go about your everyday life without putting unnecessary pressure on your back which significantly reduces your chance of suffering from back pain.

In addition the Alexander Technique will also teach you to become aware of your body meaning that you will very quickly be able to refine your movements if your feel tension appearing when it should not. This means that you begin to have control over your body and how you use it. This will not only help with any existing problems but also prevent any different ones that may occur. Also as well as being useful for those that suffer from back pain it can be valuable for anyone to learn so that they can prevent any possible back pain that may occur in the future.

Conclusion

If you are suffering from back pain then the Alexander Technique can be something very valuable for you to try. However it is important to find a qualified teacher who has a good track record. You could look into any associations that monitor their members to ensure you get a reputable practitioner. In addition it is always a good idea to ask for references and speak to former patients to find out the quality of a teachers work.

Regular exercise is an important part of keeping healthy at any age, but as people get older they are more likely to experience arthritis, rheumatism and other medical conditions that force them to slow down. When this happens there is a danger of slipping into a downward spiral of avoiding difficult or painful movements by taking even less exercise, which then causes additional problems.

Although the physical changes associated with old age can’t be avoided altogether, there are many ways to manage pain and impaired mobility in order to keep as active as possible. One self-help system that can be of benefit to older people is the Alexander Technique.

Many people discover The Alexander Technique when looking for help with backache. It has been medically proven to give lasting relief from back pain, but it can also help to prevent and ease pain in all the other joints and muscles of the body. It is also often useful in treating a wide variety of other symptoms including headaches, breathing problems, fatigue and high blood pressure.

Anyone with an existing medical condition might be nervous about trying something new in case it makes matters worse, but the Alexander Technique is perfectly safe for older people because:
It is not an exercise system; there are no strenuous movements to perform
No special equipment is needed
No manipulation is involved
There are no targets to achieve, each person learns at their own pace
It can help to improve balance and so reduce the risk of falling
Many people find that it boosts their self-confidence

It works by teaching people how to use their bodies in a natural way without putting undue pressure or strain on any part. This sounds simple, but most people are unaware of exactly how they move. Bad postural habits that have developed over many years can feel normal, while correct posture may seem strange. With the gentle guidance of an Alexander Technique teacher in one-to-one lessons, people are encouraged to become fully aware of how their body is moving and to gradually adjust those movements so they can sit, stand and perform everyday tasks in the most comfortable way.

Alexander technique teaches you how to use your body correctly during your daily activities and so to eliminate poor postural habits. Adhering to the Alexander Technique will help to prevent the accumulation of the muscular tension that aggravates fatigue, aches, pain and other physiological disorders. The technique was developed towards the end of the nineteenth century by Alexander, an Australian actor.

He was plagued by a chronic hoarseness, especially when he was on stage, which did not respond well to any conventional medical treatments, so he embarked on a journey of meticulous self observation and behavioral changes. Eventually these brought him the improvements he was looking for and helped him develop an organized method for the control and change of the physical and behavioral habits that were at the root of his difficulties.

The main objective of the technique is to encourage people to use their body and mind more efficiently in day to day living. This is referred to as good use, which involves less stressful way of sitting, standing and walking. Teachers of the Alexander technique attempt to establish a relationship with their students that are based on trust. Their aim is to encourage in the student an understanding of the essential principles of the technique, which are based on the coordination of the head, neck and back.

They point out those poor postural habits, or what they call misuse, can cause strain in these areas and so generate pain and various ailments. Alexander technique teachers use their hands to move the student into the correct posture and also give verbal instruction and explanations as part of their therapy.