The Alexander Technique - What is It?
by Franis Engel
The Alexander Technique is a means of understanding coordination using one's body and mind together, practiced by freeing posture and removing unnecessary tension. It takes its name from F. Matthias Alexander who devised it in the late 19th century. It is often considered the "grandfather" of other somatic processes such as Feldenkrais, Rolfing, Hellerwork, etc.
HOW IT IS APPLIED
Since the Alexander Technique improves perception and ease, it has broad applications. It is taught in performance schools of dance, acting, circus, music and some Olympic sports. It's also useful remedially; to obtain full recovery, to stop stuttering, to unlearn and avoid Repetitive Stress Injury, and improve ergonomics. Its principles are also useful in psychology, creative thinking, learning theory and philosophy of coaching.
WHAT IT IS
Alexander Technique teaches how thinking becomes response in motion. It's possible to learn to insert a new choice before reaction happens. This is taught by observing one's own mannerisms while in motion, by training the kinesthetic sense - the sense of location and effort. Of all the senses, the kinesthetic sense is often the most "taken for granted" and habitually ingrained. The mannerisms of movement can reveal often intangible assumptions of outdated habitual thinking at their source. With hands-on lessons, Alexander Technique's' signature effect of unexpected poise becomes a shared fact, simultaneously marked by the teacher and appreciated by the student.
WHERE IT CAME FROM
Discoverer F.M. Alexander, was a Shakespearean orator who developed problems losing his voice. The problem occurred as soon as he tried to speak onstage, but he later observed the same response pattern in his common speaking style, to a lesser effect. Careful observation with multiple mirrors revealed that he needlessly stiffened his body in order to recite or speak. His technique was based on successfully finding his way past his loss of voice, and putting his discoveries into practice on himself, as well as training teachers. Many Alexander teachers are of the opinion that using a vocal medium, emulating the founder, most rapidly accelerates the benefits of this discipline.
HOW IT WORKS
Alexander Technique is essentially a de-education process learned by subtracting previously assumed necessary effort from movement. It can be practiced during any activity, making any sort of body motion more efficient. The original idea was to apply the scientific method to improve carrying out one’s own intention closer to observable fact. At first discovery, Alexander’s objective was to recover former capacity. His objective then became to make the advantages of personal discovery deliberately reliable, and later his goal was to extend learning improvements indefinitely.
SOME OF THE PRINCIPLES
Many of the principles of the technique are unique concepts. For instance, during repetition, our senses tend to habitually adapt to the continuous muscle messages sent by the brain. This ''Sensory Adaptation'' ability to install habits makes perceptual sensation disappear. This also means that a willingness to welcome what is unfamiliar is required to make room for something new to occur.
Another unique concept is a specialized use of the word ''Inhibition.'' Many Alexander teachers believe this concept to be the foundation of Alexander Technique. Without denial or catharsis, it is possible to learn to recognize and prevent a habitual patterned reaction as it is about to happen, and choose differently. With practice, a habit can be ''inhibited''. How subverting habits is taught varies with each Alexander teacher's experience. Sidestepping, stalling, tricking, boring the old habitual reaction - anything is fair game so the old habit can disengage, leaving the freedom to try something new.
The most original principle discovered is called ''Direction'' or ''Primary Control.'' Its long term importance in physical functionality is just recently being scientifically studied in movement gait research laboratories. F.M. Alexander discovered that a very slight head motion leads all physical body motion, acting as a steering wheel or a key to unlock the rest of the body which must follow the head’s lead. Pay attention to the quality, sequence, timing and direction of balancing the head at the neck, and the ability to respond with every other part of the body improves.
Most toddlers and some basketball players possess this delicate judgment of balance. Perhaps 5% of adults still retain their unspoiled sense of balance in Western culture. For instance, Tiger Woods is an example. Experiencing what is ''Forward and Up'' or ''Head Leads, Body Follows'' most often requires the help of a teacher.
The immediate but temporary effect of Alexander lessons can feel very unusual. Lightness, fluidity, and many unusual metaphors illustrating effortlessness are common descriptions. With training, available attention can expand to simultaneously encompass many more factors. Imagine consciously holding in mind a new objective, the multiple physical means of doing it while integrating new information that emerges at the time.
THE PRINCIPLES USED TOGETHER
These steps are principles, so they can be recombined and simplified a number of ways. A basic activity is to first identify and suspend the goal of an experimental action. In keeping with the ''sensory adaptation'' principle, customary kinesthetic orientation and preparation that "feels right" is first examined for unnecessary assumptions. Good questions are formed. The next step would be to suspend and prevent previously known responses to allow a more instinctive capacity to reassert itself. The new way is then taken for a spin. ''Ease'' or a sense of what is termed ''Do-less-ness,'' becomes the new measure of success. Discoveries are noted, and a similar process is used repeatedly. Motivation tends to increase for tolerating and even enjoying the unfamiliar. The feeling of tapping the unexpected continues, no matter how often the process is used. This characteristic of unpredictability is what makes Alexander Technique beyond description for many.
HOW LONG IT TAKES TO LEARN
The purpose of individual or group lessons is for the student to do the Alexander Technique for themselves. The effect of lessons with a teacher should be immediate. Most student are slow to begin to reliably perform on their own; often taking a significant commitment of months, even years of discipline. Speed of learning seems to depend on the motivation to shed outdated habits, frequency of lessons and availability of support from other students. The motivations of choice have been found by advanced students to be the core of identity beyond habit. But in practice, habits seem to have their own sense of self-preservation which seems to fear their lack of necessity. Of course, some teachers help the surrendering process go easier. Sampling a number of teachers is advisable.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Depending on the causes of limitation, structural posture may or may not improve, but freedom of movement and most often economy of motion should always improve during a lesson. It may feel strange, but easier. A pupil’s motion is often guided with hands-on modeling by the teacher, usually with a very light touch during a repeated action of the student’s or the teacher’s choice. The teacher gives subtle indications of ''Direction,'' timing and coaching that the student follows. Students might lay on a table for part of the lesson in semi-supine with the teacher’s attention, so as to practice ''Inhibition'' without the stimulus of having to stand or sit. In a group situation, students often watch each other taking shorter lessons given in turn or do an exploration together. There is only one exercise, called the ''Whispered Aah, '' otherwise no exercises are provided. To take improvements away from the lesson, the dedication of attentive experimentation is required on the part of the learner. However, there are also teachers specializing in teaching children that know how to make learning amusing.
WHY USE A TEACHER?
F.M. Alexander and his brother A.R. Alexander often stressed that The Technique could not be learned without the active cognitive participation of a student or even the active cognitive help of a suitably qualified instructor, deceptive self-awareness being a significant feature of ''Sensory Adaptation.'' Most Alexander teachers today agree, but F.M. and A.R. did it first alone, so it is theoretically possible to learn without a teacher, but very rare.
TEACHING TODAY
Now, the Alexander Technique has the lifetime dedication of only a few thousand teachers world-wide, taking over three years of full-time training to join professional organizations which require many refresher workshops. Only a few who were trained by the founder are still living. Most teachers in the field are of the professional opinion that no informative substitution exists for a block of twenty to forty lessons; words do not suffice to describe the Alexander Technique, it must be experienced.
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Franis Engel has applied Alexander Technique to learning such divergent activities as singing, juggling, losing a congenital limp and how to talk to complete strangers. Since 1983, she’s been talking about Alexander Technique to anyone who expresses a vague interest. She’s a writer and reviewer for Direction magazine on the Alexander Technique and has written a handbook on Alexander Technique principles titled, Use Your Head that she makes available to her students. Her speciality is introducing Alexander Technique to groups and and abstracting the learning principles for teachers in other fields. She teaches workshops on Alexander Technique by invitation during the summer months.
Discovery In Motion
Alexander Technique
Franis_Engel (at) yahoo (dot) com
P.O. Box 586, Bolinas, CA, 94924
(415)-868-0420 Cell: (415)-717-3405The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique provides a comprehensive source of information about this method