How does it work?
The Alexander Technique teaches us how to release harmful patterns of muscle tension that have become a fixed part of how we move, breathe, and hold ourselves
The Technique can improve our ability to prevent often unconscious habits of muscular tension that can lead to significant compression and distortion of the spine, and inefficient muscular imbalances that we bring into every action we perform.
Downward pressure on the skeletal system
When we unconsciously use too much muscular tension in our neck, our head is, quite literally, pulled off its balancing point at the top of our spine. When our head is off balance, it falls downwards onto our spine.
Our head weighs approximately 5kg or 11 pounds. This exerts a significant downwards pressure and compression on the spine and skeletal system.
This can cause damage to our bones and joints and prevent our spine from supporting us in the way it’s designed to.
Interference with postural support
Excessive muscular tension also disturbs the healthy co-ordination of our muscles with some being over-stressed and others underactive.
We end up using our larger muscles, designed to organise movement, rather than engaging our natural, in-built, postural support musculature.
We then tend to veer between trying to hold ourselves up and slumping when our muscles tire.
How does the Alexander Technique help?
Through gentle hands on guidance, we learn to undo the patterns of muscular tension that can damage our musculoskeletal system, cause us pain and interfere with our postural support.
In particular, we learn to prioritise not tightening our neck muscles so that our head can balance on the top of the spine as its designed to do, rather than our neck musculature gripping our head, and pulling it down onto our spine and skeletal structure.