Alexander Technique

Alexander Technique-Keep It Simple

The stresses and strains of modern living, combined with the ubiquity of the computer, cell phone, blackberry etc., seem to draw us in, collapsing us forward and down. So as not to smash our faces into the screen, desk, or floor (we’re very smart), our neck, upper back and shoulder muscles work harder than needed. This extra work eventually becomes habitual, even when we’re not at our desks.
When muscles work, or overwork, they shorten. So when we over tighten our neck muscles we’re rotating our heads backwards and downwards, shortening our spines and compressing our discs. Is there any wonder why we may have neck pain and back pain?

We say we have a stiff or sore neck, as if someone gave it to us and now it’s ours. In Alexander Technique terms it might be more accurate to say, “I’m stiffening my neck.” Of course if you say it that way you sound insane. ‘Just stop stiffening it’ might be advice we’d get. It isn’t that simple, or is it?

The Alexander Technique tells us to ‘free your neck’, which means reduce or eliminate excess tension in your neck. How do we do that? Tense your bicep as in ‘make a muscle.’ Now let it go. How did you do that? Who knows, but you can do it. That’s a simple demonstration of releasing unnecessary tension, which is what we want to do with our necks and other parts of us. A certain amount of tension is necessary; we’re talking about extra tension.

We want to cultivate the ability to identify what’s unconsciously, habitually overly tense, and then release it. The Alexander Technique teaches to ‘free your neck so that your head can move forward and up.’Forward can be explained in different ways, but I find that thinking of forward as a forward rotation works best. It’s a forward rotation of the head on the spine, while the crown of the head moves up. Usually you can achieve a forward rotation of your head by slightly lowering your nose.
So, slightly lower your nose, let the crown of your head move up leading your whole spine into length. Now, let yourself breathe fully.

Mark Josefsberg is a certified Alexander Technique teacher in New York. He teaches in his private studio, and at A.R.E. Center of New York www.arenyc.org

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